Birding and Gulbenkian Museum

Our birding guide says we saw 70 bird species in 5 hours. I think it was more like 55 or 60. I have to check. WE SAW FLAMINGOS!!!! I love them. And, no, I didn’t take a picture. I rarely take bird pictures. They never turn out. We also saw storks, glossy ibis, lots of raptures and European birds. This will expand my life list by bunches. We were up just north of Lisbon in the Tagus area. The river is very shallow here so we saw many fisher folk digging clams and netting fish. Super fun.

The bus driver for the bird tour dropped us at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. This ridiculously wealthy man left his extensive and exquisite collection of art to Portugal along with money to build a garden and foundation. The museum starts with art and artifacts collected from ancient Egypt and civilizations during the pyramids. It wends its way through Asian porcelain, textiles, and glass to Persian rugs and tile work to Baroque French furniture, tapestries and painting to Renaissance and Impressionist painting and sculpture to finally jewelry and fine gold pieces designed by René Lalique.

In addition to the seemingly endless supply of money to purchase everything, he had the most exceptional and beautiful eye. In each area of his pieces, the items were the most outstanding works in both quality and beauty. I was overwhelmed by it all. The gardens were equally sumptuous.

It is nice to have Lennart and Kristen with us to share our perspectives on the art and gardens. I love Lennart’s sense of wonder and Kristen’s obvious joy in it.

Tomorrow we are off to Coimbra.Read more