• Linda Richman
December 2003

Portugal 2003

The SARS epidemic raged in China in 2002. I was part of a group that planned a China trip in 2003. It was still not deemed safe for tourism in 2003. My wonderful daughter & her husband (now ex) surprised me with a trip to Portugal instead. Read more
  • Christmas in Portugal

    December 15, 2003, Western Mediterranean ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Our first stop was Lisbon. Since this trip took place a while ago, many of the details are fuzzy. What I do remember is that most of Lisbon was closed. Traffic was sparse and there were few pedestrians. During the Christmas holiday everyone gets outta town, leaving the city at the mercy of tourists.

    Our hotel was fancy and very comfortable. After an “exhausting” day of sightseeing we collapsed on couches in the gilded lobby for glasses of port. What amazing wine! It was a rich maroon color with golden sparks as it shone in the sun. And the taste......sublime, lush, richly satisfying. Food was served in a vast buffet. I remember enjoying many varieties of cheese and more kinds of sausage that I have ever seen. The piece de resistance was the dessert display. I was overwhelmed. Pastries, cakes, confections and flan
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    Trip end
    December 28, 2003