Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is along the northern bank of the Tagus River and is Europe’s westernmost capital. We were on our veranda early in the morning for the sail in and had a good view of a 752 foot figure representing Christ the Redeemer, towering on a hilltop along the southern bank of the Tagus river. This is a reminder that there is more than a casual kinship between Lisbon and Brazilian sister city Rio de Janeiro. We also enjoying watching the sunrise on a 60 degree beautiful morning.

We left the ship at 8:00 for a leisurely walk then caught the shuttle from the ship to a central area called Baixa. We then boarded an open top tour bus to drive around the city. This was a bus where we could get off when we saw something of interest and reboard. We also had ear phones to listen to explanations and descriptions of what we were seeing.

We drove through the Alfama district where streets are lined with antique wrought iron lamps, framed with ornate balconies, decorated with colorful flowers. Most of the buildings were built prior to the late 1700's.

In other areas, we noticed sharp architectural contrasts between modern high-rise towers and elegant old buildings. The city is often compared with San Francisco for its hills and bridge.

We got off the bus to take a closer look at the Tower of Belem which is a quadrangular, five-story building and looks like an enormous chess piece. We will post a picture. The tower’s silhouette often appears on official publications.

We returned to the main shopping area, shopped had lunch and returned to the ship. The next day was a sea day and then on to the island of Madeira. We celebrated the 100th day at sea yesterday and have two more weeks to go.