Day 25 - Thursday 18th May

Although the options for breakfast were fewer than other hotels we've stayed at recently, there was still enough to have a good meal. Today we had to be on the bus at 8:30am.

The first part of today's outing was a tour of Lisbon. We had a special guide for the day called Julia. As the bus drove through various parts of Lisbon, she told us the history of Lisbon and Portugal including the earthquake, fire and tsunami that destroyed the city in 1755.

There were plenty of photo opportunities along the way. The bus stopped at a riverside location so we could take more photos and have a bathroom break. The photos were successful but the bathroom break wasn't. The water in the district had been turned off and so all the toilets were closed.

Instead we had a bathroom stop at the next destination near the cathedral. A surprise bonus of going to this cafeteria was that there was a museum for old planes at the rear of the cafeteria.

The cathedral was very crowded but it was well worthwhile because it is beautiful inside.

After the cathedral visit, there was an optional tour to the Portuguese coast. The bus dropped others back at the hotel and then headed to the coast and then north. This area is often referred to as the Portuguese Riviera.

The coastline has many beaches with golden sand but there were few swimmers. Much of the area is rocky and there were strong winds blowing off the sea. Apparently the winds are common which help to explain the low scrub rather than tall trees.

For lunch, we stopped at a delightful beachside town called Cascais. Our tour director told us that this is a town for the rich and famous. It has cute shops and restaurants and well-kept gardens.What's more, the weather was beautifully warm and sunny.

Together with Barbara and Russell, we walked down the main street looking for somewhere to have lunch and eventually decided on a bakery shop. Just what we needed. Then we strolled down to the beach and along nearby shopping streets.

After lunch, we continued our trip heading north along the coast. At one stage, we stopped to take photos of headland called Cape Rock which apparently is the most westerly point in continental Europe.

The route took us along windy roads in an area called Sintra until we reached the Queluz Palace. This palace was built in the 18th century and was the home of royalty. It is a large palace with large gardens.

First we had a guided tour inside the palace where we admired the large rooms, tall domed ceilings, artwork, chandeliers and other architectural features. Then we went outside to admire the gardens, statues and water features.

As it turned out, we were now not far from Lisbon. We must have been travelling around a circular loop. It only took about 15 minutes to get back to our hotel in Lisbon..

For our evening outing, the bus picked us up at 6:40pm and took us to a dinner and show at Cafe Luso. The restaurant has stone arches - lots of atmosphere. After dinner, there was music from a band and singers.

The evening was most enjoyable. On the way way back to the hotel, our bus group sang to the music played by the bus speakers.

We were too tired for a night cap and we went straight up to our room to go to bed.