Blogs from Lisbon & Tagus Valley, Portugal, Europe - page 6

Strolling the Avenida da Liberdade.... read more

What a sensational one it was. Sat at a table to have dinner and Jane says, "I don't want to talk to anyone so don't interact with anyone." Going to be difficult me thinks as sitting next to us separated only by a chair are two gorgeous young women. Jane gets up to get her 2nd helping and one of the young women, now known as Kristin, from Germany, asks me a question. (Lee is from South Korea). Mmmmmm! Being polite and sociable and with Jane's warning... at the forefront of my mind, what else could I do but respond. Both speak numerous languages but not to be outdone we hold our own in English!! 2 hours later we conclude our conversation and exchange of vital communication mediums. We leave on a high and come across ... read more

Today we had quite the eventful day! Our start was "early" rising at 10:00 am - no alarm style to begin our day. Completely integrated to Spanish/Portuguese time zones, we found a nice breakfast/lunch at Ti Camilia. We both had "cafe's" per Cody's order (AKA straight espresso, thanks Cody), and split a ham and cheese sandwich. Cody mentioned that Portugal is the dark horse of sandwiches. He did not expect such a "strong showing," but we are not disappointed! Although, the best European sandwich to date is Antico Vinao in Florence, Italy, thanks for the recommendation there Joe Buss! However, this sandwich was delectable, and a close second to Florence. :) Our first museum stop of the day was to the Museo de Fado (The Fado Museum). Albertina's husband (our new friends from yesterday), works there, ... read more

After (easily) waking up at 4:15 am, since we both fell asleep so early last night, we rode in an Uber from our hotel in Madrid to the airport. The one major difference between our travels domestically and internationally is the fact that you have to board a bus to take you to the airplane. It's nice, though, because you have to load the plane up a flight of stairs making you feel like a local celebrity! Our flight arrived to Lisbon at 7:30 am Portugal time (Portugal is an hour ahead of Spain). We were not able to drop our bags off at our Airbnb until 11:30 am, so we took an Uber to a nearby spot to burn some time. Our Uber driver took us through the narrow hilly streets of Lisbon. Unfortunately, there ... read more

Saturday: Pouring rain in the morning, so we might as well use the time for Yoga, laundry, and organization of our digs. We found a laundromat to dry our wet clothes and a restaurant with take-away sandwiches. So far, quite a useful day. The rain can't last forever, can it? By 2p or so, the clouds start to break and the sun peeped out. Time to explore! Since our start was so delayed, today, Mike and I decided to go see three of my fave places: churches, parks, and cemeteries. When we arrived at the Estrela Basilica, there was a wedding exiting the church. As much as we wanted to be a part of the festivities, it would just be rude. Instead, we strolled through the lovely park across the street. Estrela Park is surrounded by ... read more