We flew Ryan Airlines from Glasgow directly to Lisbon. Our first time with Ryan and all went well. You just have to make sure you know what you’re doing as they will ding you a lot for little things.
We stayed in the Alfama neighborhood of Lisbon which is the oldest part of Lisbon. It is a labyrinth of winding, narrow, hill side streets with bars mixed in with apartments, restaurants and shops. A devastating earthquake in 1755 leveled most of Lisbon but spared Alfama giving it a unique charm. ( More can be found about the neighborhood at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfama .)
We tried to stay active during our 3 week stay. We found a nice 50 meter pool but it took about an hour and a half to get there and the same coming back. We managed 2 swims a week and would sometimes stop off to site-see on the way back from a workout.
We also did an authentic Portuguese cooking class. We met with two other couples at a small apartment not too far from ours where an expert chef showed us how to make Portuguese steamed clams, stuffed squid, a garbanzo bean salad with chopped up tentacles. It was a very nice evening with good company and good food.
The Portuguese Navy was established 700 years ago- that would be in 1317. At one time it was the most powerful navy in the world and participated in the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries. On December 12th, 2017, the Portuguese Navy commemorated that anniversary in the Lisbon port on the River Tagus (Rio Tejo). Parades, a variety of ships in the harbor, a dancing helicopter and speeches by dignitaries. Attendance was sparse as you can see.
Images of Lisbon:
Lisbon has a variety of methods for people to get from place to place. Some are old like the tr network with the famous #28 and some brand new like the Oriente Train Station and the new Vasco de Gama Bridge.
Part 2 of our stay in Lisbon will follow shortly.
Paul and Kaye: Travels 
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