Monday 17 July Lisbon

 We had a taste of what we might face in the Atlantic as we left the Straits of Gibraltar for the north Atlantic. It was a bit of a rocky ride overnight and we woke to a chilly 18 degrees. It is expected to get to 30, but we have been told to enjoy it as we next move to the UK where we can expect maximum temperatures of 14 to 15 degrees! We know we won’t get any sympathy!

It was a beautiful cruise up the Targus river as we made our way to our berth in Lisbon. We may have to look at trying to smuggle a couple of bottles of port onboard. We don’t leave Lisbon until 10 pm, so we will have an early lunch on board and then go ashore in the afternoon.

We waited until 1.30 to go ashore. On disembarking we noticed they did not have the X-ray machine set up for when you come back on board, so a big chance we can sneak some more wine on. There is an X-ray machine in the terminal which is another good sign and also a duty free store.

We start our walk into the main area and we notice across the road a Taylor’s wine store, we should be able to get some port there on the way back. It is about 29 degrees on the way to 30, but there is a nice cool breeze on the river front. As we each the main area we can hear singing and there is a group of school girls performing. They are great and we stay and watch them for a few minutes and make a donation to their cause.

We then head on up the main thoroughfare and it is very busy with restaurants and cafes touting for business and crowds everywhere. Ann finds a jewellery shop and sees something she likes and makes a purchase. You can’t keep the Shoppa down for too long. We find a pastry shop and purchase two Portuguese tarts and then head back to the river to sit and enjoy them.

On our way back to the ship we call into Taylor’s and buy two bottles of port. At the duty free we find two nice rosés. As we pass the check point there is a collection area for alcohol, but we have them hidden in my backpack and Ann’s carry bag, so we just continue on - no problems. We now have 8 bottles of wine and two bottles of port, that should keep us going until we reach Dover!

We have two sea days now until we reach Holyhead. After all the ports over the last week, we are looking forward to the next two rest days.