Blogs from Almada, Lisboa, Portugal, Europe

Monday: SUN, YIPPEE!!! Today, Mike and I decided to take an Uber across the April 25 Bridge and visit the 300 ft Cristo Rei statue. This is kind of a San Francisco meets Rio de Janeiro scene. Red suspension bridge and Jesus over-looking Lisbon. The artwork at this pilgrimage site is surprisingly modern in its style and is present in all of the chapels. We took the elevator to the top of the base where we could get a different view of the city that we have had on the opposite side of the river. The park around the monument had a religious vibe with the Stations of the Cross and chanting but also an open, nature trail feeling along the river. Glen, Karen, Mike & I had decided this morning to meet for lunch at ... read more

After breakfast we headed out on our bus ride to Lisbon, Portugal. We stopped at a pretty little Portuguese port town on our way to Lisbon, recommended by our bus driver, Mario. After a little walk around the town and a quick lunch it was time to head back on the bus. We reached Lisbon in early afternoon. It was too early for us to check into our hotel, so went to see the Christ the King statue. The Christ the King statue was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janerio, Brazil. It was erected to express gratitude because the Portuguese were spared the effects of World War II. You can apparently climb to the top of the statue to get a great view of Lisbon city. However, we decided to stay ... read more

Last night we had a great welcome reception that led left no man hungry, in the old district of Alfama. It beauty was being a quaint restaurant slightly below grade, with the original floor pre-earthquake which was quite cool. There was an old church from the 1600th century just 2 door shown that managed to survive, of course I have a heap of photos but on my SLR and they are in raw format so can't show you until I get home. Should just start taking photos with my iPad, if only for blogging! This morning we left for our full day of sightseeing, and man was it packed and wonderful. However the most interesting part of my day was when I decided to go stroll the streets of Portugal, and listening once again to Lonely ... read more

When I first decided to plop myself in Lisbon, it was out of indolence. I really didn’t want to visit every Michelin 3-star, so Lisbon was the perfect place-there just weren’t any. I would sit in the pastelarias and drink the tiny cups of motor oil they call coffee. Well after 7 months of research, I realized that scenario wasn’t going to happen. Lisbon is a very large city, 1.2 million people and too vast to conquer on foot (as I did in Amsterdam). Yes, we perched at Hotel Miraparque, centrally located on the Parque Eduardo VII, but the true jewels of Lisbon – Torre de Belem (a fortress on the water, the symbol of Lisbon, where Vasco De Gama left town for India), Christo Rei (Christ with arms open on a mountain overlooking the city), ... read more

Yesterday, something awful happened. Something that would make every woman gasp in shock and quiver with fear. Yes, I lost my concealer. Normally, I would make do with an extra layer of make-up or a giant pair of sunglasses, but when you're backpacking through Europe, every hour of lost sleep shows up under your eyes. In a nutshell, I look like a swamp monster. Literally. Coming to terms with the loss of my concealer required each stage of the grief cycle. First; shock and denial, then anger. I threw a tantrum even my 2 year-old self would be proud of. I was like a madwoman, throwing things in the air and overturning pillows and mattresses, desperately searching for that beloved cream that would make me look more like a young lady and less like Shrek's mistress. ... read more