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Portugal 2017: Day 6



This morning we boarded the coach and headed off to the country’s capital, Lisbon! Fr. Chichetto educated us along the way about the reign of Prime Minister Salazar, the dictator for most of the 20th century who was determined to keep the country neutral during World War II. His thought provoking lecture left us all pondering the ideas of progress and revenge. 

After a few hours drive, we arrived in the downtown area of Lisbon and had some time for lunch. We met our local guide, Pilar, and then embarked on a sightseeing tour of the capital city! Known for its maritime history with famed explorers like Vasco de Gama (discoverer of the sea route to India) and Ferdinand Magellan (first to circumnavigate the globe) hailing from Portugal, we had the opportunity to visit numerous sites dating back to the Age of Discoveries.

First, we entered the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém which was built to honor voyagers by monks who assisted seafarers in transit during the Age of Discoveries and the location of Vasco de Gama's final resting place. Then we visited the Tower of Belém and the Monument to the Discoveries. Here Pilar talked about Columbus' desire to find a new route to India and how Spain and Portugal decided to split their claims to the sea. After admiring the views of the city from Eduardo VII Park, we passed the Plaza del Marques de Pombal and the Mouraria District (Moorish District), Lisbon’s medieval quarter, where the country’s famed Fado music originates.

Later we checked into our hotel, Hotel Acores Lisboa, and in the evening, some travelers opted to attend a Fado Show, some met with an alumna, Karla, that lives in the area and others explored the area around the hotel. Tomorrow is a busy day when we travel to Tomar and Fatima. 
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