This is a view from a hilltop in the old section of Lisbon. The view is out over the ocean (in case you couldn’t tell what that watery stuff was!) You can tell from the picture how narrow and twisty the streets below are!
This is a monument to the Portuguese explorers. It’s at the base of a tower that you can go up in for some great views.
Some of the archways in Jeronimos Monastery in the Belem district of Lisbon. Gorgeous building, though outside were lots of persistent vendors. This was a touristy area, but worth the visit.
I stayed in the older part of town. This is the immense 800-year-old church there. The buildings were too close to get an overall picture anywhere. I saw a funeral procession walking down the street – I wanted to take a picture but felt it’d be disrespectful. After it left, I walked around the elaborate cemetery. I saw some stones with one of my family names, but they all were decorated with crosses.
This is the tomb of Vasco da Gama (they think – I don’t know why they don’t know!) in the Jeronimos Monastery. It’s matched with the tomb of a Portuguese poet. Spain and Portugal both seem to honor their men of literature.
Olive groves are everywhere! I took a break for a picnic lunch in one of them.
I spent a night here, a quiet little town in the southeast of Portugal. The hotel I stayed at was near the outskirts of town by a residential area. I did a little strolling around the neighborhood – the houses were cool – very modern.