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<\/a><\/p>\nOur taxi from the airport dropped us off at one of end the nearest larger street (meaning one small car could navigate, and clearly he wasn’t will to do it). \u00a0We walked a ways up this street (up<\/em> being the operative word here!)….and then we began walking steeply up a trail of narrow cobbles and steep steps to our terrace. \u00a0But what a reward at the end!<\/p>\n Each morning we have been walking down from our high perch to have coffee and pastry at Alfacinho coffee shop which has good internet. \u00a0The coffee everywhere here is delightful. \u00a0I don’t know why we cannot get better coffee in the US! \u00a0And the traditional sweet pastry is delicious!<\/p>\n There is so much to do here that it feels somewhat stressful making sure we see all the “important” sites. \u00a0So we have tried our best! \u00a0The well known tile museum, and of course the Gulbenkian, and both were as impressive as we could hope! \u00a0But the best part of being here is walking the tiny medieval streets, listening to Portuguese, looking at the views!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the first day we chose sites that were within walking distance, and we walked a total of 8.5 miles. \u00a0I slept really deeply that night! \u00a0The next day we tackled learning the metro system and headed for the central part of the city, where we found a bank and the long walk uphill through the park to the Gulbenkian Museum. \u00a0Aside from most places NOT taking our Visa card, everything is going really smoothly. \u00a0We are a long metro from a bank, and of course there are limits on what you can withdraw each day…..so living on cash is going to be a bit dicey! \u00a0And who knows if there will even be banks in the smaller towns.<\/p>\n We went to the Castelo San Jorge, which (naturally!) is on a high bit of land where it could be well defended. \u00a0It was originally a fortress built by the visigoths, and then later acquired its current name. \u00a0Portuguese certainly know how to relax…. there are cafes everywhere, and in fact, at the castle there was even a wine cart, where we bought two glasses of wine and and sat on the parapets enjoying the immense 360 degree views of all Lisbon. \u00a0The city has sprawled out over a number of hills that rise up from the Atlantic and the Tagus river. \u00a0Walking anywhere involves much steep ups and downs…..feels like mostly up no matter which direction we head! \u00a0How can everything be uphill in both directions??<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There were falcons and owls inside the castle, and a group of trainers who worked with the birds. \u00a0You could even pay to have your photo taken with one of the birds. \u00a0At one point a trainer let one of the owls fly about. \u00a0The owl was quite reluctant to come back, and after quite a long time the owl was still flying about the courtyard.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n