Kirk wanted to check out the statue of Christ, “Cristo Rei” (Christ the King) which was modeled after the Chrst the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Today’s adventure would take a trolly, the metro, a ferry and a bus ride. This also took us through the beautiful Praco de Comercio, a large square opening up Lisbon to tbe Targus River, bustling with activity. The impressive city gateway that draws you in ftom the square, the mosaic work as far as you can see, the statues, street artists -they are all a lot to take in along the way. And a little history lesson:
The 25 de Abril Bridge, the Golden Gate look-a-like, was opened in 1966, with the train tracks underneath added later in 1999. It was built by The American Bridge Company and spans 2,277 meters across the Tagus river connecting Lisbon to Almada. The bridge was originally named Salazar Bridge until 1974, and renamed to commemorate the Carnation Revolution.
The Cristo Rei is a monument dedicated to God for saving Portugal from the effects of WWII – Portugal did not participate. The construction was approved in a Portuguese Episcopate conference held in Fatima on April 20, 1940, as a plea to God to release Portugal from entering WWII, however it was not until 1952 that construction began.
mccalls repurposed 