From my travel journal:
We left the apartment late today and headed out to ride the Elevador Gloria (funicular), visit Jardim Estrella and read our books there, and ride bus #56 through the valley of the Acueducto de las Aguas Libres. Poor sister took a hard tumble on the slick stairs on the return ride, but the tram driver gallantly stepped out to offer his assistance. I didn’t see her fall because I bent down to pick up this gull feather at the moment of impact. When I looked over she was on the ground and laughing merrily. Good thing she wasn’t wearing her skirt.
Jardim da Estrela is the prettiest park in all of Lisbon – lush, green, falling leaves, down feathers on the thick grass, wooden benches that lean way back. I finished today’s installment of Wide Sargasso Sea.
Oh what utter contentment to sit and read in all the parks of Lisbon. Each day we tore a different section of our books apart to tuck neatly into our bags. In addition to the lush parks with iron gates and tropical plants there are the miradouros (viewpoints) with broad terraces and stunning vistas of Lisbon spread out across her seven hilltops.
Provide me with plenty of park benches, a bus pass, some fine views, a good book, and hours and hours to do nothing. And I will do it.
I added a LISBON photo album in the sidebar and each day I am posting more photos. Yesterday I added tiled buildings and today, parks and viewpoints.
Wanna get whisked away for a couple of minutes to the parks of Lisbon? Come on already!
I get the feeling Lisbon is very clean .
The last time I was in Rome (Fall 07) I was very saddened to see so much trash in the fountain. There were people cleaning picking up the trash, but they just couldn’t keep up.
love your trip and journal, thanks for sharing with us!
Poladroiding those pictures enhances the dreamy qualities; filming the park shares the feeling of the day. How clean everything is. What a blissful day. How lovely that you and Sister do so much together.
Thanks for sharing the journey. Loving the journal!
I love that you just point the camera on something that catches your attention and let us look, simply look, and hear the same background noises you heard – the fountain water was musical. Thanks so much.
Your photographs are pure heaven. Wish I had gone with you.
here’s what I think sometimes, when i’m somewhere dear like this. i think: this is happening here every day. like in the grand canyon, i thought: that sage is blowing gently in the breeze, filling the air with fragrance, soaking up sun, every day.
and i’m in my office.
I’m so enjoying your travel posts-feeling almost as if I was there. Thankyou for sharing. CW
Thank you — For taking me places I may never have the chance to visit.
Isn’t Wide Sargasso Sea a fabulous magnificent book? I’ve read it so many times.
Whenever you re-read it, you’ll see the parks and the fountains and your Sister – everything in Lisbon distilled.