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Come with US on a New Europe Adventure
My Friend that I met on our China Trip is now on his
adventure with his wife: Lets join John and Cherrill
as they travel Europe
Hello
My wife, Cherrill, and I will be leaving on our four month trip to
Europe, visiting Portugal,
Spain, Italy,
Paris and Southern England. We’re
leaving on February 12th and will be back in
Canada on June 18, 2008. Unlike, the young people who
manage to “visit” 10 countries in 14 days, we have chosen to “act our age” and
spend more time at each chosen place. We are travelling independently by train
and bus and will be staying in apartments where we hope to live briefly like the
locals and keep away, as much as possible, from the tourist crowds.
We are hoping to write
reports about our experiences from time to time, and have included you with some
of our family and friends to receive this report via e-mail.
Please let me know if you would prefer not to receive a copy of these
reports. If I don't hear from you, I will include your name with the group who
will receive a copy.
Please feel free to comment on our ramblings and write when you can - we will
check our e-mail from time to time, hopefully, about once a week.
OnTo:-
Lisbon, Portugal
Hi
Just a short note to say that Cherrill and I have arrived in Lisbon last
Wednesday night. Weather has been beautiful at 15 degrees C, but we got some
rain yesterday and this morning. The city is very large, crowded and noisy, but
we are having a great time riding the trams, the fast train and drinking
Portugese wine which is pretty cheap. Will send a report soon.
Love
Johnny
OnTo:-
Hello all
We had snow and blowing snow en route to the Airport from Pelican Harbour. Even
worse when we arrived in Toronto. The flight was delayed one hour as plane had
to be de-iced. Some turbulence en route to London - worse at dinner time. We
arrived in London at 9 AM on Feb. 13th and had a long wait until 3 PM for flight
to Lisbon. Flight delayed until 4:15 PM Weather in London sunny at +12 C -
beautiful! We walked outside the Airport and sat in the sun. Our British Air
flight from London to Lisbon was smooth and uneventful - we both slept some of
the flight.
When we arrived in Lisbon, our baggage was one of the last to reach the carusel
and then we had trouble using the ATM machine. Two hours later, we phoned to
arrange for keys for our flat and arranged a taxi. We're staying in an older
and quaint section of Lisbon in an 18th century building. After a good night's
sleep, we headed out the following morning to explore Santos and Lapa areas of
Lisbon. Many of the outside walls of the older buildings are tiled, sidewalks
re cobbled, laundry hangs from wrought iron, small balconies; we saw no detached
houses, only apartment buildings, very few supermarkets, many bars and
restaurants, no problem finding a pharmacy or hospital, very hilly - many steps,
public transport excellent - trains, trams, buses, streetcars, but still many
cars on the road. We found a small grocery store close by run by a friendly
Portugese man who spoke some English, and were able to buy most of our
self-catering supplies there, including wine for which we paid the equivalent of
about $4.00. In our travels, we found a larger supermarket, more impersonal,
but better stocked.
On the 15th, our first day of touring, we took a tram to Beleme, a popular
maritime suburb of Lisbon from where Vasco da Gama set sail for India in 1497.
We were impressed with the grandeur of the Jeronimos Monastery on which
construction began in 1502 and became Portugal's most successful achievement of
Manueline architecture. It was a place where the soul could soar!! The stone
tomb of Fasco da Gama lies just inside the entrance. The Monument to the
Discoveries, featuring statues of of Henry the Navigator, Vasco da Gama and
other Portugese heroes was erected in 1960. After a visit to the Torre de
Beleme, another World Heritage site, we treated ourselves to a visit to Antiga
Confietaria de Beleme, renowned for their custard tarts with a light puff pastry
crust which they've been selll
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