Portugal Tour - Medieval to Modern
September 18-26, 2005

 

September 25th was our last day in Lisbon and we left the Estufas or glass houses for that day. Located in King Eduardo VII Park, Estufa Fria (cold greenhouse) is home to palm trees and countless species of exotic plants, and Estufa Quente (hothouse) contains tropical plants and birds, cacti and even a lake. Tropical plants from all over the world are set amid waterfalls and rockery. The Eduardo VII's Park lies in the S. Sebastião da Pedreira parish, extending north from Avenida da Liberdade and it offers panoramic views over the city. Originally known as Parque da Liberdade, the gardens were rechristened with the name of the British King Edward VII on his visit to Lisboa in 1903. Since their earliest times the gardens have been a stage for fairs, exhibitions and various entertainment. Their design, with a central lawn strip flanked by Portuguese pavements, is by Keil do Amaral and it's one of the landmarks of Lisboa's expansion. It was built in 1930 on the site of a former quarry. A nearby spring provided plenty of water. It constitutes a natural nursery of exotic plants from China, Korea, Africa, Australia, Brazil, the Antilles, Peru and Mexico.

This gentleman was more than willing for me to take his photograph with this very unique cigar. We snuck in another garden on our way back called Jardim da Estrela, which was a delight to walk through. The final pictures are of our group and final dinner together at a wonderful restaurant right near the gardens. They love their food and the people of Portugal are very friendly and eager to please. We all took home memories of a wonderful time together seeing only a fraction of what Portugal has to offer.