Friday's Excursion - Lisbon

On Friday, we went to Lisbon. We parked along the main street in the old part of town and spent most of the day wandering in and out of shops as we made our way to the waterfront. Lisbon has a long and fascinating history that is an interesting read if you have the time and interest. Of particular note is the earthquake of 1755, which destroyed most of the city. Because of the earthquake, the city feels much more modern than you would expect for a place that dates back to the Romans and the 3rd century B.C.

The girls were fascinated by the statues, fountains, and sidewalks that were in the plazas along our walk. They were, however, most captivated by the pigeons. In one of the plazas, Emilia decided to try to take a picture of a group of pigeons. As she approached, they took flight at just about eye level. Most of the Portuguese men are much shorter than I am, so I was hoping the pigeons noticed that they needed to elevate a little more quickly than normal to clear my head. I have to admit that I flinched and ducked a couple of times. We ate lunch at an outdoor cafe, and Audra got out of her seat several times to chase, what she called, the "chickens." Emilia also pointed out every time a pigeon walked under my chair. Her mother immediately picked up her feet and ate most of her meal with her feet up.

The day was by far the hottest since we have been here. We saw signs that said it was 35. I think that's around 95. The sun is also much more intense than at home and the buildings and sidewalks seem to reflect a lot of the heat and brightness. Emilia, Heather, and Jayme got to wet their legs in the spray from a hose that a construction worker left on a little longer than he was supposed to for them.

In addition to the shops, restaurants, pastelarias, and street vendors, we also visited Castle of Sao Jorge. The castle was the site of an important victory in the 12th century defeat of the Moors, in which Lisbon was reclaimed. The fortification sits on top of one of the hills in Lisbon and the streets wind and climb steeply to the castle. Emilia enjoyed seeing a castle that had a moat though the moat was just filled with grass. I think she was a little disappointed that there were no dragons waiting to capture the unsuspecting. Audra enjoyed climbing and looking out from the castle's towers.
The girls also enjoyed riding the trolley car to get up and down the base of the hill to the castle. They resemble the cable cars in San Francisco except they run on electricity. Actually of the cities I have visited, I would say that San Francisco and Lisbon are very similar in all but temperature.

A good day and an interesting city to explore...