Tour the world by tram: Rio, San Francisco and England
Looking out across the moonlit Tagus River to the gigantic statue of Christ the Redeemer, I felt momentarily confused.I was sure I was in Lisbon, not Rio de Janeiro. And beautiful though it looked under a starry night, what was the Golden Gate Bridge doing in one of Europe's best-loved capitals? Lisbon is full of such surprises.
The architects of the Golden Gate constructed its glorious twin (the 25 de Abril Bridge) here back in the 1960s. The spectacular monument Cristo Rei proclaims this port city's enduring links to Rio, discovered by Lisbon's seafarers in 1500 and connected to their home town in ways I could never have suspected.
For a start, there's the soft azure light, the narrow, steep streets (both cities are built on hills), the sandy beaches and unpretentious resorts that stretch up the coast.
And then there's the food. New York restaurateurs pay a king's ransom to get fish flown in from Portugal. But from June until September, you can feast on roasted sardines here for next to nothing.
It's equally surprising to discover how at home we British feel in Portugal. And so we should. Climb upto the impressive fortress of St George and you'll hear how English crusaders drove out Moorish invaders (but not their influence on the architecture).
John of Gaunt's archers came to the rescue of the Portuguese again in 1385. The alliance was commemorated by Europe's oldest surviving treaty before John's daughter, Philippa, married Portugal's first king.
On track: One of Lisbon's colourful trams and, right, the city's statue of Christ the Redeemer
Looking out across the moonlit Tagus River to the gigantic statue of Christ the Redeemer, I felt momentarily confused.I was sure I was in Lisbon, not Rio de Janeiro. And beautiful though it looked under a starry night, what was the Golden Gate Bridge doing in one of Europe's best-loved capitals? Lisbon is full of such surprises.
The architects of the Golden Gate constructed its glorious twin (the 25 de Abril Bridge) here back in the 1960s. The spectacular monument Cristo Rei proclaims this port city's enduring links to Rio, discovered by Lisbon's seafarers in 1500 and connected to their home town in ways I could never have suspected.
For a start, there's the soft azure light, the narrow, steep streets (both cities are built on hills), the sandy beaches and unpretentious resorts that stretch up the coast.
And then there's the food. New York restaurateurs pay a king's ransom to get fish flown in from Portugal. But from June until September, you can feast on roasted sardines here for next to nothing.
It's equally surprising to discover how at home we British feel in Portugal. And so we should. Climb upto the impressive fortress of St George and you'll hear how English crusaders drove out Moorish invaders (but not their influence on the architecture).
John of Gaunt's archers came to the rescue of the Portuguese again in 1385. The alliance was commemorated by Europe's oldest surviving treaty before John's daughter, Philippa, married Portugal's first king.
Tour the world by tram: Rio, San Francisco and England
Full of surprises: The architects of the Golden Gate constructed its glorious twin in Lisbon back in the 1960s
Tour the world by tram: Rio, San Francisco and England
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The city identified its social gradings by house
colours: pink for royals; pastel blue for nobles; yellow for
carriage-owners; white for workers
Tour the world by tram: Rio, San Francisco and England
Castle in the clouds: The spectacular Pena Palace
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