April 28, 2024 2nd day Lisbon, Portugal, 7 days left of 138 days

 We stayed overnight in Lisbon. The staff is very happy, as they have not had an overnight in a while, and they like to go out together and party. We expect some sleep deprived staff this morning.

This morning our Cabin steward Edison also left the ship. We said our goodbyes several times over the last weeks. He and his wife will enjoy a month of resting up before Edison will be taking another contract. They usually get 2 months off, but Edison says they are short of employees in his level, so he has to meet his new ship in a month. He and his wife will not be on the same ship next contract. That is extra tough. The staff on the ship is the best. They all will do almost anything to make us happy, and they all do it with a smile. 

This is some buildings in Lisbon as we travel through the city to our first stop. Today we are visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites around Lisbon.

This is our first stop, and why it helps to have someone planning these visits for us. The site has just opened for the day, and look at the lines of people waiting to enter. We have a priority passes, so we avoided most of this line. This is Jeronimos Monastery and cloisters. This is Manueline architecture noted for its richly sculpted stonework. This represents work done between the 14th and 16th centuries. This is even before Columbus came to America, and made America known to Europeans.

The sculpted stonework is impressive, but so are the heavy wood doors.

This is a carved stone ceiling. I can't remember ever seeing something like this. The amount of detail in every part of the church and cloister let you see the amount of hours, days, weeks, years, and centuries to build these buildings.

The Monks who entered here, never left the walls of the building. Their only contact with the outside came when they entered a room to hear confession. Parishioners would enter from the other side, and never would the two meet.

There were amazing sights from every angle, and around every corner you turned.

These buildings are constantly under restoration, or preservation. Here are pieces that have been removed or fallen off. Sometimes they will attempt to copy, other times they restore. It is a puzzle.

The lion is in statues, pictures, and tapestries. There is a story that a lion entered the monastery where St. Jerome resided, causing his fellow monks to flee, but Jerome recognized that the beast was injured and he cured it by removing a thorn from its paw. St. Jerome is known as one of the four doctors of the Church, he lived 341 - 420 AD.

St. Jerome is also known for his translation of the Bible into Latin. Prior to this, people only heard what the Priests read and explained to them. Following the translation they were able to read the Bible for themselves.

Above and below are taken in the monks dining room. It was a large room, and had a secret door to the monks kitchen. I think Mike is looking for his next meal.

Anyone who has come to Europe knows there is a lot of walking. Someone is helping to provide transportation from your car to the church/cloister, or the other nearby attractions. It is a good way to make the horse pay for its upkeep. It also provides a great picture.

This is the Belem Tower, a watchtower built in 1515 to defend the harbor entrance; from here, Portuguese explorers set forth on adventures to new worlds. 

This actually was only part of the protection. There was an exact replica on the other side of the river, and the cannon fire from both towers would stop any ship that tried to get by this area with out paying a toll. The tide was out, so you could walk closer to the tower, but when the tide is in, this tower is surrounded by water.

This sculpture was originally done in wood for the World Fair held in Lisbon in 1998. It deteriorated and was removed, but was so loved it was replaced. It is called the Monument of the Discoveries.

This is to commemorate Gago Coutinho who was an early Portuguese aviation pioneer. He was one of the first pilots to fly across the South Atlantic Ocean. It took 79 days.

I'm surprised Mike didn't try to climb in the cockpit as he loves to fly.

Below are views from our travels across the city

They are very proud of their accomplishments, and explorers. Statues are everywhere. I don't remember who these were for, but they do add to the landscape. Note the area around the statue. They decorate the cobblestone, and I love their creativity. 

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Fountains are also showcased. They love to drink coffee, gather and enjoy their city.

Who wouldn't want to live in an apartment with a tiled front?

Today was a a 6.5 hour tour, we already were cutting it short to get back to the ship on time. Our tour took off late, so we arrived back a little late. We were the last back on the ship, so we left shortly after we boarded.

I am really trying to catch up on my blog, so hang in there I am getting there.