Jack n Karen's Travel Blog: Lisboa--or Lisbon for all us Americans

We enjoyed our second trip to Lisbon, and because we stayed 4 days, were able to really get in some sightseeing. My pedometer was working "overtime " for us clicking in 15,000-plus steps a day.

We stayed at a wonderful little apartment (through Airbnb) in a very old villa that was remodeled a year ago in "modern Ikea with touches of folk craft" 🤣 After struggling for 1/2 hour with our roller bags on steep, cobbled streets

we ended up hailing a taxi. That cost us $8.00 and the driver dropped us off about 4 blocks away and told us to walk the rest!! The next day we figured out the local bus and made our way around the city just fine!

We explored some areas of old Lisbon that we toured about 5 years ago and most of the buildings and monuments looked the same.

....Except for the missing statue of much loved King Sebastian (who in 1580 at the youthful age of 24 went missing whilst on an ill-fated crusade to Africa leaving no heir to the throne).

This time, the young King went missing just a week ago after a stupid tourist climbed up on the small statue for a selfie picture and the poor King came crashing to the pavement!

We took two side trips to Belem and Sintra.

Belem is at the mouth of the Rio Tejo

Tower of Belem

and was the jumping off spot for Vasco de Gama and his ships during the mighty Portuguese "Age of Discovery" eventually finding the route to India and the fortunes of spices.

Vasco de Gama, although buried here in Belem, actually died in India and we were fortunate to see his Indian grave when we were in Cochin.

Interestingly the globe that decorates his and many other historical buildings,

has a diaganol ribbon that some state that it divides the conquered world in half for Portugal and Spain.

Finally we took the train to Sintra which is a lovely, lush green & very hilly old town full of castles, palaces and estates of the old aristocratic families.