Paris (not really)

On Wednesday I finally made it down to the bay. Like right on the bay. It was so great and windy. I could have put my feet in the water or something, but the steps leading down  to the water were very slimy. And I was still wearing my suit. It wouldn't have gone well. 

Then I began strolling through the area known as Baixa. I started at the south end at the Praça do Comércio (also known as the Terreiro do Paço) which used to be the site of a palace until the earthquake destroyed it. Now the surrounding buildings house government bureaus, etc.

Lisbon tries really hard to be like Paris. Here is one example: the triumphal arch echoes the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Other comparisons

• the street I work on, Avenida de Liberdade, was designed to be like Paris' Champs-Élysées.
• the Elevador de Santa Justa was designed by an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel, who designed the Eiffel Tower
• the Queluz palace (I still need to go there) was designed after Versailles

There are lots more examples, but you can see what I'm saying.

This is the main street in Baixa. Lots of shops and cafes.

There seems to always be a statue person in this area.

This was near Praça da Figueira at the end of the street. It´s where the Lisbon Massacre occurred.

I liked this pigeon. He is white.

I rode up the elevator. It was free with my metro pass! Sorry I'm too lazy to crop that man out of the bottom.

View from the top of the elevator

Awesome view of Rossio

Then yesterday, I decided I needed some American food. So I went here.

And bought this souvenir.