The amazing thing about Lisbon is that you can head out and see so many cool things in pretty much every direction. Here's some fun stuff we have seen while doing that!
We loved going inside this amazing building which "began as the Church of Saint Engratia when it was built 1682, but became the National Pantheon in 1916. Its large dome was only completed in 1966, making it the monument that took the longest to complete in all of Portugal. There’s even an expression in the country for something that takes forever -- “a job like St. Engratia.”" It cost us four euros to go inside and it's totally worth it! "Built on an octagonal floor plan centered on a Greek cross, it holds the tombs and cenotaphs of the country’s most important or famous cultural figures, like explorers, presidents, poets, and even Fado diva Amália Rodrigues." The architecture and interior colors are just gorgeous.
There are also incredible views from the outside upper terrace by the dome and we were the only ones up there!
Of course I never tire of taking pictures of streets, food, buildings and the artwork that is on so many structures.
A very unique place we visited was the ruins of the Carmo Convent which sustained significant damage from the earthquake of 1775. "Most of the architecture dates back to the 1300s, but Manueline (Portuguese Gothic) windows and other details were added later, in the 16th and 18th centuries." I don't believe it was ever fully rebuilt or used as a church after that. Instead, it was used by various different military groups as quarters. Now it's an archaeological museum and in the summer they hold events/concerts here. We found it really fascinating to stand inside and look up at the open archways.
Another cool thing near the convent is the Santa Justa Life (also called Carmo Lift). It connects the lower streets of the Baixa with the higher Largo do Carmo (Carmo Square). It's a super popular tourist thing to ride so we didn't wait in line to do it, but rather just walked up from the base to the top where you can actually go out on the platform (without paying) to see the views.
Those domes are so beautiful. I love hearing about the locals using it as a metaphor! 😂 These food and art pictures never get old. Those ruins look fascinating, too! I know arches like that are really structurally sound, but it's still wild to see them as some of the only remaining elements from such an old structure. 😳