Friday 25th April 2025
We chose to use the tram and ferry to reach Lisbon from our camping park-up. This enabled us to have a good look around on the way there, as we crossed the Tagus River.
The ferry terminus is just opposite Lisbon Time Out Market, which is a combination of a produce market and a large, multi-vendor eating place. It is very impressive.
We walked on, along the waterfront to Praça do Comércio, a huge square with large monuments, including an arch, which leads onto Baixa, which according to Google, is Lisbon’s historic heart and commercial centre.
This leads on to Praça Dom Pedro IV with its two impressive fountains and monument.
It turns out, that we are visiting Lisbon on a very special day for the Portuguese. It is 50 years today since their revolution in 1974, when the nation was peacefully declared a democratic republic. The revolution was celebrated with red carnations and is called “The Carnation Revolution”. Thousands of people were in the capital today, bearing red carnations in celebration of this event.
As this is a celebratory weekend, we were able to visit the GNR – Museu da Guarda Nacional Republicana free of charge, which houses the room in which the surrender of power took place. We also stood on a high balcony, overlooking the city, where the declaration was made to the people.
We also visited the archaeological museum, next door to the GNR museum.
After lunch in a small restaurant, we returned to Praça Dom Pedro IV, then walked on to the next square, with the Monumento dos Restauradores…
…then beyond this to the Av. da Liberdade, where there was a huge rally and procession taking place, lead by some military vehicles.
There were many thousands of people attending, most with red carnations, but also some who were clearly protesting about the current regime. Although we saw some riot police, they were fortunately not required as all passed off peacefully.
That is all for today. See u later. TTFN.
"See-u-Later" 