Day One: Lisbon, Portugal

I'm about to start my third camino: the Camino Portugues. In the next five weeks walk with me as I discover the way between Lisbon and Santiago.  Portugal has everything: revolution, Inquisition, Port wine, the Age of Discoveries, Knights Templars, cork oak trees, Gothic architecture, did I mention Port wine, it has it all.  Today was a rest day after a very tiring two days of travel.  I found the right church for the stamp for my credencial and was a tourist for a few hours.  Now I am staying with our friend Jacques in his apartment.  Tomorrow we will start to walk.  Here are a few photos from Lisbon.

This is the Praca do Rossio, one of many grand public spaces in Lisbon.  Note the cobbles laid to simulate waves on the sea.

Another monumental public space.  This the Monument to the

Discoveries facing the Rio Tejo.  This is meant to represent a ship with  Prince Henry, aka Henry the Navigator standing at the very front of the bow looking west toward the New World.  Behind him are all the clerics, laborers, clerks, soldiers and sailors that made his vision come true.  In 1418, Prince Henry sponsored the first voyage west and south to Africa.  Our greenhouses on the farm are 30' by 100'.  Think of tipping one over and sailing out into the Atlantic Ocean in a ship that size.

This looks more like a wedding cake than a fort.  This the Tower of Belem and served both as a coastal defense and as a proper introduction to the military and commercial power of Portugal in the 16th century.

Yeah!  This is what I'm talkin' about!  This is my camino support vehicle.  Just so you peregrinos know, on your third camino you get BMW 330 hardtop convertible to carry your pack to Santiago.  What?  Oh.  Jacques says I have to walk and carry my pack.  Oh well.