Igreja de São Roque (Church of Saint Roch) in Lisbon, Portugal

On April 9, 2024April 11, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn PortugalLeave a comment

There are several wonderful churches and basilicas in Lisbon, but after seeing some images online, we made going to Igreja de São Roque something that was high on our list. It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful churches in Lisbon and certainly one of the most fascinating churches that we have seen. The details within the church are quite stunning and extremely ornate. During our visit in person, the details were overwhelming, and we’ve absorbed more looking at our photographs after returning home.

The church was originally built in the 16th century and was one of the few structures in Lisbon to survive mostly intact after the earthquake of 1755. At the time that it was built, it was likely one of the most expensive churches that had been built at that time, which is certainly understandable when you see all of the features within it. It was built in the Baroque style, but the outside of the church is very simple in comparison to the beauty of all of the amazing features of the interior.

The painted ceiling is the first thing that you notice as you enter the church and it is certainly interesting as it is a wooden ceiling, which has been painted with scenes from the bible. The church’s organ is also quite beautiful, but the many chapels that surround the main chamber are the real stars of the visit. We had seen conflicting information regarding the hours that the church was open. Some sites stated it was only open on Monday afternoon, but we’re pretty sure that it is open every day, although we ended up visiting on a Monday.

The Romantic Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal

On April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Portugal7 Comments

We took a single day trip outside of Lisbon during our recent trip that included visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site, Pena Palace. We definitely recommend adding a trip to Sintra on your itinerary when visiting Lisbon as it is well worth the time that it takes. We pre-purchased the tickets, which we would recommend, and visitors are only allowed to enter at the start of the hour that you are assigned for your ticket. Even though the number of visitors per hour are limited, it is extremely busy and you will find yourself in a line as you walk through the palace.

The palace was originally a monastery that was converted to a palace in the 19th century and the monks moved to the monastery that is located in the Belém neighborhood of Lisbon. One of the unique things about the palace are the multiple colors of the palace with the original chapel being red and then the new additions to the palace being bright yellow. The palace is a Romanticist castle and sits atop one of the high hills of the Sintra mountain with the town of Sintra sitting below. The castle can be seen from the distance, making for quite a stunning site as you approach from the parking area below.

Our guide took us in towards the end of the group entering during our allotted time in order to give more time to talk to us about the history of the castle and describe some of the interesting features. Considering the lines moving through the rooms, it actually worked out well to be near the rear of the line. Of the many things that we saw during the tour was a detailed stained-glass window in the chapel that has the king holding a miniature image of the cathedral and if you zoom in on the window of the chapel it actually has the stained-glass window in it. That type of detail is truly amazing and a testament to the workmanship of the artists that created the stained-glass window.

Stained-Glass (Chapel in the Glass Circled in Red)

It takes a little over an hour to walk through the palace and enjoy the views from the balconies. Despite the long line and having to slowly follow the crowd through the palace rooms, it was definitely worth spending the time at Pena Palace. We would recommend visiting the palace in the morning and then heading into the town of Sintra for some lunch afterwards. A trip to Sintra is often combined with a visit to Cascais as well, which is a wonderful resort town on the coast of the ocean.

House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus, Turkey

On February 14, 2023February 14, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Turkey1 Comment

Most tours of Ephesus from Kusadasi also include a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary. Obviously, it is an important site from a religious perspective, but it is also interesting just from a historical prospective as well. It is commonly believed that Mary came to Ephesus with Saint John after the crucifixion of Christ and lived near the city for the remainder of their lives. There is no proof that the house was truly the final home of Mary, but it has been a place of pilgrimage since its discovery in the late 1800’s.

The story of how the house was discovered is just as interesting as the actual site itself. A German nun, Anne Catherine Emmerich, who was an invalid and never traveled outside of Germany had a vision of Mary and the house where she lived. She described the location in great detail in 1812 and it matched the hillsides of Ephesus. In 1881, the house was discovered using the description provided by Anne Catherine Emmerich by a French Priest and it has been visited by people ever since. Although the church has not officially weighed in on the authenticity of the site, several popes have visited the site and have held services at the chapel.

Seeing the house of the Virgin Mary is interesting, but walking through the ruins of Ephesus is more impressive. We only spent about a half hour walking around the house and listening to the history from our guide. In addition to the house, where photography is not permitted, there is a wishing wall with a spring with a fountain and water cistern where it is believed that baptisms took place.