April 25, Lisbon
Mafalda told us we were going to a museum, but didn't say which one, and asked us to guess. I didn't need to guess, I was sure it was the National Tile Museum, and I was right. We had visited it in 2013, but I had forgotten almost all of it so it was a delight to see it again. Portugal, of course, is known for tiles - mainly visible on the exterior walls of buildings, but also seen throughout buildings. The museum leads you through the centuries, showing how the techniques evolved. Eventually, tile production was cheap enough to be affordable by most households. The modern tile artwork were interesting as well.
Next was a real treat - we got to ride on the aerial tramway that runs along the river.
We then drove to the Alfama district, walked through a VERY narrow passage, and found the restaurant for our Farewell Lunch. Just as we got there, a much larger tour group entered the restaurant, causing Mafalda to mutter, "Shoot me now!" Nevertheless, the meal was excellent and we all had a good time.
After lunch, we took the Metro back to our hotel. At our stop, the train cars nearly emptied, and a horde of people headed for the exits, most singing a song. Mafalda, tears in her eyes, joined in for a bit. The song was Grândola, Vila Morena. What was so special about this song? Read How Portugal's 1974 Eurovision entry toppled the country's fascist regime.
April 25, the date I told you to remember, was the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution that ended decades of dictatorship in Portugal, and our hotel happened to be close to a square where a parade in honor was about to be held. The streets were mobbed with happy people, many carrying or wearing red carnations.
In the evening, after packing to fly home the next morning, we went out for dinner. Keeping in mind both the date and our experiences earlier, I had made reservations for a well-received steak house near our hotel - at least I thought I had. It turned out that this restaurant had two locations, one labeled "Ground Floor" and one labeled "First Floor". (Remember that in Europe, the first floor is one flight up.) The web site didn't make that clear and I had reserved at the wrong one. Regardless, they were willing to seat us and we had a very nice meal.
April 26, Home
Unlike some of our other trips, the travel home was unremarkable. I was pleased to see that Boston Logan airport had finally finished remodeling the hallway one walks through to get to passport control - in the past it had been rather grimy. I was even more pleased to see all new Global Entry kiosks that didn't even want a passport - just look at the camera and walk to the agent who called you by name. It took all of about ten seconds. We collected our luggage and found our ride home.
We had a wonderful time in the Azores, Madeira and Portugal. A large part of that we attribute to Mafalda, who had told me before the trip that she hoped to show us her country "through her eyes" - and she did. Mafalda was one of the best trip leaders we've ever had, and she made our visit both educational and enjoyable. Even better, our traditional "weather luck" held again, with beautiful skies most days.
