THE NATIONAL COACH MUSEUM

In 1905, the last Queen of Portugal saw that cars would soon obliterate horse-drawn carriages as a form of transportation.  She decided to use the palace's riding-school building to preserve her fine collection of royal coaches, which became today's National Coach Museum.  A new larger museum is being built kitty-corner from its present location.  This current building is beautiful so I personally was delighted that they hadn't completed the building as yet.  

The collection of carriagesi is impressive with more that 70 lining the elegant old riding room.   You can study the evolution of suspension technology as you weave your way through the museum.  The first coach or "Kotze" was made in the 15th century in an Hungarian town of that name.  You notice that as thd decoration increases, so does the comfort.  

Sharon telling me not to take her picture because the building is not very pretty.  I liked the building so I took the picture anyway.  

Look at that ceiling! Absolultely beautiful!

The coach had no drivers seat, its drivers would actually ride the horses.  Under the cushion is a potty hole - also handy for road sickness.  This would be a pretty rough ride with bad roads and a crude leather-strap suspension.

I'm not going to show many of the coaches but sharon has featured quite a few on her blog wwwsharondaugherty.blogspot.com.

Ceremonial vehicle- French.  Painting on the rear represents the royalty.  

Built for the marriage of Maria Ana, to the King of Portugal.  Notice the royal coat of arms of Portugal  and the monogram of the Queen.

Ceremonial vehicle (Itallian) given to King JoaoV by the Pope in 1715 with the "blessed ribbons" of the first-born Prince Jose.  On the rear the figure of a boy holding a flaming heart which symbolizes Affection.

Sharon thought this was very beauitufll so I got to take a smiling picture of her in front of it.  One of the coachs of the Embassy sent to the Pope Clement XI, by King Joao V.  The decoration represents the Portuguee navigation and conquest.

The decoration here represents the Atlantic Ocean meeting the Indian Ocean.   Summer is to your left - spring, to the right, Apollo in the middle, the globe in the middle and the Atlantic meeting the Indian Ocean .

Religious Processional vehicle.  Used to transport, in Lisbon, the statue of the Virgin in the Procession of Our Lady of Cabo Espichel.  As the Royal Famiy was part of tthe procession the coach, a Berlin, has the royal crown on its roof.

Eighteenth century travel vehicle.  Used during the "Princess Exchange" ceremony between Portugal and Spain at the Caia River.  

Traveling vehicle, a landau , 19th century.  The royal family was traveling in this vehicle in 1908, on the 1st of February in Lisbon. King Carlos I and the heir to the throne, Luis Fioipe were killed in an assassination attempt and Prince Manuel was wounded.

portrait of Queen Amelia  viewed as you ascend to the second level.  Here you get a glimpse of velvet covered saddles and special riding gear design for the royal kids.  The portrait gallery of most Portuguese royalty is handy for putting a face to all the movers and shakers we've read about.

Portrait of Queen Amelia with reflection.

Portrait of King Carlos without reflection.

Some random portraits from the gallery.

The mantle of Queen Amelia given to her by the city of Paris for her wedding to King Carlos.  She donated it to the museum.

A child's carriage.

The new museum.  Scheduled to open in 2013 but still not complete. 

We caught the bus back to to the square and walked up the pedestrian walk to do a few errands anddiscovered  a lot was going on in the neighborhood.

 A little Portuguese band.

And some dancers.

One evening we went out to listen to Fado music which is Portuguese folk music of Lisbon's backstreet.  This time we went Club du Fado but there are bars and restaurants all over the city where you can hear the soulful, blues like music. Mounfully beautiful and haunting ballads about bittersweet romances, broken hearts and lost sailors.  While generally sad Fado can by jaunty - in a nostalgic kind of way.

 A typical Portuguese dish, alentejana consisting of pork with clams, potatoes cilantro and possibly some other spices.  Very tasty.

When the music starts the light go dark and a red spotlight focuses on the singer.

Of course we didn't understand a word but the music is beautiful.  Definitely will do it again.