Lisbon and the Castle

Having stayed in London all summer, my big holiday of the year was Portugal at the end of October. Which proved a masterstroke in that the weather was so decent - 20-25C throughout, and mostly sunny, that it felt like an extension of summer.

I had booked an apartment for Mike and I in what turned out to be a very lively district, fronting an alley with several bars and restaurants., And that was the only thing one could fault the place for. Even with double glazing it was noisy. And to be fair general noise would have been fine - it was just one bar that insisted on blasting out music with a heavy bass beat. Ironically it sounded like the ultimate party venue, but in fact it was a bar that was almost always deserted, possibly because it was unbearably loud!

Anyway, the place was very cool, sparsely furnished but with taste, and two generous sized bedrooms and bathrooms.

First morning was a bit of local sightseeing, so we headed down to main square in front of the riverside.

Obviously taking in a couple of churches on the way.

When we reached the waterfront we found the river shrouded in mist.

Our first real target was the Castle, which unsurprisingly was at the top of a hill. And while riverside was misty, it was clear and sunny up top.

The main reason to visit the castle is for the views. Which are spectacular.

The most extraordinary sight was the view of the bdge and the statue of Christ the King on the other bank of the river just popping out above the clouds

Yes the white stuff in the middle of the photo is cloud