Loitering with intent in Lisbon 5

One of the (few) interesting things in the castle museum was this large drawing of old Lisbon, mapping out landmarks like the castle itself and the harbour below. The prominent towers in between are of the city's cathedral and that was our next stop.

The foundations of the Sé, as it's known locally, date back nearly 900 years to when the city was predominantly Muslim and the site was home to a mosque. 

It has been hacked about over the years and is another 1930s reconstruction, which explains the mismatched stones in the belltowers. 

Trams rattle down the hill alongside the cathedral and right past its front door, following the web of overhead wires that crowd up against the building.

The cathedral is rather plain with a few decorative touches, although I spotted these figures atop the columns of the front door...

while inside the ceiling had a few paintings held in ornamental niches...

and another painting dominated one of the aisles.

Most of the stained glass was modern and unremarkable, 

but as is often the case in Portugal, the tiles are the most interesting feature. In one side chapel we spotted this saint preaching to a river full of fish.

The cathedral is free to enter and worth a quick browse.