Lisbon

I didn't see much of Lisbon.  We sailed in around noon and docked by 2:oo p.m. Our tour left right away for Sintra and Caiscais.  The guide was good and very classically gentlemanly but, again, no cat herding ability!  By the time we got off the bus he was up the hill, around the corner and just as several of us made it to the stopping point he was off on his own to buy some sort of special cakes.

Elva and I wandered around, going up and down steep cobbled walkways and stone steps.  We found a little shop called FELIX.  It had hand knitted and crocheted items and the second time we passed it we went in.  She discovered a special surprise for her great grandson, Felix!

It was sunny but cold and very, very windy.  Back at the bus point I had a chance to chat with the guide whose name I never got, and he was quite charming.  Just as the places we visited were described by him as charming.  The problem was that instead of going up to the castle as I thought we would, it turned into a shopping tour.  We went to the even windier and colder town of Caiscais and could barely even walk and it was more shopping and wandering.  The tours from Celebrity were not good.  They were not described properly and the guides did exactly as they had been told and nothing extra.  Some people bought stuff like Port wine or weird hats.  Several of us just mostly sat around after wandering around.

We got back over an hour late after a nice drive along the north coast that was curtailed by blowing sand across the highway,  The road was closed.  We drove along the Escorial coast and back to the city.  Traffic was very slow and the streets were crowded.  Beaches and parks were filled with people, mostly men and boys, enjoying the celebration for the 1974 Revolution, sort of their independence day  We had been told we would see red carnations everywhere.  I did not see even one.  Friends who walked into town came upon parades and flower filled balconies.  Guess we missed it and that opportunity will not come again.

The evening entertainment was Murder Mystery #2.  Equally funny and with a different ending.  This time the older brother did it because he was sick and tired of the 'whole lot of them!'  Quite good once again!

I am just going to post some pictures for you and not complicate it by proper placement.  If you have questions, then please put them in the Comment section or on Facebook or email, depending on how you read Intentional Traveler.  Thank you.