Lisbon Day Two

In the morning I woke up completely refreshed and after a free breakfast and some internet time I was ready to go. Antonio, being one of the most amazing people I have ever met and the perfect example of Portuguese hospitality, met us again for another personalized tour. We began our day by fully exploring the Baixa district. This is the “new” part of town with all of the buildings being only around 250 years old. It is a really neat area but with a tragic past. The great Lisbon earthquake of 1755 destroyed this entire part of the city which the citizens took as an opportunity to start fresh. The blocks are laid out in a grid system with wide streets giving this district of Lisbon a unique feel. An interesting fact about these buildings is that they showcase some of the earliest seismic design measures. The frames of the buildings are made of wood to lessen the structural weight which decreases the inertial forces imparted from earthquake loads. Also columns are built in the form of cross hatched trusses which make them much stronger under lateral loads than ordinary posts. A fact I only know because our tour guide was a PhD student in Earthquake Engineering.

From exciting and nerdy structural layouts we were led to our next feat of engineering; the Santa Justa Elevator designed by an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel. The elevator is used for public transportation and connects Baxia to Barrio Alto the lowest and highest points in the city. We climbed into the wooden elevator car and took the short trip up the 150 foot wrought iron masterpiece. The view from the top of the elevator was amazing. Below was a large square with the beautiful opera house and train station opening onto it and a wide promenade stretching to the blue waters of the Tagus River. The elevator was connected to the land by a short bridge leading past the ruined convent of Carmo. The church has undergone little restoration since it was destroyed in the earthquake and serves as a memorial for the victims of the disaster and also as an archeological museum.













From the convent we headed towards the river down one of the large pedestrian streets. We walked toward the large triumphal arch that opens onto yet another large square on the banks of the river. After a couple of quick photos Antonio led us into the narrow streets of one of the oldest districts of Lisbon. This particular area was spared from the earthquake and remains as it was hundreds of years ago. As we ventured deep into the maze of streets I was completely astonished as Antonio navigated through the labyrinth with ease. Many times I thought we were going into one of the houses and figured it must be one on his friends only to pop out of a tiny passageway into a little square with a cathedral and café. The walk was so entertaining that I hadn’t even noticed that we had been steadily climbing for about twenty minutes. Then all of a sudden the path opened and we were standing on top of a bluff with more amazing views of the city with the river below and a perfect blue sky with white puffy clouds above.









On top of the bluff is an ancient castle with little gardens and shops clinging to the high walls. While Gary was taking advantage of another of the great views from high atop the castle walls I took advantage of something not quite as beautiful but definitely as amazing, an ancient public urinal! Those Portuguese think of everything! From the castle I caught my first glimpse of the 25th of April Bridge. This beautiful suspension bridge spans nearly 1.5 miles and looks a lot like the Golden Gate Bridge. This is no coincidence as it was designed and built by the same company just a few years after the Golden Gate. In addition to the bridge I could also see a massive statue of Jesus with his arms spread wide; reminiscent of the one in Rio De Janeiro. Once we had our fill of ancient castles and beautiful views we hopped aboard one of the yellow trolleys and headed across town to meet Antonio’s wife and Romain for lunch.











For lunch I had another incredible meal starting with codfish cakes and finishing with a steak covered in mustard sauce with a side of rice and a fried egg. It may sound a little crazy but it was delicious. Despite being completely stuffed our Portuguese tour guides said we had to eat desert in the famous café Belem. This café is famous for its Belem Pastry which they make thousands of every day. To call this place a café is a huge understatement as it has 6 rooms which are easily the same size as a regular restaurant. Every table was full of people and we had to wander all the way to the back just to find a seat. The crazy thing is that everyone is eating the same pastries and drinking coffee and that is it. I was shocked that this one little pastry could bring about such a booming business and cult following. Upon my first bite I came to understand why even natives of Lisbon still flock to this touristy spot. The pastry is like a custard pie but much more. With a little sprinkle of cinnamon on top and a cup of strong coffee to wash it down it makes the perfect dessert. The recipe is a closely guarded secret and our Portuguese friends said that you really cannot find any substitute for the Belem Pastry.



The café is located right next to a park/river walk with many monuments to the great explorers. We walked past the monastery where Marco Polo and Vasco de Gama are buried bringing my “graves of famous explorers” tally up to three counting Christopher Columbus in Sevilla. Not far up the river is the Belem Tower. This tower served as a guide post and frontier fort for the city of Lisbon. Further along the river is a gigantic monument commemorating all of the famous Portuguese explorers. The monument mirrors the Belem Tower and the Monastery in that it is built out of the same white marble. We finished our sight seeing of Lisbon with more pictures of the amazing suspension bridge.










Lisbon is an absolutely amazing and beautiful city. It is definitely one of my favorite places; an opinion that I am sure was helped along by my fantastic tour guides. The city offers everything you could possibly want; amazing history, nightlife, cuisine, and culture. After reviewing some of my past entries I feel like I have said this about almost everything that I have done and every city I have been to but, I am going to say it again anyway. The only thing I would have changed about my trip to Lisbon is that I would have stayed longer. I guess I will have to make sure I take that into account when I am planning my next trip to Portugal.

Lisbon Day One

The bus ride from Faro to Lisbon was absolutely incredible! I am not being sarcastic it was a bus ride and it was amazing! The bus was nearly empty so I got to stretch out and catch some zees in the fully reclined roomy leather seats. In addition to the nap I also got to take in the amazing Portuguese country side. About an hour outside of Lisbon I felt like we were driving through the set of a movie. A large area opened up that I wouldn’t call a field but couldn’t call a forest. The ground was covered in what looked like freshly cut grass with old gnarly trees lightly scattered for as far as I could see. From this scene the bus began to cross the Vasco de Gama Bridge entering the beautiful city of Lisbon. This bridge is the longest in Europe and as an engineer I though it was a great entryway to the city. Unfortunately the next Lisbon sight was bus station which is not very exciting but luckily it was just a short trip on the metro to our hostel.

We chose Living Lounge Hostel and the reason I am putting the full name is because it was the best I have ever stayed in and I recommend it to everyone! The hostel is only 100 feet from the metro stop in the center of the city. It is brand new and has everything you could ever want including free internet, breakfast and so much water pressure I could only turn the shower on half way! After we got settled we went to mingle with the other guests and waited for our friend Antonio from the Rose School to pick us up for a real Portuguese dinner.



Antonio arrived with his lovely wife and whisked us off into the Lisbon night. We walked through the Baixa district and entered the lively Bairro Alto. We went for an appetizer in this restaurant which is in what used to be a brewery nearly 250 years ago. There we dined on fried cod fish cakes. Cod fish is a huge part of the Portuguese diet and they really make some incredible dishes with it. These cod cakes have a potato base and are fried up to perfection in almost any Portuguese restaurant or café. We then wandered through the maze of narrow streets to the little tashco Antonio picked for dinner. We squeezed into the tiny room of a restaurant which was overflowing with people. The menu was full of dishes that I had never even heard of so, I did the sensible thing and told Antonio to order me some good seafood. When the food arrived everything was amazing. We shared an order of steamed clams that were covered in cilantro and butter. I had a plate full of fried fish and mashed bread. I had never heard of smashed bread but it is pretty tasty and is more or less like a wet thanksgiving stuffing. The others ordered pork, sausage, baked fish, and mussels. After tasting all of the dishes and savoring the delicious wine I felt like I was in heaven. I found Portuguese cuisine to be very unique and it continued to surprise and delight me throughout the trip.





After a desert of custard pie and figs drenched in syrup I waddled into the street with my hand on my belly and a huge smile on my face. Antonio took us up one of the narrow streets to a bar where there was live music playing. We stood outside and watched the crowds pass all the while enjoying the night air, the music, and the Portuguese equivalent to Miller High Life, Sagres. One thing about Lisbon which I did not expect was that almost every five minutes someone would stop our group and open their hand to offer us Marijuana. Apparently it has recently been legalized and has quickly been added to the average street vendor's arsenal. It was a little startling at first to be offered Marijuana in the same breath as fake Armani sunglasses but became funny after the endless repetition. The Bairro Alto is just the right amount of seedy to add adventure to a night out but clam enough to where you never feel in danger; after all we were walking around with Antonio’s wife who is 7 months pregnant! Antonio then took us to the top of Bairro Alto where there is a little park with amazing views of the city which offered a perfect ending to the night and glimpse of the day to come.

Faro

We boarded the bus to Faro while it was still dark outside and despite the early hour our spirits were high. The ride was fantastic taking us through the beautiful Spanish county side which was littered with olive and orange trees. As we crossed the river into Portugal I could feel the beautiful beaches of the Algarve nearing and knew that a good day was in store.



Over head the sky was blue and filled with puffy white clouds something that was about to change. Everything was great until about ten minutes outside of Faro when the clouds began to darken and it started to rain. Luckily Faro has more to offer than just a strip of beaches. As we walked through the town we were shocked at the amount of storks nesting on almost every roof. These massive white birds had taken over the town square just as pigeons would in any other place. It was really amazing to see their huge nests sitting atop churches, grocery stores, satellite dishes, and any other thing they could find.




The main attraction in Faro besides the beaches is the cathedral in the center of the town. This cathedral is not particularly ornate, beautiful, or historically significant but it does have something which sets it apart from all others. In its courtyard there is a one room chapel constructed entirely of bones. There are 1245 skulls “decorating” the interior with countless amounts of leg, arm, and other human bones used for the structure it self. The chapel was built by monks who decided to dig up the graveyard and create a monument that would remind visitors of their final fate. This bit of background really adds to the overall effect, as if the 1245 skulls starting at you were not already grim enough. Upon entering the chapel I immediately felt my skin start to crawl and I thought I was having a little trouble breathing. I have been in crypts with exposed remains before but it was really creepy being completely surrounded by that many skulls. The weirdest part was that the bones provide a perfect acoustic barrier so there is absolutely no echo. It felt like the words were being sucked right out of my mouth. Needless to say after I snapped a few pictures and the novelty of the room had worn off it was time to get outside into the fresh air.









From the Chapel we dodged another short shower and caught the next bus to the beach. As the bus arrived the skies cleared up and Gary and I took advantage of the small window ofgood weather and headed down to the sea. The wind was rather chilly and the ocean was definitely too cold for a swim but it was still nice to get my feet wet and have a little sand between my toes. After a short while the rain started again and we caught the bus back into town where we boarded the express coach to Lisbon.

Sevilla

My tour through Portugal started in the unlikeliest of places, Sevilla Spain. The journey to Sevilla was rather tough on the body as the cheap Ryan Air flight did not depart at the most convenient time. This means that the eve of the trip was spent on the floor of the Bergamo Airport in order to catch our 6 o’clock flight. After a less than restful night full of annoying security guards and huge trains of baggage trolleys whizzing past my head it was finally time to board the plane. One good thing about leaving so early is that we arrived in Sevilla with a full day to explore. The first order of business was to get bus tickets to Faro Portugal for early the next morning. Once the travel arrangements had been made we went to check into the hostel and drop off our stuff before hitting the town. When we got to the hostel we were informed that some of the credit card information had been incorrect and our reservation was canceled. This turned from an inconvenience to a crisis when we were informed that they were completely booked and we would have to find other accommodations. After a few seconds of panic the receptionist saved the day by getting on the phone with another hostel down the street and booking us rooms for the same rate we were going to pay originally. With big smiles on our faces we checked into our less than extravagant rooms and then went out on the town!

The first stop on our tour took us to the Plaza de Toros. The arena stands strong with its bright colors, huge doors, and wrought iron gates. We were lucky enough to be in Sevilla during the bullfighting season but unluckily there were none scheduled for the day we were there.






From the arena we went to the enormous cathedral. The guide book said that the designers wanted to make the building so big that people would think the designers were insane. The cathedral is a unique and beautiful mix of the Gothic and Moorish style. Despite the difference in style it still has the ability to humble and amaze. Inside the cathedral is the tomb of Christopher Columbus which was amazing to see. He is one of those people that I always kind of lumped in with the characters from tall tales so to actually see his tomb was an incredible experience. The tomb is really striking as it is a casket carried by four large figures which feel like they could come to life at any moment. In addition to the tomb I marveled at the enormous golden altar and the other ornately decorated naves before heading to the top of the bell tower for a panoramic view of the city. From the tower I could see all of Sevilla; the bull fighting ring, amazing bridges and huge parks that define the center.








Next we walked down to the river and headed to the Plaza de Espana. Our walk took us through one of the parks which was filled with beautiful flowers and huge tropical trees. The entrance to the Plaza is dramatic as the park just seems to disappear as you walk into the enormous square. The wings of the huge building engulf you as you are drawn towards the mammoth fountain in the center. Each province of Spain is represented through painted tile moments which line the inside of the square. We were so moved at the grandeur of the space that we simply could not control ourselves and luckily Tamara was there to capture the beauty of that scene for all to see.









After an amazing day of sightseeing and a night of half sleep in the airport it was time for some rest so we went back to the hostel for naps. When we awoke we closed the night in true Spanish style with a lengthy dinner of Tapas and sangria which lasted until almost midnight. After dinner we caught the end of a Flamenco show and then went to bed because we only had 5 hours before we needed to catch our bus to the south of Portugal. The trip to Sevilla was far too short for that amazing city and just a small glimpse of all the wonders that surely lie ahead for my future travels to Spain. I considered myself lucky to have been able to catch a little of Spain during my trip through Portugal.

Easter Vacation!

The course work is finally over and my spirits are high after a not too terrible final exam. I have spent the last few days doing nothing productive and am loving every minute of it! The weather has been absolutely beautiful allowing me to finally break out the shorts. It has been the perfect start for my easter vacation and I can't wait to experience everything else this week has to offer. On Tuesday Gary, Melissa, Tamara, and myself are going to fly to Seville Spain for the start of a five day tour of Portugal/Spain.

We are going to spend one full day and night in Seville and then catch a bus in the morning to Albufeira in the south of Portugal. There we will lounge on the beach all day before catching a train to Lisbon to meet our Portugese friends from the program and catch the night life. The next day will be spent touring around the beautiful city and then we are going to Romain's hometown to meet his family and friends that night. In the morning we will catch the train to Porto for some more sightseeing and then it is off to the airport and back to Pavia to rest before the next course begins. The plan is subject to change but as I read it right now I think it is perfect!

Prestressed Concrete

Currently I am taking Dr. Michael Collins' course on prestressed concrete. This course introduces the ideas behind the design of prestressed members as well as the advantages of this particular system. The system takes regular reinforced concrete and adds tendons which are stretched during the casting process. Once the member has cured the strands are released compressing the section. This may seem counter intuitive as it is actually adding compressive stresses to a member to increase its performance. The reason it works is that concrete is very good in compression and terrible in tension so by compressing the member the negative effects associated with concrete cracking are mitigated. Therefore the members are much stiffer and will actually sustain less damage under seismic loadings.

I am really enjoying the class because of the material and also the professor. Dr. Collins is really old school and only believes in "chalk and talk". He goes on at least one rant a day about how computers are ruining young engineers because they get too caught up in the number of significant figures and do not develop good engineering judgment. One thing he repeats over and over is that he would rather be approximately correct than precisely wrong. He is full of great quotes and weaves them into thirty minute stories about the history of math, roman engineering, or more often than not some tidbit about the life of Robert Hooke.

The course has been taught at break neck speed but I feel like Dr. Collins has done a good job of addressing all of the necessary material as well spreading out the work load. I can't believe that the final exam is in only two days and that another month has flown by. I am kind of glad that the test is coming so soon because the weather has just started to get warm and we just got the extra hour of sunlight from daylight savings. With these two factors combined I am finding it hard to study because all I want to do is walk through Pavia with a cone of fresh gelato admiring the sun as it sets over the river.