30 Lisbon - Sailing in at Midday.

" Look how dirty that church is!, if I had my Karcher, I would be cleaning
those up" she said as she took another drag from here cigarette.

One thing that I will not miss now that we have left the Mediterranean is
the prolific smoking. If you want to enjoy the ambiance of sitting outside
a restaurant it always comes with a side of smoke. A little fore thought is
required when you are choosing your seat, you need to ensure that you are
down wind of the smokers. Unfortunately, today, a group of ladies sat down
beside us and promptly lit up. Sad thing about it was that they were
Australians off the ship!!

Sailing into Lisbon is one of the most beautiful sail ins that we have
experienced. Last year it was early in the morning which meant that a lot
of beauty was lost due to the morning mist. But this year we sailed in at
midday which meant that we could enjoy it in all its glory.

Like ants the small fishing boats scattered as the Sea Princess made its way
down the harbour, some choosing to ignore us - this is until the Captain
blasts our horn making our presence known and reminding them we have right
of way.

As if on preview, we pass many of Lisbon's highlights as we steam our way to
our berth. Belem Tower, St Jeronimos Monastery, Commerce Square and their
version of Christ the Redeemer statue just to name a few.

It is not just the hills and steep streets that scream San Francisco, but
the 25th April Bridge is a replica of the Golden Gate bridge, right down to
its bright red colour. They call it the singing bridge because as you pass
under you can hear the melodious sounds of the cars crossing along the top.

Another piece of good fortune was that were docked at the new cruise
terminal which made it easy for everyone to walk into town.