On our first day in Lisbon we took a short and very entertaining  wander down rua Augusta to the Praca do Comercio and the River Tagus or Rio Tajo as it is known locally. We then took a train ride from the waterfront to Belem station to see the Monument to the Discoveries or Padrão dos Descobrimentos. This 56 metre tall monument is located just past the 25 de April bridge near the the river estuary where ships once departed to explore and trade and was built to celebrate the Portugese age of discovery. The monument normally looks like this but upon arriving we found it covered with scaffolding as it was being restored.


Image from http://www.padraodosdescobrimentos.pt/en/

Fortunately we were still able to go up to the top of the monument and take in the amazing views of the river, the bridge and the city of Lisbon. Sunday afternoon yacht races were in full swing, making me a little homesick. We then spent a few hours exploring a fantastic local market across the street alongside the beautiful 16th century Jeronimos Monastery. All-in-all a great first day in Lisbon.