Almada

The choice was , do we just get on the bus or do we walk? Downhill has always been a no brainer for me, I would far rather walk down a hill than climb up one.

Consulting the map which we had habitually picked up from tourist information in Cacilhas suggested an interesting descent through the old town of Alfama and find our way to the intriguingly named Panoramic Elevator.

We walked down into the built up area and following the map fairly closely had a pleasant navigation exercise walking the streets far from the normal tourist path. At one point we were distracted by the chance to have a look around a Portuguese Graveyard, expecting something like a Spanish Cemetery, Lynne was quite shocked to discover that the family tombs were, behind the glass doors, occupied. Coffins were just placed inside and obviously visited regularly. A bit strange, also a full time security man in an office by the entrance. We carried on trying to find the elevator.

This turned out to be unsurprisingly at the top of an enormous cliff, Lynne was unfazed by the prospect, or at least if she was she didn't show it!

The Panoramic Elevator is well named, an absolutely stunning bit of engineering and for the princely sum of 50 cents you can ride it, its even chauffer driven....

As was becoming usual the views were grand, the actual elevator can probably accommodate 6-8 people at a time, however there was no queue. So apart from the operator we had the thing to ourselves.

The appalling drop becomes apparent as you walk out to the elevator.

Once inside the expansive glass elevator, it does feel a bit like you may be in a Willie Wonka World ride.

You descend from the town on top of the cliff to the park and little beaches along the river at the bottom. An incredible and to my mind very beautiful piece of engineering.

Stunning in its simplicity and possibly the best 45 pence I have ever spent.

The parkland at the bottom of the lift is very calm and peaceful, in a funny way it feels like you have moved to a different place and to a great degree you have. We were back at river level.

The quiet and peaceful foreshore is the location of a riverside path and park system, very attractive to courting couples, luckily Lynne and I can fake that quite well!

We wandered along, the "wrong way" towards the suspension bridge and discovered a small museum that illustrated a very local history of shipbuilding. It was here we discovered the history behind H..Parry & Son. The lovely lady who charged us 1.20 euro also took the time to print us off a receipt

I'm guessing that the receipt cost the best part of the 60 cents entrance fee for one of us, and we were one of the very few visitors that day! There is still a shipbuilding industry although only one firm now remains.

The model above is of the ferry we would have taken in 1930, preferable in every way in my opinion , at least you could stand in the fresh air and how lovely is she?

We walked back along the river path which is a series of small beaches and bays with the occasional little bar or restaurant.

The river is a constant element and the navy were still active playing with their helicopters, it was still possible however to appreciate some peaceful spots to sit and contemplate the city over the way.

Eventually we were back in Cacilhas and as we were past the magic hour of four o'clock we knew the churches would be open. It is always a surprise to explore these sometimes unprepossessing buildings.

This one was no exception, it is the Nossa senora de Bom Sucesso Church, Built after the 1755 earthquake in "Pombalino" style. There are some notable 18th century glazed tiles which decorate the walls.

What we didn't realise was that the tiled panels described the Nativity.

They are absolutely beautiful, and unusually are not regular panels but, well I think you can get the idea from the photos.

Given the time of year it seemed particularly appropriate to discover these wonderful pieces of history in such an obscure place. (tip: click the picture and zoom in to see detail )

We enjoyed a great coffee and possibly the best pastel natas we have had in Lisbon in a small cafe by the ferry terminal before getting a boat back to the big city.

We will definitely be returning to the "other side", in further exploration of this fascinating spot.