Travels in the 2nd half

Today has been my last day here in Lisbon. Tomorrow I fly home, back to the waiting arms of The Amazing Ms. D . In deference of my aching legs, I took an easy day, but an interesting day. I decided to spend the morning on Lisbon’s natural tour bus – the Electrico 28. I decided that the best way to do this was to get on at the 28E terminus at Plaça Martim Moniz. Martim Moniz was a Portuguese knight in 1147 during the reconquest of Lisbon from the Moors. The plaza has been rebuilt recently to provide parking underground. It is now a large cement open space with trees and food stands. It sits on the edge of an Asian neighborhood in Lisbon, so I got have steamed pork buns for breakfast. Getting on at the terminus is important because the 28E is a small old tram and if you want a seat so that you can see out of the windows you have to be near the start of the line. You might even want to let one tram load and wait for the next. The 28E starts at Plaça Martim Moniz an...

I am not sure what it is about me, sites of natural wonder and bad weather, but we three seem to go together. Take for example my first (and so far only) trip to the Grand Canyon. Well, the Amazing Ms. D and I had already spent a beautiful week under the hot south-west desert sun. We had traveled to Santa Fe, Taos, Acoma and Canyon de Chelly. Sunny and hot every day. Even driving up to the eastern gate, not a cloud in the sky. But, as soon as we entered the park - BAM! the fog rolled in. I think we drove along the south rim, truthfully all I could see were the tail lights of the car in front of me. It is true that today I have amazing photos of the fog coming up out of the Canyon, taken from above. Or take our trip back from spending a year in the Canadian Rockies. While it is true that we had a lot of beautiful days in the Rockies, it is also true that the temperature did not go above 70 degrees from the 10 months we were in Canmore. Yet the day we crossed the border back into th...

Forcing myself to take a break in my hike through Bairro Alto, I choose the outdoor cafe at Miradouro de Santa Catarina. Sitting above the riverfornt looking down on Cais do Sodre, I am rewarded with a panorama of the Tagus River. To my right is the April the 25th Bridge. this bridge was designed by the same company that built the Oakland Bay Bridge  (see here) but it painted to resemble the Golden Gate Bridge. Originally named after the dictator Salazar when opened in 1966, it was renamed after the Carnation Revolution that removed him in 1974. The name now commemorates the date that the revolution started. April the 25th Bridge I am struck here in Lisbon, as in many European cities, by the space given to just sitting, thinking and talking. Plazas, squares, overlooks, all were and are considered an important part of civic design. A place to slow down, have an coffee, relax and catch your breath. Visit with a friend. Spend some time people watching. T...

Today I went to Belém, a neighborhood along the Tagus River. Belém has many reasons to visit, both old and new. Belém is the area from which many exploratory ships left Lisbon. It sits near the mouth of Tagus River. For that reason King Manuel I built the Mostiero dos Jerónimos (Hieronymous Monastery) in 1501. The Monastery is a UNESCO world heritage site. It was meant to impress all those who were arriving in Lisbon by boat. The church at the monastery contains the tomb of Vasco de Gama along with some beautiful stained glass.  In addition to wanting to impress visitors, King Manuel I also understood the need to impress vistors and sailors so he built towers on both side of the river welcome sailors back with goods from colonies and trade around the world. The Torre de Belém has survived. It sits over-looking the river.  Belem Tower April 25th Bridge from Belem Tower Up close at the tower The area also includes many museums (s...

Today I decided that, since museums were closed, it would be a good day to get out of Lisbon and visit the town of Cascais. Cascais is a small seaside town about 30 Km east of Lisbon. So I went Cascais to find water, and boy did I - It rained almost the whole time I was there.   Cascais was one of the tour options on the GreyLine bus tour. So I took the morning bus (1000) from the bus station at Marquis de Pombal. Before leaving the city of Lisbon the bus took a little tour which went past to aqueduct that brings the drinking water into the city. Lisbon Aqueduct The Tagus River It then followed the Tagus River and the coast through the towns of Carcavelos, Parede, and Estoril, to Cascais. I got off of the bus at Boca de Inferno (Mouth of Hell). The Boca de Inferno is a 65 foot tall hole in the stone at the water’s edge. When the waves are big, they come crashing through and spray up the sides of the crevice in the rocks. There are sever...