Alfama

My dogs are tired. We walked on what the book said would be a 4-hour self-guided walking tour that took us all day. Sheryl and I caught up on our sleep. Lennart went out to get some fresh bakery bread in the morning for our breakfast. Cheese, bread, butter and coffee. What’s not to love?

Across the street, the Sao Vicente de Fora and Monastery were amazing. The tile work, gold tapestry, and tons of narrative that went with it were great fun. We also went through the “flea market” nearby with both stuff you would find at any outdoor market and some art as well. I find that I love to look but don’t really want to buy. I’m hoping to find something that I just can’t live without but not on the first day.

The rest of the day we wandered from place to place on my already mapped out walking tour and decided not to actually go in to the places. They were swamped with tourists and not all that interesting. The tile on the outside of the buildings, and people-watching was a better bet.

We stumbled upon a museum of fascism and resistance on the location of a former prison where the Portuguese government tortured and jailed people from the 30s up through the liberation on April 25, 1974. A very long time. I couldn’t read some if it. They showed cells that had a bed and a little room, another with only a slab to lie down on and finally one that was too small to actually lie down in. The cruelty was terrifying and heartbreaking. They had copies of the resistance publications and stories plastered all over the walls. They also showed Portugal’s colonial reach and how these places finally achieved there independence. I’m glad we stopped in.

After, Kirsten who is a tiny little thing, insisted on gelato. Who am I to stand in her way? While in Rome, she had 4 gelatos in one day… We have work to do. Sheryl also found a wine tasting where you serve yourself from a dispenser. Very cool and nice selection of wines.

Sheryl took us on yet another wild goose chase to try to find the Botanical Gardens. After a couple of attempts, I finally used my google maps to find the entrance. We saw lots of heat-loving trees, bushes and some parrots too. It was nice to get off the beaten path to a garden.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday so several of the things we wanted to see are closed. Sad face. But we will survive.Read more