museu arqueológico do carmo e elevador santa justa

Can you really blame me for taking endless photos of Portugal's tremendously beautiful architecture? The Museu Arqueológico do Carmo or Carmo Archaeological Museum, used to be a convent, was originally built in 1389. I adore the tall, sweeping arches and intricately detailed stone carvings. The inside of the museum was quite interesting (I am a huge fan of history and historical artifacts), and as my friend and I love books, a photo besides a room with loads of old tomes was obligatory!

Next up for sightseeing was the Elevador Santa Justa, which was constructed in 1902. As Lisbon has huge hills (not unlike San Francisco), there was a bit of a problem as to how to get around. The elevator was originally operated by steam, but was then converted to electricity. However, it's definitely reminiscent of something out a steam-punk film, right? Once you're at the top, you get an incredible view of the entire city.

Stradivarius cropped tee (similar here, here) & scarf (similar here, here), vintage high-waisted Levi's shorts (similar here, here), Nordstrom bag (similar here, here) ALDO sandals (similar here, here)

Photos by Raquel Espada and myself
It was mild that day, with temperatures thankfully dipping below 30 C (when I had originally arrived), with overcast skies. However, it was still quite warm, and I knew that we'd be walking a lot, so I opted for the simplest of formulas: a cropped white tee, which I had picked up from an awesome store at the downtown mall (Stradivarius, please come to the States!) and high-waisted distressed denim cut-offs. It's impossible to discern from the photos, but my scarf actually had the most awesome jungle motif on it, with parrots and tigers! I'll try to get a better shot of it the next time I wear it.

Have a great Thursday, lovely readers, and I hope you're enjoying my holiday recaps as much as I am, haha. :) xo