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Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal. It is mainland Europe’s westernmost capital (second overall to Reykjavik, Iceland). And it is the only capital on Europe’s Atlantic coast. (Reykjavik and Dublin are on islands.)
We have been in Lisbon once before, last year as we transited between ships. But it was a quick overnight, and the only thing we remember seeing was the Praça do Comércio (Commercial Plaza), where we had a picnic lunch.
This year we would have a day and a half in Lisbon. Gail was interested in taking advantage of the overnight to visit Sintra, about 18 miles west of Lisbon. Sintra is an historical town known for its colorful palaces and castles.
Gail looked at renting a car, but realized that getting to and from the car rental place would be more complicated than actually getting to Sintra. The alternative was to take the train. After we docked on April 30, we spent some time scoping out the various train stations. We learned it would be best to take the Metro to a farther train station, to get a direct train ride into Sintra. We planned to make the trip on our full day here, May 1.
But on the evening of April 30, Gail decided not to go. First, May 1 is a Labor Day, a holiday in Portugal. While most tourist locations should be open, she didn’t want to take a chance. Second, May 1 was forecast to be overcast. The colorful palaces and castles would be less appealing if they weren’t actually colorful. Since we will be back in Lisbon next year, Gail decided to wait.
Instead, on May 1 Gail escorted a three-hour Viking excursion, “A Culinary Tour by Tuk-Tuk.” Tuk-Tuks are small cab-like vehicles. Gail’s Tuk-Tuk seated four guests, and she got to explore the various hills and neighborhoods of Lisbon. The “culinary” portion consisted of some cheese and wine tasting.
Meanwhile, Russell walked around on his own, enjoying the scenery and architecture. Lisbon is known for its mosaic tiles, which decorate everything from building exteriors to train station interiors. Lisbon also reminded us of San Francisco back home. In addition to numerous hills, it has a bridge modeled after the Golden Gate Bridge.
Lisbon is a wonderful walking city, and we look forward to coming back here next year.
