Lisbon Day One

Glenn and I are taking a two week holiday in Portugal and southern Spain. We landed in Lisbon yesterday and hit the ground running.  It never fails that I catch a cold on the plane, and this was no exception.  Runny nose all day. Lisbon has no real wow! attractions. In fact it feels a little run down compared to other Western European countries.  I was beginning to wonder if we had made a mistake booking three days here.  Maybe it was the Benedryl or the jet lag, but as soon as the sun set on that first very long day, this town came alive. The hot expanses of stone became shiny wonderful plazas with folks of all walks of life wondering around. The hawkish menu pushers outside of every restaurant seemed to have a knowing smile that let me in on the joke.  The shabby old buildings felt like noble old structures. I’m not sure why, but I really like this place.  Moreover, I think I like how I feel here. Relaxed and interested.  Tonight we ate at one of the countless street restaurants that spill into the winding alleys of Rossio, the neighborhood we are staying in. We fell into conversation with the Australian couple next to us. He was wearing a beer shirt and was unshaven, she looked fine.  First of all, Glenn and I would never eat out in public in shorts or a t-shirt for dinner. But one thing led to another and we had a great conversation.  We talked about things that were personal (at one point Glenn had tears in his eyes) and then we each got our bills, went our separate ways and will likely never see each other again.  It really made the night talking to them.  I also like it when my prejudices are proven wrong. I need more gentle lessons like that. Don’t we all?

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