Belem

It is from Belem that the explorers such as Vasco da Gama left from Portugal. The main monuments are Torre de Belem and Mosterios dos Jeronimos (Monastery of Jeronimos). We didn't venture into the interior of the monastery. The exterior was gorgeously, delicately sculpted. The sun was too bright for many pictures of the blindingly white exteriors. Interestingly, this was one of the few places to survive the 1755 earthquake. Torre de Belem which was actually on an island in the middle of River Tejo is now connected to the mainland, thanks to the river changing course in the aftermath of the 1755 earthquake.