Lisbon

I finally flew in to the most western capital in Europe.  It has a gorgeous setting, where the Tagus River meets the sea, on seven hills.  

 The taxi driver dropped me at the corner of a cobbled street, pointing out my hotel a couple of blocks down, and the scent of warm garbage wafted through the heat (garbage is everywhere).  The hotel’s location is perfect, there are outdoor restaurants for blocks on pedestrian walkways.  There was a wine tasting at my hotel (“white” or “red” were the choices) that I attended, then strolled along the cobblestones until I found a place with a television outdoors.  I had a shellfish and rice stew, along with vino verde (green wine, made from unripe green or red grapes), and watched another World Cup football game.  Back at my room I got ready for bed, blew a breaker trying to charge my camera battery, went to the desk in my pjs, got everything sorted and crashed.

In the morning I caught a hop on hop off double decker bus tour.  The tour took me around the city, mostly rebuilt after an earthquake in 1755. I stayed in the bottom of the bus, since the signs I have seen read 38 or 40 degrees.  The sun is blistering

. I hopped on the famous Tram 28, a rickety local tram that takes you up to the Alfama district, oldest in the city. The tram barely fits through the streets, and you could fall out the windows if you tripped. There was a pickpocket and his female accomplice on the tram, but the driver warned a couple of passengers and word spread quickly, so they got off.
Back at the hotel I met my roommate, a young Swiss girl whose first language is German. The rest of the group are Canadian, Australian, American, and a New Zealander. Our tour leader is a cute local guy named Marcos.
We all headed out to dinner where we were treated to fado, a local music form with guitar and plaintive operatic singing by a single fadista or fadisto. Blood sausage and mussels were part of the meal.
Afterwards we went to a nearby bar to watch a soccer (here known as football). Colombian supporters had commandeered the first bar we chose so we picked another where we stood outside and talked with locals. I left for home with the Australian guy in our group very late, so I missed some excitement – the 6 girls who stayed on were taking a group picture in front of a store sign, when a drunk stumbled into them and sent them into the window which broke. Of course they went running right after that, but one was bleeding all over the place, so back at the hotel they woke up Marcos who took her to a hospital for 17 stitches. The emergency room was full of drunks and a guy who was complaining of something in his butt.
This could be an interesting trip!