AfricaEurope2007

One last thing about Morocco, our tour had the usual tour director and driver, but we also had a Moroccan national guide to ensure we got the correct political and religious stories, and a drivers assistant to help with security of the bus ; a bit more than happens in Europe.
Our trip to Lisbon involved flight and airport announcements in Arabic, Spanish, Portugese and poor english ; so poor that we missed the advice to move our watches forward 2 hours in Madrid, and we nearly missed the connecting flight. Getting around Madrid airport is like a visit to Ikea.
Lisbon is a great tourist place. Nice cafes and restaurants, and the people are friendly. We´re near the city centre, and its all cobbled streets and laneways. They also specialise in beautiful ceramic tiling on the walls of buildings. There are great little yellow tourist trams in the inner city areas, and a couple of hilly districts with lanes and alleyways that go everywhere , washing on the verandahs, small cafes etc. This inet cafe is playing reggae music, and surrounded by Fitzroy-type shops in one-way streets. Best food is from a pasteleria, like a French pastisserie, and we have drunk Mateus rose for the first time since our student days. Its easier to get a drink here as well
Have also had day trips by train along the coast to some of their beach resorts, and to a place like the Dandenongs called Sintra, that has a 12C palace and 10C moorish castle on top of a hill. A good metro and regional rail system.
We have spent time with our younger son Leon here. He is in the middle of his round-the-world trip, and we had dinner here on his birthday , great catch up.
Its great not having a mobile phone, watching TV or reading a newspaper.
Rob & Ailsa