Category: Travel

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Travel: Lisbon (Day Five & Six)

I believe I played until about 1 a.m. this morning and did not take the time to write, although there are some jottings in my notebook that I may share here.

On this fine New Year’s Day, it is pouring rain, washing the air and the streets, so it has been officially decided by the powers that be that today will be a true Sabbath rest day. Still, yesterday… 18,000 steps took me many places, the first of which was across town to the Cais do Sodré train station, where I boarded the train to Cascais, but got off on the third stop, Belém. (FYI: it is really cheap to take the trains, ferry, buses, etc. I think yesterday’s ride was 1,35€.)

From the station, I walked to my first destination, The Padrão dos Descobrimentos, The Monument to the Discoveries. As with all such sites, it was crowded, but I can only imagine what it would be like during the high tourist season.

The monument (170 feet tall) was originally only a temporary structure with a minimum of material for the 1940 World’s Fair, but twenty years later was reconstructed for permanence. It is Henry the Navigator (Dom Henrique of Portugal, his statue is 26 feet tall) at the front who was responsible for choreographing much of the early Portuguese maritime expansion. Other figures represent princesses, cartographers, clerics, etc., who participated in the expansion work. I took a moment to be in Oklahoma on the map in front of the monument.

A half mile further up the street is the Belém Castle, the Tower of Saint Vincent, built in the 16th century. Its location was originally an island, guarding the entrance of the Tagus River, but the river did what rivers do—changed course—and the castle is now quite near the shore.

I then made my way across the main road/train tracks to see the Imperial Gardens (closed for remodeling) and St. Jeronimos (Jerome) Monastery (closed for the holiday), which was built in 1502. It is epic in size. To be able to walk through those doors would make it all worthwhile.

Then for lunch at Queijadas de Belém where I had a pretty good steak cooked in olive oil and garlic. And, yes, that was an exceptionally generous pour of wine. The espresso following the meal helped me to recover.

From lunch, I found a nearby park and just sat and enjoyed while looking up at this handsome fella. Researching it back at the apartment, I discovered that he is Afonso de Albuquerque, 1st Duke of Goa and Viceroy of Portuguese India. To demonstrate the power he commanded, one hand rests on the hilt of his sword while, with the other hand, he points at the guns under his feet (under his command).

This is where I chose to sit and write for a bit. Choose for yourself…

I’m sitting here thinking about how much/far Christianity has reached and helped the world to discover itself, and now that we have, we turn our backs on this faith. You cannot escape the symbols of Christianity, but like so much of the past—the world has thrown the baby out with the bathwater. It is sinful, but sin is no longer relevant in a world that chooses its own relevancy. It is out of fashion and has been discarded like last season’s dernier cri. We are dying, and we believe we are living.

Who is this man atop this pedestal—a pedestal supported by angels and the waves of the sea? Does his sword save him now, or has he become like us? Dead in shoes, going from place to place with no home or friend beside us. Ah! Now a seagull sits on his head and shits upon it! HA!

Children running in circles in play—aren’t we all.

I don’t know if those are good thoughts, odd thoughts, or no thoughts at all, but having spent my time out and about in this city without access to the internet, voicemail, email, text messages, Facebook, you name it, I have found myself once again thinking on my own and chasing ideas that have no bearing on the grand schemes of the world, but are enjoyable to let bounce inside my head. Enough of that…

The train took me back to my apartment and to the grocery store, which was jammed with holdiday shoppers and included a fight between a customer and store manager (when I say fight, it was more than words!) It was then that I decided to stay home for the rest of the evening. I’ve never been much on participating in these kind of holidays, but then I got hungry. I went in search of sushi (closed) so walked into the nearest restaurant, Taberna Da Baixa… my goodness! Delicious.

For starters, I ordered Bacalao (I didn’t know what it was) and it was… amazing. Bacalao is actually dried and salted codfish which is then rehydrated and combined in other dishes. For the maincourse, I had the Sea Bass. Also amazing, especially when paired with a good wine, which the waitress was kind enough to do for me, because the only thing I really know about wine is whether or not I like it (oh, and how to make it.)

Before
After

The restaurant would only hold about about 30 people and I was the only single person there (New Year’s Eve and all). I must have been an oddity (or made one particular couple nervous) because she took a picture of me and then held it over for her husband(?) to see. He then kept taking these hard glances over his shoulder and staring at me. I have decided to immortalize their odd behavior in a short story. They will not like it if they read it.

I returned home after my meal and then at about ten minutes to midnight said to myself, “Self, you are in Lisbon, Portugal and it is New Year’s Eve. They’re about to shoot off fireworks and celebrate. What are you doing sitting here? Get yo bee-hind moving!” I listened and I cheered with the crowds.

Feliz Ano Novo, meus queridos amigos.

FYI: I had checked schedules for when sites would be open, but they did not account for the holiday. My plan is to return later this week in hopes of getting in.

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Travel: Portugal (wet clothes)

My dear travel adventure readers –

I left you last night anticipating the outcome of my adventures in laundry. I must report a slight failure in this endeavor. It turns out that hanging clothes on a rack in an apartment that dips to the high 50s at night and in a damp climate is not conducive to the drying of clothes. (My Dear Mr. Watson, Is this why we’ve seen peoples’ clothes hanging out for several days? Sherlock, your mind never ceases to amaze me!) So, this morning, I woke up to cold, wet clothes, which left me with a number of options 1) go out in the shirt I slept in and hear my grandmother’s voice all day, “You look like you slept in that shirt.” 2) go out in a wet shirt and hear my grandmother’s voice all day, “You’ll catch your death of cold running around in that wet shirt!” Or 3) find a way to dry the shirt. Option number 3) was the clear winner, but how?

I first hauled out the trusty space heater and had plans to lay the shirt across it and was, in fact, doing so (Sherlock was screaming in the back of my head the entire time) when I read the small print on top of said heater, “NĀO COBRIR.” I’m not sure if that is Portuguese or not, but Google Translate kicked that back as “Not Cover.” Plan B…

Rooting through a bathroom cabinet, I found an industrial hairdryer, so for the last fifteen minutes—had you been looking for me—you would have found me in the bathroom with a hairdryer in one hand and an espresso in the other, patiently drying my clothes. I, at first, felt somewhat guilty about using the electricity in such a way. Still, seeing as I’ve had no use whatsoever for a hairdryer in the last fifteen years… yeah, my carbon footprint in the hairdryer department remains small.

For the record, there was one other point when my grandmother spoke inside my head; it was when I set the hairdryer down in the wet sink (please remember that I’ve been lacking in the hairdryer do’s/don’ts for several years). My grandmother said, “Who are you? Thomas Merton!” I don’t actually know whether my grandmother knew who Thomas Merton was nor the suspicious circumstances of his untimely death, but I got the point and quickly removed the hairdryer from the sink.

My dear friends, I am caffeinated, have dry clothes, am eating a tasty breakfast, drinking one more espresso, and am about to head out on today’s grand adventure. I’ll be back unless I run into that bear…. hmmmm…. maybe the hairdryer in the sink was today’s bear? Sneaky bear.

Today’s adventure…

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Travel: Portugal (Day Four)

Things I want to remember: my dream from last night.

I started early today in search of a church, but they were all closed (I started too early, or they pray later in the day in Lisbon), so I made my way to the ferry that crosses the River Tagus to Cacilhas. It took less than ten minutes to cross.

Initially, I thought I would walk up to the Santuário de Cristo Rei, but when I could not spot it, I opted for a taxi. That was a smart move. It is much further than it looks. When you come out from behind the buildings that line the streets, the statue suddenly looms in front of you.

My first reaction was, “Wow!” My first thought was, ‘I hope there’s an elevator! (There is, except for the last four flights.)

I spent an hour wandering around the grounds, looking up, and seeing the various other works of art, then went for a café and a pastel de nata—a small custard pie—before heading to the top.

It took about an hour in line, but I enjoyed the bronze art (The Ten Commandments on either side of the door) and the main doors (St. John the Baptist holding the lamb, which I had to touch on my way in.) Eu sou a porta is printed above the door—“I am the Door.” Several other pieces of art adorned the walls on the inside, and one, in particular, caught my eye when I realized it was Pope John Paul II.

Up we went in the elevator, the short climb, and… the first thing you’ll notice is the wind! It blows quite strong at the top. Then, you look up. From the ground, the statue appears large, and standing on the platform at the base is not disappointing. The platform is 269 feet, and the figure of Christ is an additional 92 feet.

Images painted on the ceramic tiles at the base of the statue…

And the view…

Just below the statue, a few flights down, is a gift shop and the Chapel of those who trusted in the Heart of Jesus. I stopped for a few minutes to pray before taking the elevator back down.

Pope Benedict XVI offered a Perpetual Plenary Indulgence to all who visited, and I can use all the help I can get!

The Pilgrim’s Prayer:

After another taxi and ferry ride, I was back on the north side of the river. A bit of research last night told me that if I walked a few blocks north, I would come to the Rua Nova do Carvalho (The Pink Street!) Voila! Found it. (This is a complete 180° turn from the Cristo Rei, as this area of town was formally the red light district.) The street will definitely put a smile on your face, as will all the silly, wannabe social influencers (?) posing for pictures.

It was close to 3 p.m., and I had not eaten since an early breakfast, which led to a minor mistake: eating at a restaurant on The Pink Street. I won’t name them (if you don’t have something nice to say…), but don’t make the mistake. So many people are going through that it is impossible to maintain good quality, although, at the end of the meal, the waiter provided me with a glass of a 10-year-old port wine that made me forget about the rest of the meal.

As I was making my way back to the apartment, I saw everyone facing me and taking pictures, so I turned, and there was one of the iconic Lisbon buildings: Elevador de Santa Justa. Too many things I read said, ‘Don’t waste your time or money riding the elevator to the top,’ but it was still fun to see.

I’m back at the apartment, and this evening’s festivities are a bit more domestic: laundry.

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. During the day, I plan to take a train to Belém, about 30 minutes west, and tomorrow night—if I’m up for the crowds—fireworks on the river. Keep you posted.

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Travel: Portugal (Day Three)

Yes, I posted earlier today but decided I needed at least one early night because who knows what New Year’s weekend will bring in this city. Let’s begin with the lights. Disclaimer: I have not found them all but I will continue to look.

I was standing next to the Christmas tree at a few minutes to six and thought it would surely come on at six. It did, and everyone in the square cheered. You had to smile.

I discovered more lights as I wandered the streets, but I haven’t yet found the street lined with jellyfish. I will keep searching. (Now that I think of it, I haven’t come across the pink street either! that will definitely be an intentional search because I don’t think you’re allowed to come to Lisbon without seeing it.) Some additional lights, and they are spectacular.

The restaurant I was having supper at did not open until 6:30 p.m., so I wandered about for a bit and came across a church (no pictures because…) that I did not expect. I went inside, and there was a service of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament underway. It was the time leading up to the prayers, and I had the opportunity to sit in peace with a dozen or so worshippers. I would have stayed, but the stupid cough kicked in, and I did not want to disturb folks. I will return at another time because the church was lovely (as was the service!) and I would like to spend more time there.

Supper: now, all you people who can’t stand my canned mackerel… don’t freak out! because it was so very good! It began with fresh oysters on the half-shell, followed by…

It was soooo amazing—octopus (when in Portugal). I’ve had octopus sushi style, which is definitely “chewy,” but this was so tender—served over pureed sweet potatoes, with an olive oil, tomato, onion, and other lovely goodness sauce. Had it with some sparking water and a nice red wine. Desert was ridiculous: Baixmar Floating Island—this was two scoops of a dense merangue ‘floating’ in a heavy vanilla creme. Lord, help us all. Had it with a nice flamed brandy and followed that up with an exceptional heavy port wine. People. People. People. When in Lisbon, please go to BaixaMar Lisboa for dinner. The service and the food were exceptional and you don’t have to order the octopus (although you should!)

RANDOM THINGS….

Remember how Florence and Rome were about not forgetting to look up? Lisbon is about not forgetting to look down. Every sidewalk is made of tiles…

Someone was making hundreds of bubbles, and the children were delighted. Some strange old guy taking pictures was also.

Everyone loves a giant Panda.

And at the beginning of the evening was sunset, looking out across the river toward Cristo Rei and the Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge.

I’ll be taking the ferry across the river tomorrow to visit the Cristo Rei.

Bênçãos para todos vocês.

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Travel: Portugal (Day Two)

I did not make my evening post yesterday, but this being a vacation and all… yeah.

Day two was remarkable. I was able to get out and begin to discover the city and the food. When I left the apartment, I was on a mission that brought me here…

The Arco da Rua Augusta located on the banks of the Tagus River. The far shore was enshrouded in fog, so you get the artistic shot of the day.

From here, I followed the river banks and then turned into the city toward Se Cathedral of Lisbon, which—from the outside—resembles more of a castle than a church.

Over the years—it was built in the 12th century!!—it has suffered damage from several earthquakes, but each time, the people of Lisbon work to restore its beauty. So far, the churches in Lisbon are far more austere than those of Florence and Rome. In their architecture and appointments, they indicate strength. They are definitely places the crusaders would have felt at home. Inside is quite the same, with many side chapels adorned and beautiful statues. I plan to attend church here on Sunday.

Dear Altar Guild – Wondering if you could hook a brother up (just don’t tell the Bishop!) This is the dressing chamber of the Patriarch.

Finally, the view from outside on the ledge below the rose window.

The tour of the cathedral is said to take 40 minutes… well, after spending two and a half hours poking around every corner, I was hungry. I wandered the streets near the cathedral and found Restaurante Ruca, which instead of being filled with tourists, was filled with locals. Began with a creamy seafood soup, followed by baked cod, new potatoes, and cabbage. I had the meal with sparkling water, a nice glass of port wine, and finished with an expresso.

After lunch, it was time for another church: Igreja Sao Domingos, Church of St. Dominic. Work on the church began in 1241 and was completed in 1748. It is a church of great history and great tragedy. Between various earthquakes and a massive fire in 1959, it is a miracle that it is still standing. It is beautiful, just the same.

I was a few “Hail Marys” away from finishing my Rosary when I had a coughing spell and had to leave. It is distant, but you can still smell the smoke from the fire, and there is still evidence of those flames. Touch the door, and your hand will come away black.

From here, I made my way back to the apartment and had plans for a light supper and then back out to experience the lights, but then I met a Sikh. In this case, Sandeep (I believe I have his name correct) is the Sikh I met at the Deep Ink Zone Tattoo only a few steps from my apartment. I asked if I could set up an appointment and was told, “How about tonight?” For eight hours, my Sikh friend never lost focus. It was 4 a.m. when I finished up, so I will be out seeing the lights tonight.

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Travel: Portugal (Day One a.m.)

I began my travels at 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning. I arrived at the VRBO twenty-eight hours later. I’m pretty sure day one would have gone much better if I had been able to sleep on any of the three flights, but as it was… barely a wink.

My first flight was delayed by an hour, but that was OK. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out why they had be go to Salt Lake City and then to Rome, instead of flying east, but as it turns out… we’ll just call it providence. Last I heard, because of the winter storm “bomb”, there were over 1,400 flights cancelled. Salt Lake had to wait for a plane to arrive, but otherwise, I flew over all the mess below. Here’s a shot flying over the Rockies and then another of Mormon Central as I landed in Salt Lake. (I can never get good pics looking out a plane window.)

After a few hours, I caught the flight to Rome, which was a little over nine hours. Not much to report there. Listened to a book, watched a movie, and stared into space (while trying to sleep.) I looked for the Eiffel Tower as I was flying into Rome, but maybe it’s not lit up at 1 a.m. Maybe you can find in the photo below.

I searched for some M&Ms while in Rome, but it appears to be an M&M free zone, so I had to settle for some of the finest chocolate I’ve ever put in my mouth. When in the Rome airport, if you need something to cheer you up a bit, I can highly recommend this. You won’t be disappointed.

After another short delay due to weather, it was time for the final leg of the travels. Below is you’ll see the coastline of Portugal and a quick shot I took of the Cristo Rei. I’ll take the ferry across the Tagus River and see it proper… probably a day trip. Look at the clouds rolling over… so pretty.

And then there was Lisbon…

For the next two hours, I thought I had made a terrible mistake by trying this on my own. I got seriously lost. Fortunately I was not conscripted by the Russain army.

I’m not sure if it is Google Maps not working well here or cellular data not so good, either way… I took the right subway out of the airport, but then missed the connecting stop. I did not know there was a connecting stop, so I rode awhile. I apparently looked lost because a very kind lady told me it was the end of the line. I said, “Thank you,” and got off instead of riding back and starting again. I thought, ‘Hey. Google Maps will get me where I need to go.’ It did not.

I wandered for about an hour and a half trying to figure things out. I called my carrier, attempting to get data working. I ended up aimlessly walking about. Keep in mind that I’m on about twenty-six hours and no sleep and haven’t had anything to eat in quite some time. I could not reach my host (he actually had emailed me instructions, but… yep… no data!)

I eventually found a policeman—he did not speak English, and I did not see a name badge that I recognized, but if I gave him a name, it would be Angel. I explained my situation, and he listened. I showed him the hotel name where I was to meet my host. I asked/mimed if he could walk, and he said, “No.” The wrong train had gotten me about six miles from where I was supposed to be. Ugh. He was trying to direct me back to the proper subway, but my only word was, “Taxi.” Angel walked me to a main street, flagged me a cab, told the driver where I needed to go, and stayed until I was off. Thank you, Angel.

Fifteen minutes later, I was deposited in front of the meeting place, and twenty minutes later, I met my host, Andre Fonesca. Andre has hooked me up with a fantastic apartment and helped me to learn how to get around. He has provided maps, places to see, etc. I don’t have access to Google Maps, but Andre gave me great confidence to head out and see this beautiful city. It isn’t all that difficult to get around once you’ve got the lay of the land, and if all else fails, I’ll call a cab and be set.

Last night, I slept thirteen hours. At some point, a young couple got into it for a bit, but they didn’t bother me. It was cool, and then it started to rain. With the windows open, it doesn’t get much better.

Andre told me that the cruise ships arrive in the mornings and drive around with about fifteen busloads of folks, so it is best to go to some of the more popular places after lunch. That works for me because I really want to see this city at night. They have such amazing lights throughout.

For now, I’m signing off, but I will update you all this evening. With my trusty map, I’m headed out…

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Travel: Portugal (Day Minus One)

Every trip must begin somewhere, and this one begins in a hotel room in OKC. I’m making a few notes in the journal and trying to see how long I can make a bag of M&Ms last (based on the current consumption rate, it is not very long.)

As it is Christmas Day, everything is closed, including the restaurant and bar in the hotel, so I had a turkey sandwich from the snack area and it’ll do just fine. Glad that folks can be home with their families. (FYI… the M&Ms are gone.)

The current adventure begins bright and early tomorrow morning. OKC to Salt Lake City to Rome to Lisbon. This time tomorrow I should be close to crossing the US coastline and over the Atlantic. Most of the trip will be spent in Lisbon, but I do have a few day excursions, one of which will take me to Fatima. There are so many other things to see that I won’t try and list them here, so follow along and I’ll share the journey with you.

This is my first adventure like this alone and I’ve only been on one other, so if you get a call from me and I’ve somehow been conscripted into the Russian army, then you’ll know that I made a wrong turn somewhere.

For now… Feliz Natal! e Adeus.

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Travel: Italy (Days Thirteen and Fourteen)

Yesterday began with a walk the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia (Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Rome) a Roman Catholic Church with Mass in English. When in Rome… yeah. The liturgy was beautiful and the sermon was fine.

Following the service they had announcements and I thought they were talking about a service in the church (my Italian is still zero), but Heidi kept asking if I wanted to go. I said I was fine either way, but she kept insisting, so I eventually said I was good with it if they wanted to attend. This is when she said, “John, the Pope is going to bless the crowd and religious objects. Don’t you want to go?” Well, DUH! Mark another one up for bad hearing, but you couldn’t have stopped me at that point. We stood in the sun in St. Peter’s Square for over an hour and when he arrived, he was a little white speck in a window six stories up, but it was Pope Francis and I was there. The icing on the cake of this entire trip, which has been remarkable.

I scoured the YouTube video of the service and found myself, Heidi and Scott on Vatican TV.

From there, after a quick bite of lunch, we made our way to the Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran. Long name for a significant church. It was the first Vatican and the original church was built in the late 4th century. These churches that are off the main tourist routes are generally not very crowded, but are definitely worth the time to seek out.

We were looking for one more church, but it was closed when we found it, so we made our way back home and got cleaned up for supper.

Supper: I’ve never been to a Michelin rated restaurant until last night and did not know what it meant until I Googled it. Bottom line: really great food, service, and atmosphere. I would say that the Casa Coppelle met all the requirments.

Scott and Heidi

On the way back to the apartment we strolled through Piazza Navona where a street musician was doing a fine job of some old Pink Floyd tunes. It was lights out after this.

Today is our last full day in Rome/Italy, so we made a few necessary stops picking up items that were being altered, took our pre-flight COVID tests (we’re all negative…yay!), and had one final meal at Mimi & Coco, which is only a few blocks from the apartment. A truly fantastic place to eat.

Now it is time to pack and get ready for the trip home. We leave for the airport at 8 a.m.

Of all that I’ve seen, the one image that has stayed with me is one that was painted on the ceiling in the Hall of Constantine in one of the first Papal apartments: The Triumph of Christianity by Tommaso Laureti. It was completed in 1582. Perhaps I’m supposed to be more humble, but this painting makes me feel proud and alive and with great purpose. Anything we decide to put on that pedestal other than Christ Jesus and Him crucified will be broken.

I hope you all have enjoyed my little travel blog and seeing a few of the sights. I look forward to reconnecting with you all when I’m on the other side of the pond.

Blessings,

J+

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