Lisbon, Portugal - 13 May

Terrible night's sleep and up early for our 7.30 checkout of the hotel and pick up be Samad to take us to the airport. He had told us that traffic could be terrible of a Monday morning and the usual 45 minute trip to the airport could be a lot longer, hence our early pick up for an 11.25 am flight. Needless to say, the car trip took us 25 minutes! Samad was sad to see the last of us and asked to give us a hug, bless him. So we bid farewell to the toll roads and maniac drivers as we arrive at the airport and have to sit around until 10.45 when our gate finally opens. We are bused to our plane which is only 2/3 full. If is a short hour and a bit flight with no time to even be offered a hot drink. We have gone through that many screening checks that I've lost count but we eventually get to our baggage carousel to find our 2 bags sitting forlornly on the stopped carousel! Out we go to the designated meeting place for our driver, which took a bit of sorting and eventually were taken to our driver and car. First impressions of Lisbon from the sirport to town see a poor comparison with Morocco where all the gardens and parks are so beaufifully maintained, but things improve during the 20 minute ride as we get closer to Lisbon proper. We are dropped at our hotel and take only enough time to drop off our suitcases and then we are out and about. We are only one short block from the main square, Lisboa Story Centre,where it is tourists galore. Julie decides that she wants to do the yellow tram ride which will take her past many of the city sights in an hour and a half, but I prefer to wander about on my own. The square is really impressive.

I then wander up the mall which has multiple eating places, tourist souvenir shops (VJR gets another offering) and even more pastry shops. A few desgner shops are thrown in for good measure. At the end of the mall is a square that has multiple little huts offering all sorts of goodies. It is bustling, but really nice.

As it is almost 5pm and Julie's tram ride will soon be finished, I head back to the hotel as I have the room key. She has had a lovely tram ride and I've had a lovely wander. As we havent had a proper breakfast or lunch we are both hungry so opt to go into the mall to find somehwere for dinner, stopping at a small cafe to each buy something for our breakfast in the morning as we have an early start ahead if us. we happen upon Paul's having seen a couple sharing a large tray of paella. I have the salmon and prawn paella while Julie has the octopus and rice dish. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals but they were so big that neither of us could finish them.

Our toung waiter eas really good and told us all about his journey from Nepal to end up in Portugal, via some years in Dubai. Julie wanted to get some souvenirs so I took her up to the shop ai had been in and she was very happy with her purchases. As we finally had a coffee maker in our hotel room, we were very excited but there eas no milk, so we found a little grocery store, but on the eay were approached by George who was desperate fir us to come into his restaurant for dinner. We told him that we had just eaten but he was so persistent that we told him we wuld come tomorrow night. Back to our hotel, coffees made and consumed and time to rest up for another big day tomorrow as we do a conducted tour of Sintra.