What the hell? Clouds in Portugal!?
Posted May 5.
Friday morning I headed out with my couchsurfing host, a couple other couchsurfers and friends to see a Convent on a sera (I think, it means more than a hill, less than a mountain). Regardless of what it was the view was amazing. It was sunny enough out to be warm but with a bit of a breeze to keep the temperature comfortable.
Maré (my host) had a friend that worked at the convent otherwise we wouldn't have been able to see it. Though not closed to the public it is very difficult to be allowed to go see it and I was extremely fortunate that I was able to.
The convent was built in the 12th century, the 14th century and most recently in the 16th century. I have no idea how it was built that long ago. It was a large inter-connected set of white washed buildings overlooking the ocean and the monks that used to live there would live lives of silence and chastisity. I wouldn't have lasted long.
Saturday I came to Lisboa (Lisbon in English, the capital of Portugal) and after dropping my stuff off went to look around. Lisboa, like any large city, looks fairly modern. Broad streets for the most part in the newer section of town, tall buldings and, for some reason, banks EVERYWHERE. Saturday night there was a Couchsurfing meeting so I got to meet the Lisboa Couchsurfing community (about 30 people) and then we went out to enjoy Barro Alto, the party part of the old town. Here the streets are very narrow and the bars are so small that you go in to but a drink (1€ for a beer) and then bring it back out to the street to drink it.
There were people selling drugs everywhere, usually standing in the middle of a street intersection. If you make the mistake of making eye contact, they'll come up to you and say "Coke, Hash?" When you say no, they don't pursue you or hassle you but they're very open about what they're selling.
I'm going to be in Lisboa for the next couple days then I think I'll head into Spain.
There are new pictures you can see HERE.
Friday morning I headed out with my couchsurfing host, a couple other couchsurfers and friends to see a Convent on a sera (I think, it means more than a hill, less than a mountain). Regardless of what it was the view was amazing. It was sunny enough out to be warm but with a bit of a breeze to keep the temperature comfortable.
Maré (my host) had a friend that worked at the convent otherwise we wouldn't have been able to see it. Though not closed to the public it is very difficult to be allowed to go see it and I was extremely fortunate that I was able to.
The convent was built in the 12th century, the 14th century and most recently in the 16th century. I have no idea how it was built that long ago. It was a large inter-connected set of white washed buildings overlooking the ocean and the monks that used to live there would live lives of silence and chastisity. I wouldn't have lasted long.
Saturday I came to Lisboa (Lisbon in English, the capital of Portugal) and after dropping my stuff off went to look around. Lisboa, like any large city, looks fairly modern. Broad streets for the most part in the newer section of town, tall buldings and, for some reason, banks EVERYWHERE. Saturday night there was a Couchsurfing meeting so I got to meet the Lisboa Couchsurfing community (about 30 people) and then we went out to enjoy Barro Alto, the party part of the old town. Here the streets are very narrow and the bars are so small that you go in to but a drink (1€ for a beer) and then bring it back out to the street to drink it.
There were people selling drugs everywhere, usually standing in the middle of a street intersection. If you make the mistake of making eye contact, they'll come up to you and say "Coke, Hash?" When you say no, they don't pursue you or hassle you but they're very open about what they're selling.
I'm going to be in Lisboa for the next couple days then I think I'll head into Spain.
There are new pictures you can see HERE.
