Lisbon and then San Diego!

I left on Saturday very early for Frankfurt and then San Francisco/San Diego.

Lisbon is a delightful city. The weather has been San Diego perfect for my 2+ days here so I have seen the city and walked for miles.

The old sections – Alfama, Bairro Alto and Belem are winding streets which change names in mid block. It is a hilly city (like San Francisco) and the waterfront is on the River Tejo. There are churches, museums and great benches to watch people.

My hotel is at the intersection of the old towns and the new town. A 20 minute walk and I was at the water – that was the easy part. The Castle Sao Jorge is high on the bluff – fortunately I was able to ride up on a public bus. Walking down, the Cathedral Se is a blend of architectural styles – do spend 1 Euro to see the cloister and the chapels behind the sanctuary. There is a Nativity scene carved from cork. (Another cork scene is at the Basilica da Estrela). The most lavish of the cathedrals that I visited was Sao Roque with a Treasury that sparkled with gold and jewels transported from Brazil during colonial days.

Some interesting museums: Marionette with puppets from around the world. Coaches with examples from the last 500 years. Port – not my favorite wine but I did taste. In Belem, there is a famous pastry that is like a miniature crème Brule. The Monastery dos Jeronoimos is incredible.

I had a great small hotel for two nights – Florida. Open since 1941 with about 40 rooms; each one is named for a movie star and has photos inside. The elevators are Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn – life size. A great breakfast and all of the staff is excellent. A block away was a good internet café and a casual restaurant that had homemade soup! Did I mention that I also found a used book store?

Happy to be home. I am looking forward to changing my clothes as I have lived in my Chico’s grey pantsuit for 2+ weeks. My luggage never arrived in Angola!