A Special Day in Lisbon...

Special because Fellette and I were on our own that day. Everybody else was on some sort of tour. That suited us just fine. I find that at this stage of the trip I can be a bit 'short', some would call it nasty. I just am a little tired of being in crowded situations. Even being on a bus with people all around makes me feel confined. Too much of a good thing is what some people say. I am not the only one ready to come home. I talked to one man yesterday that we got to know a little on the trip. He told me that the first thing he is going to do when he gets home, [to his ranch in Texas], is go and camp out for a week where there are no people, only cattle!

Regardless, here was our Special Day. Off the bus around 9.15 and through the terminal to a waiting shuttle bus to take us to the Square of Commerce in the town centre.


There Fellette stood in line for 3/4 of an hour to get tickets for the Hop on Hop off bus. Not a good start to the day. I found a toilet and took pictures.

Eventually were were seated up top and off we went. The sky was that clear blue again and it was a coolish 15 C or 60 F out.

I originally thought that Lisbon was another ABC. [Another Big City]. It is in reality another BEAUTIFUL city. Somehow it did not appear to have the ugly sameness that most large cities have. All the areas that we went through on the 1 1/2 hour route looked like they were pleasant strolling and walking streets.

Even in the commercial and industrial areas they seemed to have a certain 'interesting' aspect to them. Of course they also have some gorgeous parks and sloping boulevards that give the place a certain note of elegance to it.



The city and surrounds are full of beautiful buildings some in massive disrepair, some restored. They all add to the mix of the place and give it a certain elegant ageing note to it. They have had 500 years to erect monuments and statues which are everywhere.




We stayed on the bus until we reached the furthest extreme of the route. There we spent most of our time that day around the Belam Tower which is an impressive piece of work built in 1515, to protect the river mouth, River Tagus. I could not understand it's location until we were informed that when built it was an Island in mid-river.


There is also located the Military Museum and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Unfortunately I am unaware of anything about the Portuguese Military. All I know is that they erected the massive Christ the Redeemer Monument that dominates the approach to Lisbon in thanks for avoiding getting involved in WW ll. It is fortunate that the UK and the other allies do not have such monuments in their capital cities. [I told you I was nasty today.]


Next we walked to the Henry The Navigator monument. Henry was a ruler in Portugal, who although not a scholar nor explorer he encouraged and funded world exploration. During that time, in the 1500's, is when western Europeans were reaching out and completing the mapping and charting of the world.



At that site there is a very interesting and informative map of the world done in marble inlay. It shows the exploration of the world by date from a Portuguese point of view. I see that Nova Scotia was explored in 1500 whilst the west coast has no date, just a cold wind blowing! Unfortunately there were too darn many tourists standing on this masterpiece for Dough to get a decent shot.



Next back to the city centre and a wander through Alfama, the old Town and up to the Castle of St. George. (St. George of who, I know not.) Once again scores of tourists, sitting, drinking and smoking. They must be Europeans, after all it is Europe. The Marlborough Man is doing well here too.


Somewhere along the way we had a very nice dinner for two in a restaurant the size of our bathroom where we were the only guests. Really folks it was wonderful. Just us two. The owner just 'happened ' to have a dinner today of white beans, rice and prawns. Of course we had it. Along with two buns placed in recycled paper bags. We split a rice pudding for desert and the wine was fantastic.

Soon we were back on the shuttle bus to the ship, now around four, we sail at six. A quiet time and a nap. We then decided to have dinner in our room, for the first time on the trip, with the balcony doors open wide and watched Another Beautiful City slip by as we sailed into the Atlantic. Just like Luci told me it was.

Not too bad a day for a couple alone!