A leisurely boat ride on the River Tagus

We went for a leisurely boat ride on the River Tagus, which was very pleasant.   A little breezy at times but it was lovely to sit in the sunshine and not feel too hot.     The boat ride was part of the Yellow Bus Tours.

We left from the end of the boat terminus, the old and less used end, although some bright green fake grass had been put down to brighten the area up.   The entrance was behind parked cars and not easy to find, especially as the gate only opened when the tour boat was there.   No signs.   

But once on the boat, it was an excellent cruise and very smooth.   No wonder I am looking happy in the photograph below.   There is a view of the Praco do Comercio behind me.

The boat first crossed over to the other side of the river.  A view of the very tall statue of Cristo-Rei.   Christ has his arms out-stretched as if in a motion of blessing the River Tagus.  It is possible to take a lift up to the viewing platform which is just below the statue.   The platform is 82m high, and apparently provides an excellent view of Lisbon.  If one likes heights.

The destination for the tour was Belem, which we had visited previously on the Yellow Bus Tour, and we could have disembarked here, and then caught the next boat back, or caught a tram, but we were happy to sit in the sun, and watch the shoreline as we cruised past.   No traffic, or lines of coaches, or people to block the view.   Perfect.

The Electricity Museum, which was once a power station.  A magnificently restored building, built in stages between 1908 and 1951.  

The Padrao dos Descrobrimentos (Discoveries Monument) is an imposing monument on the edge of the river.   The structure is dedicated to the adventurers and explorers who helped establish Portugal as a 14th century superpower.   The original structure was made of wood, and was the central piece for the 1940 world fair.   The current 52m structure, constructed of concrete, was built in the 1960s   Inside the monument is a small museum and there is a viewing platform at the top.

The monument was built in the shape of a ship, and Walter made a comment that it looked like the figures where pushing each other up to the top and over the edge.   I am not sure that was the idea, somehow.

The Belem Tower or the Tower of St Vincent is a fortified tower.   It is a Unesco World Heritage site, because of the significant role it played in the Portuguese maritime discoveries in the era of the Age of Discoveries.   The tower was built in the early 16th century.   Very imposing.

We then continued passed the boat harbours, and went under the enormously high bridge, passed the buildings of central Lisbon, and back to the ferry terminus, where we headed off to a bar, in order to talk about and relive a truly lovely day.   First the tram trip and then the boat tour of the River Tagus.