Lisbon, Portugal

We landed at one of the airports in the capital of the westernmost European country and the only one along the Atlantic coast, after approximately three hours and fifteen minutes by air from the city of Munich, Germany.

There is a smell of history that is very thick when you first stepped out of the airport of Lisbon, Portugal. Portugal is a country that is not foreign to all people in my country, Indonesia. This country has a long history with my homeland, they colonized Indonesia in 1512 and controlled the source of spices in our country. One of the most famous figures who can easily be found in elementary school history lessons was Vasco de Gama. He was a Portuguese explorer who explored the eastern countries, triggering the arrival of other European nations.

Portugal reached its golden age in the 15th and 16th centuries when it had strong economic, political and military strength and was able to have quite a number of colonies, such as Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Macau, Guinea Bissau to Indonesia. Unfortunately the golden age of this country slowly faded when entering the 19th century.

Valter hugged me tightly from behind as we spent time on the northern bank of the Tagus river in front of an ancient Tower which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Belem Tower or known as the Torre de Belem. The wind blew gently, as we enjoyed the atmosphere while admiring the tower which was built in the style of Manueline symbolism. Every now and then I close my eyes, take a breath of the warm surrounding air in the arms of this lovely man.

The Belem Tower was built on a hexagonal floor plan in 1515 to serve as a guardhouse for the sluice that entered the port of Lisbon. The shape of a ship's bow jutting into the water, the tower is made of ivory-white limestone. It looks very beautiful with attractive motifs on the tower body.

The design of the Belem tower described history and stories ranging from Roman imperialists, historical figures, symbols of Portuguese sailors, stone motifs with crosses of the order of Christ. Also the Moorish architectural style with intricate carvings and curved windows and onion domes at every corner terrace in the watchtower section. The statue of 'Our Lady of Safe Homecoming', as a symbol of protection for sailors on their journey, all wrapped beautifully in the majestic Tower of Belem. "Before meeting you, I always roamed places on earth alone." He said, loosening his hug Valter then took my hand and started walking towards the wooden bridge to the Belem Tower. "This is the second time I'm in Lisbon. Everything is the same as the last time I visited, the only difference is my feelings, it feels more pleasant with your presence," added Valter again.

I nodded while blushing as I heard his words.

We walked slowly parallel to the tower, while occasionally looking silently at the look on Valter's face. Although I could not see the light in his eyes which were covered by black sunglass, but the rays of a happy and peaceful face clearly emanated from within him. "Have you ever asked Halley to come with you?" I investigated, there was jealousy tucked there. There was a slight shocked look on his face when he heard my question but was immediately neatly closed behind his calm, "Halley didn't like exploring Jade. She preferred to be in a shopping mall area or in Paris to see the latest branded goods collection," he said with a mocking laugh.

I now understood why Halley chose Devon over Valter. We then walked along the dome-shaped fortress section of the tower which contained a cannon facing the exit hole of the tower. Next we climbed a steep and narrow spiral staircase that led to the first level of the Belem Tower. We kept climbing to the second level of the Tower where the king's room is found. The king room has a beautiful balcony, with elegant renaissance decor, inspired by Italian architecture. Not yet satisfied on the second floor, we continued to go up to the terrace of the Tower. The higher we went up, the more beautiful the panoramic range we could enjoy, you could see the Tanus river stretching out and the edge of the ocean.

The east is visible from a distance 'Padrao dos Descobrimentos' a memorial to the Portuguese explorers, and the suspension bridge 'Ponte 25 de Abril' adorns the rear. To the north there is an open road with trees Avenida da Torre de Belem, in the distance is the Capela de Sao Jeronimos / Chapel of Saint Jerome a charming little chapel on a hill. The wind was blowing hard at the top of the tower, I turned my head towards Valter who looked around with satisfaction for the umpteenth time, we walked down every corner of the tower holding hands occasionally we took photos to capture our moments during our trip. Not far from the tower we took the time to visit, the Jeronimos Santa Maria de Belem monastery.

The monastery, which was converted into a museum and this tourist spot, stoods astonishingly like a palace that stretched across Manueline and Gothic architectural masterpieces, people call this landmark Portuguese Gothic. "This magnificent monastery was founded at the will of King Manuel I in gratitude for the expedition of Vasco da Gama. It is said that most of the construction of the monastery was completed as a result of taxes on spices brought from Portugal colonies." Said Valter as he stared in awe at the Monastery.

We stood on the outside of the building, took a moment to just look at every detail and curve of the design, staring in awe of every ornament of the exterior of the monastery. There is a two-story building made of limestone with delicate and detailed lace ornaments. We stepped inside. The building has two entrances, one leading directly to the museum and one leading directly to the monastery. Stepping into this five hundred year old building, we are immediately greeted with the graves of important Portuguese figures such as Vasco da Gama. The greatest explorer who discovered a direct sea route from Europe to India, brought fame and a lot of money to the Portuguese court. Besides that, there are tombs of the poet Luiz Vaz de Camoes, to those of ancient Portuguese royal families, such as King Manuel I and his wife, King Joao III and Queen Catarina.

Inside the monument there is also an empty tomb which was deliberately built to commemorate King Sebastian who never returned to Portugal from the war of Ksae El Kebir in 1578. The graves of Vasco da Gama and the poet Luiz Vaz de Camoes are accompanied by a statue of their character lying on a chest in a prayer position, around a chest carved of poetry about them. Walking inside this building made us forget the time, since there were many rooms that had their own historical journey.

Entering into the monastery of Santa maria de Belem the atmosphere felt serene and peaceful. The towering pillars shaped like trees with a dome ceiling reminiscent of the vein patterns on leaves. The church wooden benches lined up neatly in front of the altar, some people were praying fervently on the front benches. This church is the place where Vasco da Gama and his crew prayed for blessings before embarking on their journey. No wonder many visitors, especially Catholics, have spiritual tours in this place. The impressive place gave us a sense of peace and happiness.

I held Valter's hand cheerfully through the city of Lisbon, the air in Lisbon is more or less the same as the weather in Indonesia, warm. "You look happy," said Valter, smiling faintly. "I feel great. Let's walk around town," I said, rocking our hands back and forth like two little kids coming home to play.

I grabbed Valter's arm and landed a kiss on his lips with a smile. On the corner of the highway where there were a number of people passing by, before pulling him into a roadside cafe to experience local culture and interact socially with local residents.

I ordered a cup of coffee with lots of creamer on top and Pastel de Nata, while looking around every corner of the cafe and city I could see. The city is very pleasant, the people are friendly, the atmosphere is warm and simple, lots of smiles and laughter everywhere, narrow cobbled streets, old buskers, pieces of graffiti on the walls of buildings, luxurious tiled floors, old yellow trams that are still in operation. , and breathtaking views at every turn is hilly.

I stared at a beggar sitting on the steps of the building opposite us, he opened a dirty coin on a piece of paper from inside a worn cup placed on a paving stone, quite a touching sight. I asked permission to leave Valter, went across the direction and left a small amount of money with the beggar in hopes of lightening his burden a little on that day. I quickly walked away leaving him returning to Valter, avoiding his happy gaze, which would only make me feel more moved than I already was.

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