Leroy is in sensory overload. He has a bad case of bus fever. It strikes day after day as we come into yet another port and yet another city which offers all the flavors of the local cultures. Let me explain my malady. Almost everyday is a new place. We dock in the ports of cities, both large and small, and we get the opportunity to spend one full day exploring all the richness this new place has to offer. We obviously try to see what is usually the best the place has to offer as much as possible. So we board our buses that take tours going here or there and we anticipate what is surely to be a good day. The guides aboard each bus begin their memorized points of interest routine and we sit back and look and listen. Pretty soon, as I hear the words....."to the right we have...", or "to the left is the...", I find myself staring at the top of the yellow car running along side of us or I watch the scooters dart in and out, daring the life of the driver to survive yet another trip out in the mayhem or the streets. It's like my brain's storage department has filled up and I need to download or delete some of the info up there to make room. Thank God for the pictures as they at least let me go back to most of the places and remember what we have done. Don't get me wrong, this is great. Wouldn't trade a single day of it but I am finding it difficult to keep Cadiz apart from Lisbon apart from Porto apart from Belgium. You get the idea. European cities have that certain European look to them. I do like that look, but everywhere else we have been and seen has vastly distinctive looks. From South America to the Pacific islands to down under then up to Indonesia to ...... All of them were unique and we had time in between them to digest them. Onward we go on our quest to complete the circumnavigation.
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| The Triumphal Arch Welcomes us to Lisbon |
Anyway, let's go back to Europe. It is Easter morning and we had a sunrise service on the boat. It was at 6:30 and it was very well attended. Almost as if on cue, the sun peeked up out of the ocean with no clouds to hide behind just as the preacher was telling us that "He is Risen." It was a beautiful morning as we cruised into Portugal via the Tagus River. Two statues greeted us as we arrived ... a beautiful replica of the Jesus statue from Brazil on one side of the ship, and on the other, the Monument to the Discoveries which honors all the famous explorers from Portugal including Vasco de Gama!
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He is risen! Christ the King statue as we come into port
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Back in the day, Portugal ruled the world. Believe it or not but Lisbon predates cities like London, Paris and even Rome by centuries. It is the furthest western capital and the only one on the Atlantic ocean. It is a safe port because it lies in the Iberian Peninsula and is located on the Tagus River which made it a trading, economical and financial capital for many years. We got to drive thru a lot of Lisbon as it is not as large a city as some capitals with only about 500,000 in the city proper.. We saw the Tower of Belem, the Monument to the Discoveries and the Jeronimos Monastery as we motored our way to Sintra.
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Monument to the Discoveries & Jeronimos Monastery
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Ruins of the Sesimbra Castle in the Explorers Park
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Sintra, another beautiful mountainside town which Lord Byron hailed as a Glorious Eden. The entire town and surrounding area is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its beautiful tiled buildings and narrow, winding streets are gorgeous. It is one of the most expensive places to live in Portugal and if you go you have to see the Palacio de Pena. It is quite spectacular. I will admit that we only got to glimpse it because it was not part of our current tour but it is a must see site should you get the chance. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch of local food at the Logas de Picadeiro where we learned that Portugese have 101 ways to prepare cod! Then spent about an hour just walking around and up and down the cobblestone streets narrowly separating the white stucco buildings. Shops, cafes, art stores and churches all were open and Easter was the theme thru out. You would not believe the artistic work of the Chocolatiers in the eggs and bunnies they made. They were almost too pretty to eat.....notice I said almost.
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| Palcio Nacional de Pena (Pena Palace) |
Our next stop was the resort town of Cascais known for its early 20th century manors, beautiful tile-front buildings and beaches. Just like Sintra, it is one of the more expensive places to live in all of Europe. It is not a large town but that is part of the key to it's success. They are in no hurry to spoil the good thing they have here. I wish some people back home would learn that lesson.
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| Beautiful beaches adorn Cascais - a very popular resort area |
The next day we came into the port of Leixoes in the city of Porto. This is the first time that this ship, the ms Amsterdam, has made this port. I will just let you know that there are very few first-time ports for the MS Amsterdam anymore, but it was nice to be a part of that. Guess what this city is probably best known for...? Port! But guess what....Not one drop is actually made here. Porto is where port wine is brought to be aged and bottled. It is made in the Duoro valley regions and then brought down the Duoro River to Porto to be aged. Port is a fortified wine. It's characteristics usually give you a more sweet flavor. It is most commonly used as a aperitif or as an after dinner delight. There are several varieties of Port and age is an important aspect of what I will call good or better port. The huge barrels that port is aged in are commonly over 70 years old and they are used more than once. All but one kind of port are aged in these barrels until they are ready to be bottled and then they are filtered with removes all of the debris the wine got from the barrel. After a Tawny or a Ruby or a LBV is bottled then they no longer age. A Vintage, on the other hand, is not filtered and so after it is bottled it continues to age. The drawback is that once you open a Vintage bottle it should be drunk within 3 to 5 days. Ports that are not aging in the bottle can be open and enjoyed for a much longer time. Our trip to Burmester Cellars was very interesting and informative. I had my first tastes of port, a white and a tawny. Both were a little sweet for my liking but both had a very nice flavor.
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| The Duoro River runs through Porto |
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| Port casks at Burmester |
It is also interesting to know that about half of the cork produced in the world comes from Portugal. I am not talking about just corks but cork as a product. But that would go hand in hand with the wine production too.
Lastly, we saw two unbelievable buildings. They were both fantastically ornate, beautiful, old and a honor to see. The first one is the Cathedral de Porto which is a 12th century Roman Catholic Church of Baroque and Gothic architecture. This masterpiece was started in the year 1110 and has undergone several changes over the centuries which have led to the finished product being a combination of several different architectural styles. The pictures will give you a sense of just how the different styles have come together.
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| Porto Cathedral |
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| Altar of Porto Cathedral |
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| Beautiful blue and white tiles adorn the church |
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| Gold gilded worship |
Our last stop was Stock Exchange Palace, a 19th century gem of Arab and European design. Both are very important sites for the Portuguese. This building is still used to host international guests and Heads of State.
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| The Stock Exchange |
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| Massive common area |
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| Magnificient Arabic Room |
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Stunning detail work in Arabic room
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We bid you farewell from Portugal as we sail away. Our next stop is Cherbourg, France. Thanks to all who continue to support us with your prayers and travel mercies!
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