When we landed at the Lisbon Airport we boarded buses and were wisked off to Sintra...a small town nestled in the Sintra Mt. It was morning of the day after we left...so a bit of sleep was needed to catch ourselves up. The evening we had a get acquainted party and dinner... there were 48 in our group.
After dinnerClick Dick, Marie, John and I ventured out onto the street for a stroll. The streets come alive in Sintra about 10 p.m. We found a quaint little sidewalk cafe and sat sipping cerveja and watched the activities around us. The waiter told us that Steven Speilberg developed the idea for Jurassic Park sitting in the corner of that cafe.
The next morning John hired a horse and carriage to take us around the town of Sintra. It was a great way to see the town at a leisurely pace winding through the streets and having the points of interest pointed out to us by the driver. The royal families summered in Sintra. Several palaces are in Sintra as well as many large manners that were owned by noble families. We felt like a royal couple being driven through the streets.
After our carriage ride we lunched at the Tivoli Hotel...where we were staying...with Lillian and Griff. Griff is Hawaiian Portuguese.
We boarded the bus, after lunch, and went to the Palace in Queluz.Click It was built by Queen Mary the first. The walls and ceiling were covered with paintings. The paintings are on silk and applied to the walls and ceiling. Unfortunately with time they are deteriorating...restoration is under way trying to preserve them.
The palace is big and many portrait paintings of the royals hang on the walls. Keeping in mind that the artist made the royals look more attractive than they actually were...I can truthfully say the royals were not handsome people. Too much in breeding is my guess. One king they call the bulldog king...guess why?Click
The gardens are kept in beautiful condition and were a delight to stroll through trying to imagine how lovely it must of been in days of old.
We stopped at Estoril and enjoyed a few moments by the ocean.
The next day we were off for our adventure in the north. Bags out early, breakfast, load onto the bus and away we went. We headed for Coimbra.
After dinner in Coimbra, some adventured out to hear the Fado...Coimbra Style. The Fado singers of Coimbra wear black capes similar to the capes worn by the students of the university. John and I opted for an early bedtime.
The next morning bags out early, breakfast, load on the bus and off to explore Coimbra University. It was established in 1290 by King Diniz.
We saw the Biblioteca (library) which holds approximately 300,000 books dating from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.
We continued onto Oporto where we were to spend several nights and was a starting point for the trip down the Douro River.
We boarded a train that would take us along the Douro River. The scenery changed and the landscape was lush green with grapevines. We departed the train and lunched at a Quinta...a large estate owned by the winery...we sipped white port wine and sampled delicious appetizers. Lunch was served in a grand manner. We boarded the train for the rest of the trip down the Douro River and disembarked for the night.
The next morning we boarded a river boat for a leisurely boat ride down the Douro RiverClick. We sipped port wine and enjoyed the sights. Some of us opted to sit on the top deck of the boat where music was playing. Several of the locals got up and started to dance. Of course you know who joined in the dancing...John and I...Soon all the top deck passengers were rock and rolling to the movement of the boat and the music.
A conga line was formed and we partied and laughed and laughed. None of us could speak Portuguese well enough to be understood, but this time we let our feet do the talking. We all had a super time.
The boat passed through two locks and before we knew it the boat trip was over and we were back in Oporto.
We spent two nights in Oporto. It gave us time to do a little washing and get our bearings before we started on our journey north to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
While in Oporto we visited the Port Wine Cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, the Stock Exchange Building, and the Cathedral.
On our way to Spain we stopped in Braga to visit the Shrine of Bom Jesus. The grounds are very well kept and the whole place had a feeling of serenity and a place to contemplate.
We spent two nights in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. We visited a 200 A.D. old Roman Lighthouse.Click The oldest working Roman Lighthouse in existence.
In Conimbriga we visited Roman ruins that pre-date the birth of Christ.Click1Click2
As the bus traveled north I noticed forests of Pine Trees and Eucalyptus Trees. The tour guide told us that the pine and eucalyptus sap is gathered to produce glue which is used in the furniture and the paper industry.
The next leg of our journey took us to Fatima. Going to Fatima is the real reason I went on the trip. I have someone very special to pray for.
The Shrine of Fatima Clickis on the spot where the Blessed Lady appeared, in a tree, to three children. A chapel is erected in the same spot. The chapel is all glass and in the center is an altar and a statue of Our Lady of Fatima sits on the altar. A mass is said every hour of the day in the chapel.
Along the court yard surrounding the chapel is a path...people walk on their knees along the path.Click When they get to the chapel they walk on their knees around the altar in the chapel. Some people carry wax figures of a foot or a leg or a baby...representing what they are praying for. We saw a lady with two wooden legs walking on her knees to the chapel.
I purchased some candles and wanted to place them at the shrine. There were so many candles at the place that it was almost a bonfire. I couldn't reach across the fire to place the candles in the holders. John reached across the fire and placed them for me. He singed his arms doing it. What a sweet guy!
I sat in the chapel and prayed for all my friends and loved ones and the special person I was there for. As I sat there watching the pilgrims walking on their knees I wondered...will my prayer be answered if I sit and pray....will it be answered if I walk on my knees...are all the prayers answered...am I pure enough of heart to have my prayer answered.
At night we returned for the candle light procession. A rosary is recited by the people...about 50 priests are in attendance...they lift the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, on a bed of flowers, and carry it in a procession around the court yard.Click Hundreds of people are there holding lighted candles. I found myself walking towards the statue...my leg didn't hurt and I wasn't using my cane..I just walked towards the statue...I needed to get close to it.
It was a moving experience that will last with me the rest of my life. I believe no one can walk away from Fatima without being touched...."He Touched Me!"
We stopped at the Gothic Monastary in Batala.Click Henry the Navigator and Vasco Da Gama are buried in the church. Tile scenes adorn the walls of the monastary. Click
The last leg of our journey took us to Lisbon. We arrived on my birthday. What a great way to spend my birthday. We went to the Fado House for dinner and entertainment. Three singers sang the Fado. My favorite was Henriqueta Baptista Click.I couldn't understand the words, but I felt the meaning. She made me laugh and cry all at the same time. Dancers also performed and they were terrific...guitarists performed also...they were superb. It was a wonderful 63rd. Birthday.
The next day took us to Expo 98.Click John rented me an electric cart to get around Expo. Click I had a ball zooming around the exhibits. There wasn't a horn on the cart so I had to say beep-beep for people to see me. It was like Moses parting the Red Sea. Arms and legs flying...getting out of my way. Some people cracked up laughing at me...others beeped back at me. HA! Guess they never saw a little old lady who was hell on wheels before.Click
The main exhibits were crowded and the lines were long. John and I opted for the less crowded exhibits. Every exhibit had it's specialness. I especially enjoyed the Bosnia exhibit. It was very small. It had an example of native clothing. The garments was embroidered with gold threads...they were entwined in the most intricate design I have ever seen. It was breathtaking. I wondered about the delicate hands that created such beauty....in a country war torn...an exceptional person created those garments.
Call us stupida if you want....passports were being stamped at each exhibit. I thought they were real passports...so I gave our passports to the lady to stamp...she said no not real passports. She meant the ones that could be purchased at the souvenir store were to be stamped. DUH! We purchased one and have 19 stamps in it. That was a lot of exhibits to see in one day.
Guess what we had for lunch at Expo? Mc Donalds....HA! Click We just had to get a dose of grease before we left Portugal!
The next day was our final day in Portugal. John wanted to find a book at a bookstore so off he went...I stayed at the Hotel Mundial and waited for him to return so we could go shopping for a Portuguese Classical Guitar for our son. The phone rang and it was John...he told me he fell down three flights of stairs and hurt his shoulder and an ambulance was taking him to the hospital. I got the name of the hospital from him. When I hung up the phone I tried to call our tour guide...he speaks Portuguese fluently. There was no answer. Panic started to set in...I wanted to be with John, but I knew I needed help. I kept control of myself and finally reached the tour guide and Paula at the same time. They both went with me to the hospital. John was about to be checked out.
He thought they said he had a dislocated shoulder...they taped his arm to his chest and released him. When we got back to the hotel, John said I need a drink. We went into the bar and had a cerveja.
As we were sipping our beers, a man walked into the bar and purchased two bottles of water. He told the bartender he was the Portuguese Ambassador from Hawaii. As he started to leave I said Aloha to him...he turned and gave me the hang-loose sign. I gave it back to him. He came over to us and asked how we know that sign. I said we were in Hawaii in Feb. and we have friends that work at the Portuguese genealogy Society in Hawaii. He said wait here I will be right back.
He brought his wife in...guess what? We had met her in Hawaii...she works with Sandy and Maxine. We had a delightful afternoon visiting with them. We went half way around the world to meet someone we met in Hawaii. What are the chances of that happening? Pretty terrific!
After visiting with Dolores and Gideon...John asked if we were going to buy the guitar. I said I thought he should rest. He insisted on going and buying the guitar for our son. So, away we went and found a great guitar for him. I hand carried that guitar home for our son and it made it home perfect. He loved it.
John's shoulder is separated...not dislocated. He has been to the specialist...he will always have a lump on his shoulder. If he wants cosmetic surgery he can have the bone sawed off so he won't have the lump. He doesn't think that is a good idea. It will be sore for a few weeks then back to normal. His arm is in a sling. It's his right arm and he is right handed. Guess what is really hard to do with the opposite hand??? HA!
Did I enjoy the trip...YES! Would I do it again...NO! I think we will stay in the USA for awhile. It was an exhausting trip...exciting trip...emotional trip...rewarding trip...
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