sunnylisbon

On Freedom Day, São Bento Palace opened its gate to all, welcoming everyone. I went there with my husband. Even though we had to wait in line more than one hour, it was worth the visit. When we entered the building, they offered us a folder with all the info, which was available both in English and in Portuguese. There are 15 places to visit inside and we had a blast. As I have been studying Portuguese history, especially on kings and queens,  I could tell who's who inside just by watching the sculptures or paintings. Carlos I Carlos I Manuel II Maria II Luis I However, as I am not that familiar with current history, I couldn't tell who's who. Inside the Monk's Refectory are beautiful azulejos on São Bento's life. It was very very impressive. Sao Bento's birth Outside in the garden there were many events for children and all. I could tell how well prepared they were for these events. a work of Vilhs, one...

Today is Freedom Day here in Portugal. Yesterday I visited Comercio Square with my husband to see the video art and the concert. It was very impressive to see everybody singing the same song all together. My Portuguese is not good enough so I could catch only a few words. But they were very moving. Since Korea has been through a similar situation, this song touched my heart deeply. My husband suggested learning the song together. It's such a brilliant idea. Next year, I will be among the Portuguese singing the same fado. The background of the concert showed the scenes from Carnation Revolution 45 years ago. While listening to the song, I was mesmerized by the scenes. This morning I watched the movie "Night Train to Lisbon" again with my husband. When the dictatorship is a fact, the revolution is a right. That line rings true.

Right behind Sé de Lisboa, aka, Igreja de Santa Maria Maior, there is a museum called Museu do Aljube. Considering the turbulent Portuguese history, the museum is definitely worth the visit. It was built on the prison where those who rebelled against the authoritarian government under Salazar  were held. On April 25th 1974, people rose up against the dictatorship and overthrew the regime. It is called Carnation Revolution . The name of the revolution originated from people offering carnations to the soldiers. In the movie called 'Watchman' there is a scene which reminds me of Carnation revolution. a scene from "watchman" To celebrate this day of liberation, it became a holiday called Freedom Day. There are many events you can participate in. There are music, a videoshow and concerts.  Check out Comercio Square and Parlamento in Lisbon.