The Holy Trinity

A 6am alarm, a 7am departure into the dark streets and past yesterday's crane and we arrived at the bus station for our bus to Lisbon.

After the 1 and a quarter hour ride, we found the Metro across the road, got tickets, found the platform and in 15 minutes were at Santa Apolónia station. We couldn't check in until later so we headed for the luggage storage. Luckily our hill training from previous gradient-loaded days assisted a bit. Lisbon seems considerably hillier and steeper than all the other places. The walk was a struggle, the tiny cobblestones don't help and small streets aided the misery. However, our destination was right at the start of a market.

Coincidence? Probably. It was deceptive in its size. It went on forever downhill and then forever uphill. Did I need a Donovan LP? It's too late to ask that now. But boys and girls, I have always maintained that 2nd hand record sales must always contain a Harry Secombe, James Last or Richard Clayderman album. Be still my beating heart.

With our accommodation checkin many hours away, we explored the bottom of the hill. It's Saturday and there are 3 cruise ships in. Lisbon is packed.

After that, all roads led to up. Churches were seen, much Coke was consumed, the calf muscles were so sore that my knee wasn't hurting as much. 

Bags collected, we headed up again, our bags feeling very heavy, hopefully through gravity on the bumpy, windy, narrow streets. 

Once at our new home, we tried the lift that may just have been the prototype for the first elevator (photo is sure to follow).

We found the local grocery store (yes it was uphill), put our frozen fries in the airfryer for 10 minutes until we realised that it doesn't work, and sat down for an Aussie chips, bbq chicken with peas and carrots while watching Australian Taskmaster season 2. Yep, I could have done this in Wattle Grove without the hills and a working airfryer.

Footnote: There is also an oven here. We didn't eat them frozen. The tomato sauce accompaniment was purchased in Porto on day 2 of our adventure and has lovingly been transported from city to city with us. Alas, Lisbon will be its final resting place.

That one day

Every holiday, there comes that one time when I have to figure out for myself how to get from A to B and back again.

We will get to that later.

No hurry to get anywhere in particular today so we wandered the streets, checked out some shops and most importantly, found the missing ceramic statues we had yet to find. The monkeys were the hardest. They were hidden in trees. Who knew?

For the last and 7th time, Lidl, our go to food shop when in wherever we are, was visited. Tomorrow's lunch, snacks and today's lunch were purchased and we headed home for our midday rest.

With 2 phones, 1 European sim card, and 1 person's desire to visit a museum, I was left with a paper map and the name of a record store in my head. Annette had circled Lidl and the name of the store (at my request).

My navigational skills usually relate to the whereabouts of golf courses, golf shops and shops that sell chocolate covered nuts.

I have purchased said nuts from Lidl so that was my starting point. 

Now if I was a map maker or cartographer (you choose), I would make it obvious that the street, that someone needing to get to from the roundabout near Lidl, to Silver Tentacles record shop was actually coming out of the roundabout, and not 100 metres further down the road. An Artist's impression of a map is not what I need. Accuracy is the key.

Had I known that I just needed to walk down the road with the massive crane in the middle of the street, there would have been no problems.

As stated, the last of the ceramic figures was found this morning. The crane mentioned was of the lifting heavy stuff kind.

With money running low, we thought we would keep it going in that direction. 

Pizza for me of the honey with figs kind while Annette went for the crab ù

tortelli and a plate that almost didn't fit on the table. It cost a lot more than the usual home cooked meal. 

Back home to clean and pack for an early start tomorrow.

Blue for you

For those of you familiar with the Status Quo album, Blue for You, from 1976, this post is not about it.

The best two songs are Is There A Better Way and of course their classic Rain.

Seeing Francis Rossi wearing a denim waistcoat is one of the most 70's thing ever, but as I said, this post isn't about the album.

Since we sold our house, picked our land and visited the offices of McDonald Jones for our house design, one of the main priorities has been the colour of the kitchen. At one point last year while travelling in a car through a French village, the desired Kitchen Blue was spotted. Alas, no photo. Since that moment, the search has continued and every day in Portugal my eagle eyes are looking and quite often "Is that the blue?" comes out of my mouth.

Today, after we caught the replacement trackwork bus for a day trip, I quickly realised how many different shades of blue the village of Óbidos contained.

It was a long, slow walk with many shops to be seen. 

We walked the city wall, being careful not to die by falling in the process,

found a sub par lunch,

and caught a bus back to town. Ribs and salad from Lidl are in the fridge, Annette is sleeping and I give thanks that my back is feeling good today.

I also give thanks to YouTube for their ability to be seen worldwide as Portuguese TV is of no interest to me.

Ribs Du Jour