COLOURFULWORLD

Monday 20 April 2015

Portugal - Rossio

We were dropped by the tuk-tuk's driver at Pedro IV Square, most commonly known as Rossio Square, even today a meeting point for tourists and locals.

In the square King Peter IV, who was also the First Emperor of Brazil as Peter I, is honoured in a marble statue atop a 23mt high column, erected in 1870. 
Panoramic view of Rossio square (photo from net)
Statue to King Peter IV in Rossio Square




The square is also home to D.Maria II National Theatre, where plays can still be seen, the Rossio Station, a big fountain, as well as cafes and shops some dating back to the 18th century. 
And Isn't the black and white cobbled pavement so beautiful?


D. Maria II National Theatre and Rossio Square









D. Maria II National Theatre
One of the old cafe's still operating since 1929 -  Cafe Nicola  with it's Arte deco facade, was  in it's heyday a literary and political meeting place, where for example the poet Manuel Maria Barbosa do Bocage, used to meet up with friends.

Cafe Nicola (photo from net)

Just to the left of Rossio, on the way to Restauradores Square, Rossio Station, built in 1886/7 looks more like a Palace or a Theatre than a railway station. 

Designed in a Neo-Manueline style, by the Portuguese architect Jose Luis Monteiro, it's 8 curved doors match the 9 windows above, and it has a clock tower at the top.
Strangely enough, the station's platforms are located 30 metres above the main entrance. 
A few years ago it was renovated and connected with the Restauradores underground station (Metro).

It's still considered one of the most beautiful stations in Europe (and maybe the rest of the world!!). It's here that you can catch a train to Sintra.
We climbed the escalators to the platforms so we could have a look at the interior of the station.




Rossio Station - main entrance 






Platforms - Sintra line


From the platform floor there's access to the Station from the 1st of December street and a viewing platform enables you to take photos of the city below.


1st December Street - from where you can also enter the station at platform level


St George's castle in the distance
































































St George's castle - photo taken from  Rossio Station

 
We couldn't leave Rossio without buying Roasted chestnuts from a street vendor.
The smell is so wonderful, it just warms you up... 
It's just such a typical Portuguese tradition, eating chestnuts in winter.

Roasted chestnut  street vendor
  Hope you are enjoying the tour of Lisbon.
Tuesday, 17th March 2015

16 comments:

  1. That station looks like a palace for sure, beautiful!

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  2. It's a beautiful building, could really be a Palace.

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  3. Dearest Sami,
    Well, about eating chestnuts, in the Veneto region of Italy where we lived and worked, they did the very same thing and how I LOVED those hot and roasted chestnuts.
    Again a beautiful post about lovely buildings in Lisbon.
    Just noticed to the right that you lost Baby on February 8 of this year... always so sad!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. Hi Mariette, didn't know chestnuts were popular in Italy too, that's nice, they are so wonderful in winter.
      Yes, Baby died with cancer about 5 months after the diagnosis, and Mommy died in March last year after being mauled by a dog.

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  4. Such a beautiful place! Great architecture, but... "1st December Street" is really kinda odd, no? What is it about (a quick google-search revealed nothing from the German servers, at least)?
    Hot chestnuts you can get at the Christmas markets over here. Too sweet for me, though (ha-ha-surprise, no? ;-)...)

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    1. Never realized chestnuts were that sweet, ok for me.
      First of December is Independence day in Portugal - in 1640, after 60 years under Spanish domain.

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  5. I have really enjoyed your exciting world tour! The pictures are stunning! Worthy of a published guide. My fellow blogging grandma friend is departing for Amsterdam in a week or so and I forwarded your posts on that location to her when you posted those. She enjoyed them immensely.

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    1. Thanks J, love your blog, what a great grandma you are!
      Thanks for letting your friend know about my experience in Amsterdam, hope they help with her sightseeing.

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  6. Gosh Sami I've just been looking back and enjoying your holiday photos.. So beautiful and completely different from 'young' Perth :) so many wonderful memories for you to look back on.

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    1. Hi Grace, welcome back. Europe has so much history, the monuments are so exquisite, it's one of the things I miss living in Australia, where everything is so new!

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  7. Yikes!
    The tilework in the Square would make me so dizzy. I'd need a quick drink from that vender. Ha.

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    1. Thanks for your visit Birdman. Sadly that vendor only sells chestnuts lol...
      You would have to get used to those black and white sidewalks, they're all over Portugal made with limestone.

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  8. Olá Sami!
    Que bom passar por aqui, pois a praça do Rossio está bem viva em minha memória, bem como o Café Nicola, huuummm que delícia!
    Penso em voltar a Portugal no ano que vem para matar as saudades enfim!!!
    Beijinhos

    Bia <°))))<
    www.biaviagemambiental.blogspot.com

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  9. Obrigada pela visita Beatriz. O centro da cidade de Lisboa e maravilhoso! Goze muito a sua viagem para o ano.

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  10. Wonderful to see Lisbon through your lens. Both this and the previous post are great!

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