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Tuesday, April
10’th
Exit Porto.
Alfa Pendular back to Lisbon at 11.15. 3 hours later I arrive at Santa Apolonia
train-station and can take a taxi back to my hotel from my first days here –
Residential Florescente. This time I check in at room 208.
Not much
activity today. A small walk around Baixa, the city-center of Lisbon with lots
of shopping-oppportunities. This part of Lisbon was destroyed by the huge
earth-quake in 1755 and rebuild as the worlds first example of townplanning with
streets build in squares, as is now known mainly from American cities. |
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Wednesday,
April 11’th
Another daytrip
today. Metro from Rossio to Cais de Sodre. Train from there to Cascais. It takes
half an hour and costs 1.60 Euro.
Cascais is a wealthy
tourist-mecca at the Tejo-river, almost out at the Atlantic Ocean. There is
plenty of huge houses, some of them almost build like small castles. And there
are expensive hotels as well – places that I will never be able to pay for
staying at – or want to for that matter. But it’s a good place to spend a
relaxing day – watching the life along the piers, walking around the city and
the fine park. It quiet today, but in summer it is packed with tourists. |
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There is a fine
walk along the beach to Estoril. It’s only a couple of km’s away. Estoril is
known for it’s golfcourses, formula-1 track, Casino and a home to spies during
WW2. The idea to the latest James Bond movie – Casino Royal – is said to be
inspired by a visit from Ian Fleming to the Casino in Estoril.
The
Casino opens at 3,
and you can follow the hordes of retired people to the slot-machines. I do play
a little – meaning loose a little at the Casino.
I leave Estoril
at 5.30 and is back in Lisbon at 6. I walk through Baixa from Cais de Sodre. If
you keep away from the shopping-streets, there are some narrow and nice streets
in this neighbourhood as well. A little run down – but nice anyway.
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Thursday, April
12’th
Last day as a
tourist in Portugal. I am heading for Belem about 6 km east of Lisbon Downtown.
One of the cities modern trams – no. 15 – takes you there fro Prace da Figueira.
Belem is a
place with major historic impact on Portugal. This was where the explorers left
from in the old days. The most famous – Vasco da Gama – left from here when he
found the road by sea to India in 1497. |
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There
are 3 sights in Belem. The huge church of
Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, inspired by Vasco da Gama’s trip. The work
on the church began in 1501 and it took 40 years to build it. The
ceiling in the church is remarkable. It’s like planted on top of some
trees made out of stone holding the church. What this have to do with
Vasco da Gama – I don’t really know. |
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Sight 2 is not
that old. The monument is called
Padrao dos Descobrimentos – monument of the explorers – and was built in
1960, to mark the 500 years death of another seafarer Henry the “something I
don’t know”. It looks like an old east-european monument with a tower inside.
You can take a lift to the top and take a look at the fine map in front of the
monument. |
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From here
there’s a small walk to the third sight –
Torre
de Belem. This was built by Manuel I in 1515 to protect Lisbon. It’s very
nice – looks almost like one of the pieces in a chess-game. When it was built it
was in the middle of the river. Now the river is smaller, and it’s right at the
bank.
I spend 5-6
hours out here, before returning to my own neighbourhood. Here there’s time for
a final pizza – and the rest of the day is spend on doing nothing. |
Friday, April
13’th
Bye-bye
Portugal. The trip back home is a little tough, but I have planned it myself so
I’m the only one to blame.
Up at 5 am
where a taxi waits to take me to the airport. Half an hour later I’m at the
airport checking in. I’m still dizzy – so I go to the bar and orders a coffee –
black with milk – well – this is not my day.
Leaving with
KLM at 7.20 – 15. minutes late – and arriving in Amsterdam 3 hours later.
Here I have
planned things so good that I have a 4½ hour wait. I find some good chairs and
get myself a nap.
I’m in Billund
at 5 pm – and the luggage arrives 11 minuttes later. And then I think Billund is
the only airport in the world where you in such a situation is able to catch a
bus at 5.13 – but that’s the way it is, and that’s what I do.
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