Continued:-

We enjoyed two of those custard tarts with an espresso coffee.  We were happy to head back to the apartment after buying some freshly baked buns and some wine for a muchly needed rest after a day of walking.
 
On Saturday, we took a bus downtown where we climbed an incredible number of steps to reach Castle Sao Jorge which was built in the 5th century and afforded an incredible view over the city and the Tejo River.  We were amazed at the congestion of the city and, again, no detached houses in sight and no grass - only cobbled courtyards.  In most cases, businesses were operated on the ground floor whilst apartment were cituated on the floors above.  Because we were seniors, our entrance was free instead of 5 Euros a person.  There are some advantages in getting older!  We had a couple of rides on Tram 28 renowned for its interesting cross city ride through Graca, plunging down to Alfama to the Baixa and up to Prazeres.  It's a rough ride, but pretty exciting as the tram all but touches buildings en route. 
 
On Sunday, we rode the train to Caiscais, Lisbon's most accessible coastline.  The train ride was gret, but our excitement soon waned as the rain poured down on us and the wind whipped our umbrellas inside out.  We did enjoy a 20 minute stroll between Estoril nd Caiscais, and did note that both resorts cater shamelessly to the British tourists with pub names such as Beefeater and Chequers.
 
It seems this internet will only allow me to type a certain amount, and then no more.  We walked to the centre of the city called the Baixa area where many of the streets are pedestrianized with shops, bars and restaurants lining both sides.  The focus for this area is the Praco do Comercio, a square centred on a statue of Dom Jose and facing the Riverfront.  We experienced  ride in one of the city's elevadores, the Santa Justa, an extraordinary structure built in 1902 by a disciple of Eiffel.  It whisked us up a straight 32M and deposited us on a platform with mgnificent views of the city in the Bairro Alto district.  We descended on the Elevadore de Gloria to locate the railway station, Rosso and get directions to the central bus station.
 
On Tuesday, we took the train from Rosso Station to Sintra, a 40 minute ride - price per ticket approximtely $2.47.  Sintra is a beautiful hilltop town and a Unesco Heritge Site, boasting two of Portugal's most extraordinary palaces.  We visited one of them - Palicio da Pena - built in the 1840's -  magical place with domes, towers, rmprts and walkways.  The interior rooms are decorated in the Manueline style and lavishly furnished and preserved exactly as it was left by the Royal Family in 1910 when it fled Portugal.  Will send another report in about a week's time.
 
Take care one and all.
Talk to you from the Algarve

Hi family and friends
Cherrrill and I have decided to combine our e-mail groups because it saves us time on the computer.  Anyway, we are happily married and having the same experiences so why duplicate our writing.  Besides, we want to see the sites rather than spend too much time in noisy internet cafes trying to use keyboards that are somewhat different from those at home.  Hope no one minds.
 
A couple of days ago we went into the Alfama district of Lisbon.  This is the oldest part of the city and it is built like an old Arab town.  Lots of steps up and down which are tricky to walk when you get to our age but still interesting.  We had lunch in a cafe right in the center of the Alfama district.  As we sat outside in our short sleeved shirts and enjoyed the warmth of the sun we found it rather amusing that the Winnipeg Free Press website said it was suppose to be -49 degrees celsius considering the wind factor that very night.  We Canadians sure are a tough bunch.  After our hour and half lunch we went into the Fado Museum.  Fado is Portuguese traditional music that features songs from the heart and are generally very sad.  You know, lost loves, bad luck and general sadness in life.  We bought a couple of CDs in the museum.  One of the singers we bought was Carlos Do Carmo who is currently a super star of Fado music.  Cherrill also bought a CD by a female singer named Amalia Rodrigues who has an unbelievable voice.  She is accompanied by guitar and I just love her voice.  By the way we say a concert by Carlos Do Carmo on Portuguese TV.  He can really sing and has a natural talent.
 
Both of us love seeing Portugal.  It is very different from Manitoba where we come from.  The country is very tourist friendly.  They do not hassle you like they do in Vietnam, Egypt or Indonesia.  The waiters do not want tips.  Compare that to Canada.  The profession people in government and business mostly wear suits and ties.  The young women are "dressed to kill".  They do not have that style that is popular in Canada now......... pants cut off just below the knees and the bare midriff showing.  I have yet to see one person in Portugal wearing those awful cotton flannel gyp clothes that you see people wearing in Winnipeg.  Everyone is smartly dressed here.  They seem to walk slower and enjoy life a lot more than we do.  They use cell phones all the time but there are no drive through coffee shops.  People here drink expresso which is much better for you.  We enjoy our daily espresso too because you can walk all day and seldom do you need to use a washroom.
 
Yesterday, I dropped a memory card while pulling out my apartment key.  A kind lady picked it up and gave it to me.  I came close to losing 125 photos.  That day we took the subway and bus to the town of Fatima which is 90 minutes away from Lisbon.  This is the place where the Virgin Mary was suppose to appear to 3 peasant children in 1917.  Today is a huge drawing card with parking space so huge it would make Disney World jealous.  We saw the church, the graves of the 2 small children and the huge new monster church that opened up very recently.  The place has special value to those who believe.  On the way back we could see the longest bridge in Europe.  It is almost 18 km long and cross the Tejo River.
 
Last night we had some fun.  Johnny tried to fix the switch on the heat radiator and it short circuited.  We had no power in our apartment but, eventually, it was fixed by Mrs. Narcissa who takes care of the apartment.  The panel box was hidden behind a painting and took a long time to find.  Johnny promises not to fix electrical things in Europe anymore!!  He will, however, continue to clean out sinks.
 
Today is a beautiful, sunny day.  We are going to take the ferry to the south shore of the Tejo River.  There, we hope to climb the high cross which is similar to the one in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.  Tomorrow, we are leaving Lisbon for the Algarve.
 
Thank you for reading and remember - Spring is coming!!

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