sunnylisbon

Whenever I pass by Jose Saramago museum, I take a moment to pay tribute to this novel award winner. I visited the museum and saw various works of his and the replica of his workstation. It was interesting to picture him in that workstation writing his masterpieces. Once asked about his daily routine, he answered he writes two pages every day and read, read, read, read. Many people including myself say writing is very difficult. Maybe the reason why is we try to write perfectly. Well, there is no perfect writing. Write and rewrite.... Write, read, rewrite all over... Perhaps that's the secret of good writing. Jose Saramago wrote more than 40 books and his success came late. His books have been translated into other languages including Korean. Hopefully, some day soon I can read his books in Portuguese and understand all the nuances and connotations. Fingers crossed.

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga  has a vast collection. It is such a huge place with many priceless works of famous artists. Regretfully, the outside of the museum needs better maintenance, none the less, the garden is full of life with flowers here and there. With a Lisboa Card, you have free admission. Before you go over there, it is smart to check out the highlights of its exhibition at the website . Today I will mention only two of the 15 important works, that is, Panels of St. Vincent and Temptations of St. Anthony. Panels of St. Vincent are on the top floor. Comfortable chairs are provided in front of them to appreciate as long as you want. Nuno Gonçalves painted six panels, the third of which features Henry the Navigator. Near these master pieces is the portrait of John I , the father of Henry the Navigator.  If you are interested in history,  you have seen his face as he founded Aviz dynasty.  Portrait of John I, the fou...

Museu Nacional de Arqueologia is the largest archaeology museum in Portugal. It is located in Belem district right next to Jereminos Monastery . Its size is somewhat disappointing however, if you are interested in Roman and Egyptian history you will have a good time like I did. It was started by José Leite de Vasconcelos in 1893 and won an award called "Genio Protector da Colonia Augusta Emerita." Augusta Emerita colony was founded in 25 BC by the Roman Emperor Augusta and don't forget to visit  Museum of Lisbon - Roman Theater to get a thorough picture of Roman presence in Lisbon. Teseo killing Minotaur Know Roman myths?  Then you can appreciate this place a lot more.  In Egyptian wing, you can glimpse at 5000 year-long history through more than 500 pieces, 200 of which were brought from Egypt in 1903 by the last queen of Portugal, Amelia .  One of the most important sections of the museum is a treasure room.  ...

Traditional clothes are hard to see here in Lisbon. I paid a visit to Angeja-Palmela Palace to appreciate all the beautiful clothes. Museu Nacional do Traje , created in 1976, won many awards  but when I got there, the outside was very wornout.  It saddened me to see this beautiful building look so shabby.  Inside, the palace itself is worth the visit.  The museum is not big so I went around twice.  First to see all the beautiful clothes on display  and then to enjoy the palace itself.   They offer a guided tour  so if you're interested, contact them in advance.  We visited on Sunday.  Even though they don't have a guided tour on Sundays,  they are willing to help us a lot.  Very kind and helpful Portuguese people as usual.  The palace walls are beautifully adorned.  At first everything looks similar  but upon a closer look, you realize each one is charac...

National coach museum is one of the most popular museums in Lisbon, drawing hundreds of thousands people every year. Inaugurated by the last queen of Portugal, Queen Amelia, in 1905, it houses some of the oldest coaches in the world and more. portrait of Queen Amelia, princess of France, married to King Carlos I of Portugal Por Museu Nacional dos Coches - http://www.matriznet.dgpc.pt/matriznet/home.aspx I have visited the museum a lot of times  but had no idea it is divided into two parts- Praça Afonso de Albuquerque and Av. da Índia 136, 1300-004 Lisboa .  After researching extensively to write this blog, I still didn't know.  Most info available in English doesn't say anything about two parts.  Only by taking a closer look at the leaflet from the museum did I realize it.  Worth learning Portuguese to appreciate this lovely city better.  original museum- Praça Afonso de Albuquerque Make sure you visit b...

Belem district, situated at the mouth of  the Tagus, has attracted many people with beautiful landmarks such as the Jerónimos Monastery and the Tower of Belém. Nowadays, young and hip people are heading to Belem to appreciate arts at MAAT(Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology) or Museu Coleção Berardo. Diverse museums make the Belem district much more interesting and some of them offer free admissions on certain days. Free entrance info changes from time to time so before you head to your choice of museums, it's safer to check their websites. Wanting to give you the updated and correct info, I personally checked all the websites and visited some of them. Here is the info. (1) Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology Location Website free admission for all visitors on the first Sunday of every month (2) Museu Nacional dos Coches (Coach Museum) Location Website free admission for residents on Sundays and holidays (3)  Museu...