Sunday, 5 May 2013

Oriana - Day 21 Lisbon and final port on this cruise.


Day 21 Lisbon - our final stop

Well, our hopes were realised and the day dawned bright but cold. We woke up as we started the turn into the Tagus River and got up on deck for the sail past the Belem Tower and into Lisbon, berthing at the bottom of the Alfama district where we were last year on Oceana. As Caryll and I have been here many times before we wanted to go to Belem. Neither of us have been there and it looks so interesting. Joyce wanted to stay and potter around the town centre. The Tours Office had told us we needed to get tram no 28 to get to Belem, but I spotted some HoHo buses and we walked over to see their routes and costs. The Yellow Bus did three different routes (including Belem) plus you can use the same ticket on any of the trams and buses. It cost 15 euros so we decided to go that way – a good idea since in fact it was tram no 15 to Belem!




I thought it a good tour and saw a lot of Lisbon I have never seen before, including the prison! We got off the stop by the Monastery of Jeronimos and first went into the Nautical Museum – a fabulous array of ship models and artifacts – mainly naval. Then we went to the Monastery church – one of the most beautiful I have ever seen! Walking across the road and through a large park we got to the Monument of the Discoveries and then walked up to the Belem Tower. I have sailed past some five times and always thought how beautiful it was but up close it looked so tiny! It was then easy to pick up the HoHo bus again and get back to the Praia de Figuera in central Lisbon. Cayll then set off for a potter around the shops and I caught the shuttle back to the ship as I was walked out (or rather my foot was) by then.



After some food and a rest on the prom deck in the sun – once the sun was up the day warmed up a lot and the sky was a cloudless blue – we all met up again for sailaway.  While we were ashore, Fred Olsen’s Braemar had arrived and Caryll and I wanted some photos of her.  Oriana turned round and we headed back under the 25 April Bridge and on our way home.
 
After dinner four of us went to the syndicate quiz but didn’t do any better than the two of us the previous night!

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