So this is it..all the waiting for months..the planning and the excitement!

With the aid of maps and map (yeah the virtual and the real versions!), we figured out how to get to the metro and our destination- Sao Roque church..the richest church in the world. It is atop a small hill and the walk to up to it was just beautiful! Lined with tiny little cafes, tourists and what souvenir shops. The stone tiles, the old charming buildings, the laid back people, the sun and the breeze..so European!

True to its name, the church was filled with gold..kilos and kilos of gold. The best part about the church was definitely it's ceiling. never ending murals and paintings. I know I'm yet to see more fascinating and beautiful churches arounf Europe..but this was a good place to start.

Adjacent to the church was a museum. The juxtaposition of old paintings in a modern day setting/ambience of the museum was quite interesting. The paintings mostly revolved around the theme of Annunciation and Crucification of Christ. Everything apart from the paintings- the cutlery, the clothing, mirror etc. were all again made of gold, which was apparently stolen from Brazil! Wish we knew more about what they meant.

The fountains outside were breathtaking, with the setting sun in the back drop. We got very excited to get near some water and took a metro to 'riverside'. But all we could find was one small accessible patch where people were fishing :)

The people are mostly warm and amicable. The streets are filled with sounds and smells and colors that are as European as I imagined. The weather got more and more pleasant as the day passed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igreja_de_S%C3%A3o_Roque

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rossio_Square

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagus#In_Portugal