Solo in Portugal

Bom dia from Lisbon!  The first port on the summer journey...one of two on my own before Michael and James join me.  The city of Lisbon is magical...a big mix of old and new architecture, this city suffered a catastrophic earthquake in 1755 that leveled many buildings. We visited a 16th century monestary (Jeronimos) that celebrates much of the cultural history and accomplishments of Portugal and is home to a beautiful church.

For me, food is a great way to experience culture and Portugal makes that task an easy one!  Salted cod fish.  Goat.  Lots of olives, bread, cheese and wine. The best of all though, is the Pastel de Nata, a custard tart served with an espresso....yum!

The Alfama section of town is known for it's historic, hilly, cobblestone streets, and trams that take you up if you are too tired to go by foot.  It's also known for the late evening music genre called "Fado" where meloncholic lyrics are paired with guitar.

Many of my shipmates (and thousands of Portuguese!) have been watching the World Cup games on large screens all over town....to be here when the US played Portugal was quite a treat!