Two “sea days”, one manufactured the other for real, have recharged the batteries. Did not realize how much we both needed the down time. In port today in Portugal’s capital and ready to go explore.
Despite 35 years since my last visit, Lisbon looks very much as I remember it. Lovely thing about the Mediterranean is that the basic impression of all their smaller cities, whether Spain, Greece, Italy, France or Portugal, is the same: lovely pastel colored stucco houses/buildings with terra cotta roofs.
We cancelled our “Highlights Tour” of Lisbon on the expectation that we would dock on the waterfront promenade. The bet paid off and we are off ....”
The center part of town is just a few blocks off the cruise pier. We begin walking through the maze of old streets. Lisbon is built, like Rome, among several hills ... in Lisbon’s case, seven. That means that not only do you need to navigate narrow winding cobblestones streets, but a constant up and down hills as well. And they are not small hills. After an hour of walking we decide there has to be a better way than wandering aimlessly. Enter the Tuk-Tuk.
This Tuk-tuk is not your typical moto/carriage hybrid. It is a golf cart ... with a body designed like an old Ford Model T! (OK, I may have chosen the Tuk-tuk just to ride in it).
The driver hawks three possible tours we can take. At this point, we have three hours. We settle on two of the three, mostly old city, that he assures us we can complete in the three hours.
As has been the case in every other port we have trusted just hiring a cabbie for the day. A win/win, he gets a fare for the day, we get a knowledgeable guide to show us what we really need to see. We have learned that cab drivers are far better guides than the licensed guides who do our tours. They KNOW where the best view are, what’s popular, what’s worth seeing and not the tourist board’s agenda. And no captive market!
Over the next three hours we crisscrossed all of the old city, taking in all of the hills. From lookouts where we had panoramic views of the city, to various churches. From old Roman forts, to museums, including Roman ruins.
Hasan kept our attention as he explained what we are seeing rather than the scripted presentation of the usual guides. All too soon, our three hours have flown by and Hasan is dropping us off at the entrance to the cruise terminal.
Once again, something we would never have contemplated before, walking out and hiring a cabbie for a few hours has led to some of the most enjoyable and informative visits we have enjoyed the past seven months.
CK/jk
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