Our train arrived at Gare do Oriente at dawn. No shops was open for business yet. I had lots of time to explore Gare do Oriente before catching our bus to Fatima.

The architecture of Gare do Oriente is like a futuristic building from the exterior. Relying quite heavily on natural lighting, the interior lighting of Gare do Oriente at dawn or even when its cloudy seems dim making the station dull looking.

The first bus to Fatima leaves Gare do Oreinte at 10am. It is the start of Europe’s summer months. By 7am, the station crowded with peak hour passengers. The coolest and less crowded part of the station is the basement underpass. This underpass leads to other wings of this huge station. And of course, there are places to sit and rest. I chose to rest on the sliding walls of the underpass. And of course, it’s clean!

We arrived at Fatima just in time to check-in and stroll at the Sanctuary before attending sunset mass at the Chapel of the Apparitions. The centralized bell-tower of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary standing tall in the clear blue sky and the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus glowed beautifully in the golden sunset brings peace to mind.