First fullish day out and about.

Started off by leaving the memory card from the camera in the computer, such a cool feeling when your down town already.

Found a camera store and blow me down if the card isn't half the price it is in canada, so I bought twice the memory to make up. That's what men do.

It was cloudy and on and off showers in the morning, but by mid-day it was 19 deg c and beautiful blue sky. Lisboans were still wrapped up like a winter storm had blown in

We took the tram all the way out to Belem to see the Torre de Belem (tower of Belem). This tower is one of three built at the time (1515) to defend lisbon from pirates. It was amazing to see and although I though it was a perfect daycare site, with its dungeons, the kids disagreed.

We then moved onto the Museu Coleccao Berardo and although we couldn't see the standing collection, we did see a collection about the famous (in Portugal) fado singer Amalia Rodrigues. I think they pretty much had everything connected to her and the music she sang. It was so detailed you could be left in no doubt of her influence on the Portuguese music seen.

A few observations on the Portuguese. The tram drivers males and females all ware rather large stylish watches. You see very few young children walking with parents. The vast majority of the people out and about, even in the evening are the over 65 crowd.

We then moved onto the Mosteiros Dos Jeronimos, built to trumpet Vasco da Gama's discovery of India in 1498.

It's pretty huge inside although the "silence please" sign seemed a bit of a joke, due to the guy hacking at the marble floor with a hammer, looked like he was trying to lay new wiring by digging under the monastry.

Even though we are not religious, it still takes your breath away, when you think about what it has lived through over the last 500 years, wars, earthquakes and tsunami just being a few of the nasty things to have hit Lisbon.

Take a close look at the gargoyle in this picture. If you look really close you will see it is the might fierce grass hopper. "NO! RUUUUUN THE GRASSHOPPER IS COMING..." it's what nightmares are made of. I tell Ya.

We then came back into the centre of town for dinner. The food was expensive, for what it was, but we were eating dinner outside in the Praca De Figueira 14 deg C at 6:30pm on December 17th. Can't beat that.

As you can see Anwen slept through the whole meal (how anyone can sleep kneeling up amazes me) and G got to watch Futaball for the whole time. All in all a great day, on our travels we also hit two pastry shops both over 100 years old, the shops NOT the pastries. Thankfully no more earthquakes during the day. Ciao.

Earthquake.

Funny thing happened last night..
We were up with Anwen at about 1:30, she couldn't sleep. Just as we got her settled the rumbling began. Then the bed began to move, all in all it lasted about 15 sec's. Turn's out to have been a 5.7 mag quake. Even woke up G and you who know, will understand THAT is no easy thing to do. Travel around the world from one earthquake prone region to the other now that's a holiday.

Chosen mode of transport for the day.

You should see how wide the streets aren't.... hair pin bends and hills steeper than Mount Everest... Well it feels like it when you have to walk up.

There is nowhere to park in Lisbon and with the tram system added to the crazyness the cars have to be parked with an accuracy we don't have to worry about in Canada, usually, but not always off to one side with a hair between the tram and it. But if there isn't enough, then you park it on the curb.

Strong real chocolate, hot chocolate, just couldn't get rid of the jet lag. Gareth soldiered on even though it was obvious he wasn't into it.
Actually wants to go to bed early....SHOCK

Some other pic's from today.

Lisboa, at last.

There's nothing like a game of cards to distract you while someone steals your backpack.

Yep, one down. They, we think she took the backpack with the books and kids stuff, while we sat and had a "real" meal in Terminal 3 of Heathrow. We only noticed when one of us went to get something about an hour later. "didn't you have it on the stoller?" "No. I thought you were carrying it....". If we had to sacrifice one it was the right one, the other had all the passports and travel documents in it.

So there you scanky whore I hope you have fun with the lego!

When Heathrow say secure, maybe NOT.

Got into Lisbon at about 10:15 got the car, drove out into ANGRY rain, and 6 deg C. Mazda 3 Diesel, nice car just couldn't find the lights, or the windshield wipers, oh and the defrost.

But we headed off only to find the thief had our maps, we had a small one from the airport, they must have great eyesite in Portugal coz the map was illegiable, the writing was sooo small. We ended up driving in the -- we hoped-- general direction we thought the apartment was, stopping along the way to ask people where in gods name we were. Little did we know we were driving through the town with no street names. Suddenly Dee shouts "isn't that the playground we saw on Google Maps?" we drove a little further and it dawns on me that I've seen this area before turn right then left and BANG! there's the apartment.

GOOGLE IS GOD!

The apartment is on the third floor, no elevator. It is a nice space though, great lay out.

Midnight. Dee gets the kids to bed and I head out with the wonderfully patient managers of the apartment, for milk. It was pretty close to an hour before we return, could of bought a cow and milked it quicker, but it was a great way to see the city at night.
Found out during the night Portuguese houses don't have a heating system, just small space heaters. It's akin to trying to warm up the arctic with a candle.




It is 12:15 pm the kids are still asleep and I've had coffee. To all that know me and my addiction you will understand the next statement is not made lightly, the coffee is freaking awesome, I mean awesome!

Can one have too much?

Also bought some pastries (Portugal is renowned for them), sandwiches and a few staples. Haven't found it to be very expensive, which IS a surprise.




The view from the window in the front room is great, even on this cloudy day you can see over to the other side of the water.

Funny thing to investigate. At about 9 am there is this trumpting sound that starts going off and then does it again at odd times during the day. Odd.

Anyway its been an adventure so far. But we are in Lisbon, and its GREAT!

Jak

It's 7:35 pm at YVR, Just hanging out looking like a movie star.

Custom's was oddly easy, Inspector Clouseau was kind enough to be on guard. I kid you not, the guy was a little bigger with a strange facial tick... but I kept expecting him to ask for my "liesonsss".

Ciao..

One reason to go to Portugal...

We are staying over with friends in Vancouver for a couple of days before departing.
Sunday morning brought with it one of the main reasons for going to Portugal.
Can you see it... Snow.

Kind of feel like the gods are backing us up on the decision to head for warmer clim's.

Nearly there.

Just five more days, then away.
Most everything done, except packing, documentation, the little things.
We are all very excited.