Lisbon

Bon dia, all! 

Sorry for the delay in updates, but as you can probably understand I have been kinda busy over the last couple of days.  Anyway, I arrived in Lisbon with little incident, though of course exhausted from 22 hours of travel with very little sleep.  I for some reason am in the habit of intensifying the experience by watch in the worst movies ever made.. On a trip years ago it was "league of Extraordinary Gentlemen" and this time "After Earth".  Eessh.

Anyway, staggered into Lisbon with less than expected hassle with the huge bike box in tow (though eye-opening expense).   Had some breakfast at the excellent Oasis hostel, and then, feeling remarkably human, hit the streets for a day of sightseeing. 

Lisbon is a storybook city.  To label it romantic would be like saying New York is a little busy or LA has traffic once in while.  Much of the architecture is actually relatively recent, due to an earthquake that leveled the entire city in 1788, but it appears not a whole lot has changed since, and most of the city retains the medieval street plan.  It's quite hilly,which allows for stunning overlooks all over the place and quite the workout for the walking tourist. (Which is all of them this city has finally made me understand Smart Cars)  Anyway, the street plan, or rather lack of one...  if getting lost in this maze of tiny  cobbblestone alleys wasn't so enchanting, I am sure it would be annoying.   There are of course some great castles, one that overlooks the whole city, and another that uses the ocean as a most, and awe-inspiring cathedrals, a very impressive modern art museum, and (joy!) An excellent maritime museum.   This and more I took in over the too-short two days I allotted to the city, along with some delicious food and a very strange Halloween party at the hostel.   Fortunately I am going back because as I said, that wasn't enough.

Been severely dragging in the mornings, due to jet lag and the fact that this is definitely a city that goes to bed late.  Far be it fro,m me to question local custom, and it is easy to get caught up in the vibrant night life, especially since the minimum amount of wine you can order with a meal is half a bottle (which actually makes sense since it takes 3 hours- a wonderful 3 hours sure, but literally 3 hours), and if you are eating alone at the beginning of a meal, there is little chance you will be by the end.  The warmth of the Portuguese is totally contagious, and it seems like everybody in the hostel I stayed in enjoyed the atmosphere as much as I did.

If I have any complaints, it might only be that the charms of Lisbon are certainly no secret, and the gargantuan cruise ships that dock at the beautiful seaport disgorge great herds of tourists that keep some of the easily accessible attractions pretty crowded.   And they say this is the SLOW season. 

Language so far has been a non-problem- though my high school Spanish is a little handy for puzzling out signs and so on it is useless in conversation (though kinda-sorta similar, Portuguese turns out to be a completely different language)- lots of people speak at least a little English and like to practice with native speakers.  As I said, just about everybody also is really helpful, so when I have had any issue, there is a willing and eager translator for you everywhere you go.

Though I write this a day into the bike tour, I will save details of that for the next entry.  Suffice it to say I got the bike box stowed without a whole lot of difficulty at the hostel, assemble without much noticeable damage or part loss, and underway more or less at the appointed hour.  Resting now after dinner at a bar in the middle of the countryside with the distant lights of Lisbon twinkling on the horizon.  Super Bock turns out to be an excellent electrolyte replenisher, and the locals don't seem to mind me pecking away at my tablet as soccer blares away on the TV.  I am tired but happy, and tomorrow promises to be a fantasticly scenic adventure.   To the sleeping bag!