Lisbon

Our last port as it turns out!!! Hurricane Lorenzo is barreling toward the Azores which was to have been out next port tomorrow. The captain,however, has wisely decided to skip the islands and hopefully avoid the storm. He warned of some possible rough seas though...I hope not too bad!!!!

I'm sorry to miss the tour of Azores but not a hurricane!!! That's an experience I can do without!

Lisbon was a lovely sunny port day. The ship sailed up the estuary and docked below Alfama. We had a tour of the area booked and Menzs went out of the city to Sintra. Our guide was excellent and knew so much of the history that people not in our group listened to his comments as he wa so much better than their guides!

Lisbon reminds us of Barcelona in the newer areas with the cafes and shops abounding. I would have loved to lunch there. One church we visited was very old and very unlucky. It was the site of royal weddings and baptisms but also had fallen in the earthquake, been bad!y burned, been the site of a terrible fight between Jews and Christians and more. It is a memorial now but still holds services. The interior is unique as they reconstructed it using the damaged and burned materials and they stand darkened and broken. It's quite a dramatic statement and so different from most of the magnificent interiors we have seen.

I think I'd like to return to Lisbon and have more time to explore the area. This was our second visit and there is much more to see. Maybe a trip to Spain is in order!

Back on board, we had a light bite then enjoyed some time in the hot tub and sunshine. We chatted with a gentleman who spent the day shopping for Portuguese linens they always buy when visiting. Nice!

We went to the dining room for dinner and shared a table as usual with some very nice folks from Sacramento and Cape Coral. Then called it a night and watched a movie in our pjs!!!

Coffee in bed before a slow day at sea. Formal night again when the dinners are usually special. Maybe a card game in the afternoon. We're playing couples and are even so far!!!! I had stinky cards last game!!!!!