Happy Birthday, Ørnulf!!

Ørnulf is 67 yrs. old today, a real Jubilado. I like the optimistic tone in the spanish term for retired. It sounds so tired in English.

Lisbon is only a half hour train ride from Cascais, and we're on it. Ørnulf buys a couple shorts and shirts and doubles his clothes collection on board.
The city of Lisbon is pleasant, hilly, with an open city-center facing the harbor, and a castle on a hill. The city was more or less erased by a quake in the 1700's, but rebuilt nicely. The city was rebuilt with a rectangular center and broad avenues. Now there's a huge stone-paved pedestrian area there, with parasoled outdoor cafés right down the middle.

We wander slowly up steep cobbled lanes towards the S.Joao Castle in the old quarter. Almost up, an open red door catches our attention. Through it, down a few steps, and we're in a little paradise of a garden café, with a huge tree growing out of the stones and a spectacular view of the city under palm leaves, and green parasols. We look down on red-tiled roofes, the monuments and gothic churches in the city, the harbor, river, its Golden Gate bridge, with a huge Christ statue, alá Rio, on the other side. A relaxing place to sit and write postcards, eat tapas, have a glass of white wine.

Then we take the final cobblestone climb up to the castle. We walk along the defence walls with great views between the slits. We're getting good at that!
The sun is setting, coloring Lisbon golden, as we grab a ride on a little yellow trolley back down to town.