Lisbon

Our arrival into Lisbon was later than we normally arrive in port but quite spectacular as we sailed under the 25 de Abril Bridge to reach the harbour city.

After disembarking we meet up with our tour driver and set off in a minivan for what promised to be a slightly unconventional tour.

The non-functioning air conditioning was more than compensated for by open windows and a high-functioning driver/guide who shared his views and insights on Portuguese history and culture.

We drove past the major sites in the city and then headed out to the hills to view the scenery and architecture around Sintra.

The area was once the haunt of the rich and powerful who fled the city for safety and fresh air. It is now a nightmare of narrow streets and unsafe parking so we drove on for lunch.

Sintra Palace Link

Refúgio do Ciclista is a traditional lunch restaurant with 4.5 stars on Trip Advisor. Frequented by Cyclists it was established by a national Icon who competed in the European cycling tours many decades ago.

Lunch was traditional meats and chips. The table was piled high with food to share. The local wine was also included and both red and white which tasted better during the second half of the bottle/jug. Much food and wine was enjoyed.

The yard in front of the local church was utilised for Parking. This was complicated during our visit as there was a funeral taking place so every square inch of space was taken. When we exited the restaurant it was to the sound and sight of a truck carrying a rubbish skip trying to navigate the street. This involved much horn-blowing and sending up to the Church to get people out to move cars.

Rather than try to follow the truck on its slow journey back through Sintra we took the other road and exited the hills via the windswept Atlantic coast and the new houses where the rich and famous have moved to in order to escape the tourist chaos of Sintra.

Then onto the beaches and shops of Cascais where Piney made an appearance to ogle the European beachwear.

Our last stop was back in Lisbon to view the platform being erected for the visit by the Pope to a major catholic festival. This platform was a cut-down version of the one originally proposed but still managed to cost hundreds of thousands of euros and occupy the place where we would normally get the best view of Lisbon.

So our Lisbon tour concluded and we returned to the Ship. A great day with an entertaining guide and a sample of what the area has to offer.

Except...we did not get to have any of the Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts) or ginja (sour cherry liqueur) This will have to be rectified.