| The morning of the 28th we installed bamboo poles in Jadim de Igreja Matriz to hang our lanterns for Illuminating Site. We came back late afternoon to hang the lanterns, breaking for a brief supper before coming back. When we began the final preparations we realized that the gusty winds and the never before lit candles stubbornly were not cooperating. Of course, a fairly large crowd of towns people were there right on time while Jo and Paul with Telmo were frantically running back and forth with matches and lighters. Finally, after about an hour, all of the lanterns were lit with at least one candle (rather than the three each that had been planned) and some lanterns had to be moved from the original placements to more wind sheltered areas. The installation was beautiful and well-attended by an appreciative audience yet we were left dissatisfied as our original intent wasn't completely fulfilled and, more to the point, we had spent so much time in a panic trying to make it work so we couldn't really relax and enjoy what we had created. The following morning we decided to change our plans and leave for Beja. Jo finished House of Morgado in a Jar and then we took off. We booked a cheap room and, when we got there, we realized that, since we had gone through Booking.com rather than the hotel's web site, they had put us in the worst room in the hotel even though we were the only guests there. |
Open the door room, take a sharp turn up very steep stairs into an attic "maid's quarters". The toilet and the sink were almost touching. As we were the only guests we had to request they turn on the hot water. As it was Sunday there was little open but we thoroughly enjoyed dinner at an open air tapas restaurant where we had plates of octopus salad, frogs legs and linguiça.
We celebrated Jo's birthday on Monday by taking the bus to Lisbon. We were helped buy tickets for the subway to our station and then climbed the steep hills to find our apartment. Unfortunately AirBnB had given us the wrong apartment number and our phone had run out the day before so we were a bit anxious in the lobby while our host was wondering where we were up in the room.
On Tuesday we followed Telmo's recommendation for lunch at Alpendre. We ordered the Seafood and Fish platter for two and were pretty whelmed when it came out - the waiter asked our neighboring party if he could place it on their table - great food for lunch and a full dinner. We really enjoyed people watching near the 8a Craft Beer kiosk....until a gust of wind pick up their large parasol and hit some elderly women sitting on a park bench.
The flight home was very uneventful once we actually got boarded - the US demands multiple, redundant security checks before one gets to the plane. We had extra leg room in our exit row seats. We had zero line through customs - first time ever. A short but unhurried layover to catch the plane to Tallahassee and then an Uber ride with a driver formerly from Venezuela.
We celebrated Jo's birthday on Monday by taking the bus to Lisbon. We were helped buy tickets for the subway to our station and then climbed the steep hills to find our apartment. Unfortunately AirBnB had given us the wrong apartment number and our phone had run out the day before so we were a bit anxious in the lobby while our host was wondering where we were up in the room.
On Tuesday we followed Telmo's recommendation for lunch at Alpendre. We ordered the Seafood and Fish platter for two and were pretty whelmed when it came out - the waiter asked our neighboring party if he could place it on their table - great food for lunch and a full dinner. We really enjoyed people watching near the 8a Craft Beer kiosk....until a gust of wind pick up their large parasol and hit some elderly women sitting on a park bench.
The flight home was very uneventful once we actually got boarded - the US demands multiple, redundant security checks before one gets to the plane. We had extra leg room in our exit row seats. We had zero line through customs - first time ever. A short but unhurried layover to catch the plane to Tallahassee and then an Uber ride with a driver formerly from Venezuela.