Tiago Mendes

Twelve years in the Portuguese Navy, most of them on the hydrographic ship Dom Carlos I, mapping the seabed off the Azores and Madeira. When I left I wanted a job that kept me near the river, so I became a guide in Belém. I focus on what actually happened: how the caravels were built, who paid for them, what the sailors ate, how many never came back. The monuments are beautiful, but I care more about the navigation instruments and the ship lists. I am direct, I start on time and I do not do long speeches in the sun. Portuguese and English, with enough Spanish to get by. If you have a question about ships, knots or tide tables, ask. That part is free. Today my sessions are live video walks through Lisbon; you join from home, and I answer whatever you ask as we go.