Hello from Lisbon, Portugal

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We've moved on to Italy but here are some of our last pictures in Lisbon. We had more and also a video but ran out of internet time to post them and now our internet site won't support or camera.

We had a great time in Lisbon. It is an incredible city to just walk, explore, and get lost. When I was a boy my brothers and I would try to get ourselves lost on our Great-Uncle Louie's farm and timber land. When we were thoroughly lost we'd start trying to find our way back and always had adventures and discoveries along the way....usually dealing with climbing trees or escaping snakes.

Lisbon is similar and we saw many old churches or tucked-away court yards and alleys (but no snakes). It's a great place to visit for just just exploring and yet there's still incredible, specific sites to see as well. This is the perfect city for long ambling walks.

Couple quotes.....
Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far. (Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826))

It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching. (Saint Francis Of Assisi (1181 - 1226))

Other than walking we have enjoyed picnics. The restaurant food was not so great and quite expensive but we found a great little grocery store around the corner to buy fresh food and nice wine. They also sold some angry looking black eels and the worst smelling salted fish. Its great for grocery shopping because the seafood section really takes your appetite away so you don't try to buy out the store.

We could get off the main street and away from the hash sellers and have great picnics with wonderful views of the city. The other guests staying with us were on a boat-buying trip that didn't work out. The man was a "solicitor" (aka, British for Lawyer) but a sailor at heart. He had sailed 6 months once with a friend while their wives met them at the last port. They hadn't shaved for 6 months so were kind of hard to recognize and even harder to kiss. And the wife had family Wisconsin near Appleton although she was British. Her father was an American soldier from WWII and she hadn't met her Father's family until she was in her 30s. She said she liked Wisconsin....but who wouldn't?

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Photos

Elevator in Lisbon
The town has several elevators. This one was built by a student of the Eiffel tower designer. It is a steep city and it feels good to walk up the hills. Most of the elevators are like trams that just go up and down a particularly steep hill.

View of the city from room terrace
What a wonderful view. We usually had supper on the terrace wrapped in blankets and watching the sun set over the city.

Tiles
Tiles, tiles everywhere. This is one example of a tile in a cathedral. There were so many of them and they all represented an occasion or told a story...unfortunately we couldn't follow most of them or weren't familiar with the story.

Beautiful lady with tile
I met this beautiful lady in Lisbon sitting on a cathedral terrace! I think we'll travel together from here out.

Se
This is a huge bell tower church.

Cisterns in an old church
It was really dark in the cisterns of this church but also quite beautiful. I hope our church has included a cistern in the new building plans.

Top of cathedral
This is the rooftop of the cathedral where I met the beautiful lady.

Clock innards
I couldn't see inside this little hole below the bells so I stuck the camera in and took a picture with flash. I wonder how they designed this stuff without a computer.

Typical alley in Lisbon
There were so many little alleys in Lisbon. Some were fantastically beautiful but pictures seldom did justice. Many had a little courtyard or maybe a lemon tree and laundry on a washline.

Main streets of Lisbon
The streets here as incredible. Makes evening walks a real treat.

Castel
The location of this castle in Lisbon was evidently inhabited over 6 thousand years ago. The castel was built 5 or 6 hundred years ago I think and was traded between the Christians and Moors several times. It's interesting to crouch in a lookout and imagine the battles that took place at your feet centries ago.

Comments

[Lightnin]

A Long Way to Tip
Blogging to Pretoria to the beat of a Smother drum, The sweat of Rio de Janoria, prelude to the Euro Sun. Dulce de Leche y montañas capped glaciery snow-- The earthenware, your footpath and a lovely place to go; But, as Dorothy said of Kansas, when she'd seen enough of Roam, "Be it ever so humble...I don't think we're in Kansas anymo!" Bless me for a little spell, slottering myself.

[anonymous]

Boy do I wish I could be with you in Rome- probably even more than you are wishing you had your Mom along for the adventures. I've loved your blog and the pictures are great. Vatican City was at the top of the list for me. Michelangelo's Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel makes you want to look much longer than the time you are allowed. You've had so many adventures and have so many yet to look forward to. I'm so happy for both of my dear loveones. Mom

[John Patten]

And your answer is -
Ben, Without a computer, I would believe the answer is: mathematics. Now Ben, did you have to ask?

[Aunt Linda]

I'm Back I"m Time
Back in time...Italy, etc....those exciting travels I remember...all coming back, as I see yours and almost envy you two until I think I have had more than my share of adventures. Yes...more than my share. Here's a funny one. I am most likely the only person you will ever know who was molested by the cat burgler in Japan..or have I alaready mentioned that oft-repeated story? Oh, welll....elders get to repeat stories as often as they like. God bless you and keep you as you make memories. Love, Aunt Linda

[Ben and Heather]

Cat Burgler?
No - Can't say I've heard that one. Hopefully its not as bad as it sounds. Its fun to think that as I hear who all have traveled to these "centers" such as Rome or even more specific, the Roman Forum or Sistine Chapel, we have most likely walked the same steps at different times. And how many others have walked those same steps? I think that often such as at Old Faithful in Yellowstone or Mt Rushmore, etc.