October 24, 2022
Exploring Lisbon
Easy Navigating, First by Someone Else and Then Familiar Territory
Why is ending a tour so complicated for me? I love my home and city. I truly can’t imagine a more beautiful place to live. But I feel so blue about leaving Portugal. The fact that today was another amazing day isn’t helping. Still, my philosophy is that it is always better to leave wanting more than to spend the last weeks wishing you were already home.
Full disclosure here, I am writing this journal entry after far too much red wine. We had a fabulous day, believe me. We are ending this trip on the highest of high notes. There were two goals today. To explore Parque Florestal de Monsanto and to visit the maritime museum. We achieved both and more.
After our usual lingering breakfast we took the unloaded bikes out for a spin. I always feel like a winged fairy riding without the bags. The CN led us unerringly towards the park. When we were close, a tour group on bikes magically appeared in front of us and we simply attached ourselves to the back. It was a great move. No more navigating for the CN as our unsuspecting guide led us to the viewpoint at the top of the park. As we were passing a few of his tour participants who were walking up the hills (to be fair, they didn’t have our gearing, this was a fit group) my school teacher spidey sense was a bit concerned. If the tour guide was obsessively counting heads the way I did when I was teaching I was worried he might leave two people behind. No worries though, turns out there was a sweep (he looked so fit and I was wondering why he was so slow) and soon we had a whole tour group of new German friends. It was tremendous fun. We were led unerringly to the top of the park and one of the most unique viewpoints we have ever enjoyed. Thanks so much for welcoming us into the fold, Fredrique and Florian!
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Then came the descent. We followed right along, on a route we probably wouldn’t have taken, with safety in numbers and good company. Down almost to the riverfront we went before we said our goodbyes and took a group shot. What a wonderful and fit group of people. They were headed for goodies in a famous bakery, and much to our delight they had delivered us literally to the door of the Maritime Museum.
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There was a great moment at the museum. Right outside the entry were two men in uniform, looking very official. I assumed they were museum employees. I asked about the best place to lock up the bikes. This completely threw them, and they really were very little help despite doing their best and conferring with each other. They honestly had no idea, and I was thinking that as museum employees they needed some training. Imagine our surprise and amusement when moments later very official black cars (you know the kind of car I mean) rolled up to the door and the important people in them got out to much saluting and hand shaking and fanfare. Seems my museum employees weren’t museum employees at all. They were the top brass welcoming some foreign dignitary. No wonder they weren’t much help with the bike locking issue! They tried so hard too. Makes me giggle to think of it.
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The museum was terrific, and so much information that by the end we couldn’t take any more in. Then another wonderful moment in the day. The railway tracks were between us and our beloved waterfront bike path. We could see a walkway over the tracks and cycled up to it. There was a gaggle of jostling teenage boys approaching the walkway which had lots of stairs. I took one look and asked those teenagers for help. They were great. Carried my bike up and then down again and seemed very pleased to be doing it. I was certainly pleased they did. They were cute as can be. I told Keith there are times in life when being a little old lady has its benefits. He had to manfully manage his own bike while I swanned up and down the stairs unencumbered. Many obrigatas from me to those young men.
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The waterfront bike path is such an asset to Lisbon. We zipped along, stopping one last time at Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries). This time, as it wasn’t busy, I went up to the top to see the views of the humming bridge and more while the CN watched the bikes (okay, the 25 de Abril Bridge, but it will always be the humming bridge to me). Then we zipped to the top of the MAAT Museum for those views too.
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The CN was on a mission though. He wanted to see what caused his near catastrophe yesterday. It was easy to locate the puddle, which he did not ride through this time. Unfortunately it hadn’t evaporated very much, but enough for us to see that there was a manhole cover (or maybe a manhole without a cover) in the middle. Shortly after that we came across another manhole and we could see what probably happened.
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Then it was easy breezy up the bike lane to the hotel. We certainly are impressed with the bike infrastructure in Lisbon. So many bike lanes. If only the pedestrians were a little less clueless about them! You do have to stay alert for tourists and smartphone users cluelessly walking right in front of you. I am getting so used to the e scooters and the incredible skills of the young people riding them I hardly notice them anymore.
After that it was red wine in the room, more with dinner and so much discussion about where to next and when. That dreaming helps with the blues about the end of this trip. We have one more day tomorrow too. We are so fortunate to be doing this and we are so grateful.
Today's ride: 30 km (19 miles)
Total: 1,850 km (1,149 miles)
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