A drawing of the tower of Belem I did on the flight home from lisbon. Here is a short description of the adventure we had there from my travel partner:

When we hopped off of the yellow tram, we narrowly missed a rainstorm and found our way through the Jerónimos Monastery, the Discovery Monument and the Tower of Belém.

Crossing the drawbridge of the Tower of Belém makes you wonder how many people have crossed the path before you. While the water is now receding, it is easy to transport yourself to a time, almost 500 years ago, where the drawbridge over the small moat would have been useful in keeping the unwanted out. Long before the stairwells were one-way with touristic timers, there were 250 years where Portuguese prisoners were locked in their own dungeon (both when the tower was surrendered to Spain and when it was used as a state penitentiary). Every curve of the walls tells a story; the limestone feels cool under your fingers and the view of the sweeping Tagus River leaves you breathless.

You can read more of her thoughts and words on her blog GetThere.