April 10th, 2023 Day 97 of 128

Lisbon, Portugal (Day trip to Sintra)

Good morning from Lisbon on this Monday after Easter. It is still national holiday here today as part of the holy week celebrations and there were three ships in port today so that definitely made for some big crowds. We thankfully didn’t have to meet our excursion group until 10:30am this morning so were able to get little extra rest before getting up. We grabbed breakfast in the Neptune lounge before heading off to the Rolling Stone lounge to meet our group. Today was a Cruise Specialist excursion and there were around 80 passengers going so we were split up into two buses for the day. We took a bit of scenic drive around the downtown Lisbon area and got to see some of the historical buildings. They had a lot of hills, cable cars, and a giant red bridge spanning the water. Sound familiar to you? Except for the centuries old buildings and architecture, it definitely felt very reminiscent to San Francisco. Next we drove to Sintra and visited this quaint village. It’s largest draw in the Sintra National Palace. But before we visited the palace we had lunch at a cafe directly across the street. By the time we were done eating we were given the option to walk through the palace or enjoy some free time to walk the cobblestone streets, visit the shops and the hands-craft stores, and look through the wine shops. After visiting several grand palaces over the last few days and keeping up a crazy pace behind a tour guide we opted for the later. We had about 90 minutes to go where we wanted and to do what we wanted. It was lovely! We walked through several shops, got our souvenirs, Megan enjoyed a chocolate croissant, and we just absorbed the day to day life of this village in Portugal. I know it was exactly what my soul needed. We did visit the palace gift shop as well and bought a book with lovely photos and the history of the palace so we can read all about it at our leisure. Instead of taking the freeway back to Lisbon, we traveled all the way back along the coast line. We made a stop at the Cabo de Roca. It is one of the most famous places in Portugal, it has a beautiful lighthouse and it is the westernmost point of Europe. So we have now been to the “end of the world” in Ushuaia and now to the western “end of Europe”. As we traveled back along the coast we saw many beautiful villas, I would have called them mini castles, that were hundreds of years old. The people who lived along the coast had an undersanding with the military that at any time needed, their homes could be taken over to be used for a fort to protect Portugal. We saw lots of young people enjoying the beaches, surfing and lining the coast line to watch the sunset as the day came to a close. I definitely felt some pangs of homesickness today. So many sights reminiscent of California today that it made me miss home even more. As we got back into Lisbon we were able to make a few more stops so we can get photographs of the 16th century Jeronimos Monastery. Right next door was the famous Pasteis de Nata (Also known as Pasteis de Belem) where they originally started making a custard tart that can now be found all over Portugal. We were told that this was the original bakery that made them with a recipe from the monks at the monastery. We opted for the photos of the monastery and as it turned out a hand made Pina Colada. Made from a fresh pineapple that I smelled before I even saw them. A taste of Hawaii!! Lucky for Megan and I, a fellow passenger was kind enough to bring a couple of pastries back to the bus for us. Thank you Rodger!! So it was a definite treat stop in more ways than one, history, alcohol and sweets. One of the best 10 minute stops I have ever had!!! We then visited the Monument of the Discoveries depicting many heroes of Portuguese history. As we drove back to the port we got to drive right along the waters edge and we learned that they usually don’t let tourist buses come this route, but due to some road construction, we were allowed to and it was a special treat that we enjoyed very much. Our 7 hours excursion turned out to be about 9 hours instead with the extra stops we made along the way back, but they were not as stressful or hectic as the last few days so it made for a wonderful experience. We got back to the ship around 7:45pm and we went to the Lido to grab something to eat from their specialty themed buffet this evening “Portuguese Food”. Megan went off to play cards and I spent some extra time just looking out the window from the Lido, going through all my photos from today, and then suddenly I looked out the window and realized we were moving. So I hauled home and out onto my patio so I could get some photos as we sailed under the bridge and past the Tower of Belem again. They were both so beautiful lit up at night. I am going right to sleep tonight as I am tired and we have to set the clocks ahead an hour again this evening. Boy are we looking forward to our sea day tomorrow. 5 days straight of 10 thousand plus steps and so much information and culture absorbed over that time I am mentally and physically exhausted. I wouldn’t trade this opportunity I am having for anything in the world, just wish all my loved ones were here with me. We are nine hours ahead of California again and we have a couple of more back and forth’s before we start only losing time again. Enjoy the photos everyone! Hugs.