We're nearing the end of our cruise now, and this morning we arrived in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon. Almost 500 miles have passed since we left Lanzarote, and the temperature is noticeably cooler and it was only 18 degrees this morning on arrival.
Overnight, a swell had developed in the Atlantic and there was some movement in the ship in the early hours of the morning. Whilst the pitching and rolling was clearly noticeable, it didn't disrupt our sleep and wasn't comparable to the Force 10 storm we encountered a few years earlier in the Pacific Ocean. The waters calmed as we entered the River Tagus and approached Lisbon, being all fast and alongside by 0800.
Our excursion was scheduled to depart at 1030 and this allowed us to enjoy a relaxing breakfast before alighting the ship. Such was the popularity of this particular excursion, that even when booked in July, the tour departures earlier in the morning had already been fully booked.
Lisbon is reputed to be one of the oldest European capitals, established during Roman times, but evidence seems to suggest it was actually occupied by settlers long before that. The city lies at the mouth of the River Tagus on the western coast of the Iberian peninsula. With around three million people living in the city and its surrounds, Lisbon accounts for over a quarter of Portugal's entire population. The city is divided into a number of districts or bairros, each with its own architectural style, living standards and sub-culture.
We begin our tour of the city and pass by the impressive Praça do Comércio, one of the city's main squares which historically marked the main access point to the River Tagus for seagoing vessels. We're not on the coach for long however, and quickly transfer to our little tramcar, which had been specially reserved for us. Lisbon's tramway system is a pleasing blend of heritage, vintage vehicles combined with a modern light rail operation, all sharing the same track network within the city. Accompanied with a local guide we set off and headed back towards the Baixa district, which is the heart of the city centre. Most of the buildings in this area date from the 18th century, having been constructed after a large earthquake hit the city in 1755 destroying much of the infrastructure.
The tram moved into the historic Alfama district, the oldest in Lisbon, and began to climb up towards the Castle of São Jorge. Unfortunately, on the climb through the narrow, steep and winding streets to the castle, we encountered a lorry which had blown one of its tyres, and was completely blocking the road. The narrowness of the streets meant there was no way for other vehicles to pass, and within a few minutes, it became a scene of traffic chaos. There was virtually no hope of the situation being resolved quickly, and the tram tour had to be abandoned.
On foot, we made our way back to the centre where our coach picked us up, and arrangements were made to salvage the rest of the tour. With the itinerary now being somewhat impromptu, our guide and driver took us around the city and back to the Belém district to view the Torre de Belém – an impressive 16th century tower built on the Tagus to guard the entrance to the city's port. There was short stop for refreshments and photographs before it was time to head back to the ship.
Lisbon is a very beautiful city and we saw many of its impressive and attractive buildings during the tour – too many to mention here! I first visited Lisbon back in 2001, and it's actually much prettier than I remembered it. It's definitely a city we'd return to in future, perhaps for a weekend break.
Departure from Lisbon came shortly after 1630 and Britannia slowly made her west along the River Tagus towards the ocean. The journey takes us under the city's distinctive '25 de Abril' road bridge, and past the statue of Christ the King which resembles the Corcovado monument in Rio de Janeiro. The ship follows the Lisbon coast past the towns of Estoril and Cascais before turning northwards.
Tomorrow, will be our last port of call, in the Spanish city of Vigo, and the ship is expected to dock around 0800.
No comments:
Post a Comment