Portuguese Phrases

Learning how to say Portuguese phrases can be important, although most people understand English here’s a few helpful ones that you might use if you travel to Portugal.

Lets start with the basic:
Hello – Olá (olah)
Goodbye – Adeus
Thank You – Obrigado
If you please – Por favor
Yes – Sim
No – Não (Naum)
I/Me – Eu (Heo)
I want / need – Eu quero / preciso
Can you – Pode
Go – Ir
To – Para
Where is – Onde fica
Hotel – Hotel
Airport – Aeroporto
Boat – Barco
Harbour – Doca / Porto

Now lets try to conjugate a few words:
I want to eat – Eu quero comer
I don’t want that – Eu não quero isso
I would like to – Eu gostava de
How can i go to – Como posso ir para
Can i use your bathroom? – Posso usar a sua casa de banho?
I need to be at – Preciso de estar na(f) / no(m)
I would like a bottle of water please – Eu quero uma garrafa de água por favor.

Lisbon Cathedral

The Lisbon Cathedral

The Cathedral can be found near Praça do Comercio in the Alfama Quarter.
The original building dates back to the 12th century when the troops of King Afonso Henriques took back Lisbon from Moorish hands, although the present one was rebuilt after the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake according to most of the original characteristics.

Exterior

The Exterior of the Cathedral ( Sé Catedral ) is extremely sober and it resembles a small castle with it’s battlements and  two defensive towers. That’s because in the 12th century all religious buildings also had to serve as fortresses given the context of the Reconquista. Again the fortified Romanesque design of the Cathedral and the near absence of windows remind us that it was built in a war period.

Interior

The interior of the Lisbon Cathedral is dark due to the absence of windows and very spartan like the exterior.

To the left you will find the Baptismal Chapel with tiles depicting some of Saint Anthony’s miracles. It was in this baptismal font that the Saint was baptized, he was born just a few meters down the street where Saint Anthony’s Church is today. He is known as Saint Anthony of Padua because it was the place where he died, although he was born in Lisbon.

To the right of the Main Altar you will find Saint Vincent’s Chapel with paintings related to his life. Saint Vincent is the patron saint of Lisbon and his symbols are a boat and two crows.

The Cloister

The entrance to the cloister is paid and there you can see archaeological diggings showing remains since the Roman to the Medieval periods.

Guided Tour In Lisbon

If you would like a guided tour in Lisbon or if you are planning a self guided tour here’s some helpful information.

Places To Visit in Lisbon

Belem Quarter – This is one of the most interesting quarters in Lisbon, here you can visit the Jeronimos Monastery from which the Monument to the  Discoveries and the Belem Cultural Centre are in walking distance. Nearby you also have the Tower of Belem one of the worldwide symbols of Lisbon.

The Baixa – This area is close to the centre of Lisbon, here you can go shopping and visit the squares constructed after the 1755 earthquake, namely (Praça = Square) Praça do Comercio, Praça do Rossio, Praça da Figueira ( Lisbon trams ) and Praça dos Restauradores.

Alfama – This is the oldest quarter in the city and with the Cathedral, Saint George’s Castle and Saint Anthony’s Church nearby it is definately a good place to make a tour. Something that is often done is a walk through the narrow streets of Alfama but i do not recommend you do this without a guide, it is confusing and you might find yourself in some awkward places.

Nations Park (Parque das Nações) - This is the newest part of Lisbon and it is a fantastic leisure site. It has lots of green areas, the Tagus River and the Vasco da Gama Bridge near by, a nice shopping centre and last but definitely not least the modern architecture of the entire area is extremely beautiful.

If you like Football / Soccer don’t forget to visit Benfica Stadium which is my personal favourite and they make guided tours there to the museum. You can also take the mandatory photo next to Eusebio’s statue.