Lisboa on foot
Trip Start
Jan 28, 2008
1
41
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Trip End
Sep 18, 2008
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Lisbon,
Portugal
Sunday, May 18, 2008
We checked out the massive Oceanarium for 5 hours on Saturday. It is a biggest in Europe, and very new and fancy. We had a great time.
Sunday morning we joined a walking tour. We had wanted to go on the Lisbon Spy Tour, but that guide mysteriously didn't show up. We joined the other tour running, a typical Sights of the City type tour. Our guide, young Rita, was very friendly and we actually enjoyed hearing a lot about the city's history and buildings. Surprisingly, most of Lisbon's original central district was wiped out by an Earthquake in the 1700's, and the new city centre was built under a dictactorship so all the buildings look the same. Even the churches had to conform. We also realised how much Brasil influenced Portugal's modern buildings and culture. We took a ride up in the city lift, and hopped on a tram too.
The best story was about Portugal's last official King. Young, unmarried and childless, Sebastian got it in his head to go off to war in Northern Africa and got himself lost, imprisoned, but probably killed. This left Portugal without an heir, so his Spanish uncle invited himself over. The Spanish then ruled until Portugal finally gained independance and became a republic. Apparantly though, the Portuguese are still waiting for Sebastian to come home. His statue is outside the main train station.
At one stage on of the other ladies on the tour got pick-pocketed, and lost €250 and her credit card. Incredible. A real life crime - much better than a Spy Tour! We consoled the tour guide with the story of our Turkish tour guide, who actually had a client die on her tour. Rita was able to put the pick-pocket incident in perspective.
There were also two young girls from a local high school doing a Tourism assignment (due, of course, in 2 days). They asked us, plus the other tourists, some questions for their project on the Lisboa Walkers company.
Oh, and Mark, I tried a custard tart. Now, as many know, I am quite partial to anything with custard in it, but these tarts, famous in Lisbon as they are, were simply average. A Beechworth BeeSting still wins hands down!
