My final day in Lisbon was a half day, with a late flight I got to spend the morning exploring before making my way to the airport.

I took a tram from Lisbon down to Belém, which is further down the river, closer to sea. I walked around the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, the building was monstrous and an extremely impressive sight.

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Then I went for a walk through Jardim Alfonso de Albuquerque.

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Then I walked to the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, a monument built to mark 500 years since Henry the Navigator’s death and celebrates a time when Portugal was one of the most powerful seafaring nations.

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Finally, I made my way down to Belém Tower. The tower is built on a small island right off the shore, meaning that when the tide is low you can walk all the way out but as the tide rises, it becomes surrounded by water and only accessible by bridge.

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After a long weekend, full of some much needed winter sun and a break from the island, it was time to head back to Ireland and back to school. I made one last stop on my way back to the famous Pastéis de Belém for a few more Pastel de Natas (which I’m pretty sure makes up half my body after this trip, the other half being made up of fish).

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