TOUR 2 – Great Iberian Tour – FRI, 03 JUN 2022 – Day 4

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TOUR 2 – Great Iberian Tour – FRI, 03 JUN 2022 – Day 4: "Visit Lisbon. Evening transfer. In the morning we will have a sightseeing tour with a local guide. We will visit the tra­ditional neighbourhoods including the Belem district, which is the birthplace of the great Portuguese navigators who sailed the oceans in the Fifteenth Century. We will have a look around the Monument of the Discoveries, Belem Tower, and the beautiful Jeronimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy the free afternoon when you are free to explore the city at your own leisure. In the late afternoon, we will have a transfer to the Restauradores Square, a public square with plenty of restaurants and cafes. We suggest you ride the Elevador Da Gloria funicular that takes you to the viewpoint of San Pedro with beautiful views over Lisbon and the Bairro Alto. Return to the hotel."

Fate put Yinzhu, Armin and me in the same boat, err on the same train, and we kinda hung out together until Yinzhu headed back to Serbia after we had completed our visit to Lisbon, Portugal. Although Jose could totally understand all the Spanish from other group members, he and I continued hanging out together and having a good time helping each other perfect our second tongues. Yinzhu and Armin opted for an optional tour of a few Lisbon suburbs while Uncle Larry headed back to the downtown area for a ride on the Elevador Da Gloria Funicular (which we had passed on the city tour). Cog railroad, funicular, steam locomotive – it really doesn’t matter, count on Uncle Larry to be there. When I arrived at the top of the funicular track, I discovered preparations were underway for an enticing party.

While Yinzhu prepared for a morning departure, Armin and I decided to take the transfer to Restauradores Square in the late afternoon for supper. It turned out that Restauradores Square was the same square where I had been transferred earlier in the day. When I told Armin about the fiesta at the top of the funicular, he was all in. We each got a sangria and joined a table with other merrymakers. When I heard the man next to me and his lady conversing in English, I jumped into the mix. They both are Irish but now live and work in London. Brian (Kennedy, no less) and I hit it off splendidly, and they invited me to ring them up so they can show me the “real London.” Am I dreaming? I had hoped for exactly this kind of connection amongst my tour companions for a personalized tour of the “real XXX” in Germany or Sweden or ??? on a future vacation.

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Photos

Lisbon, Portugal City Tour
These Buildings with Such Acute Angles Intrigue Me

Uncle Larry, Free-Lancing in Lisbon, Portugal
Let the Elevador Da Gloria Funicular Take You to the Top

Uncle Larry, Free-Lancing in Lisbon, Portugal
Where a Party Was Getting Ready to Begin

Uncle Larry, Free-Lancing in Lisbon, Portugal
Great Views, In Spite of the Clouds

Uncle Larry, Free-Lancing in Lisbon, Portugal
There Are Lots of Really Cool Ways to Get Around Lisbon

Uncle Larry, Free-Lancing in Lisbon, Portugal
Uncle Larry and Brian

Comments

[Bruce J.]

Great Views, In Spite of the Clouds
What a great picture it really is!