Thursday, April 6, 2017

Seville and the Road to Lisbon

Wayne and John at the 
John and Kathy Lima drove to Seville from Lisbon yesterday.  They have been spending the winter in Lisbon since January, and offered to pick up us and take us to Lisbon from where we will fly home.  We went to the Abades Triana for dinner.  As yesterday's lunch, the presentation and service for exceeded the food.  But we had fun walking there and back.  Kathy and John recalled places they had stayed in the past.  This morning we packed up and headed for Lisbon.  John took us through the Algarve area, which is beautiful.  We stopped in Sesimbra for lunch.  Sesimbra is an ocean side village whose main industry is tourism and fishing.  The tourists go for the beach.  We went for the octopus.  

A short drive from there landed us at the Lima's apartment.  It is very nice, comfortable and homey.  There is a great view of a plaza where various activities can be enjoyed from women dancing to men practicing Tai Chi and kiosks selling goods.  Across the plaza is a hill covered in colorful buildings and the Castle sitting atop.  

Wayne and Kathy admire Watson's Work

We set off to explore that little hill with its very steep, narrow roads.  Our first discovery was the wall photographs of Camilla Watson. She uses a method that lets her develop photographs onto wood of people who lived in the area.  They are hung along the streets.  What a wonderful way to remember and honor the people of the neighborhood.  

Wayne in the Pantheon Dome
Further on our walk we visited several churches, rich with tiles and the Pantheon.  Originally the Church of Santa Engracia, it was converted in 1916 into a Pantheon where Portuguese personalites are entombed.  

Dinner tonight was at an Italian restaurant on the Rua Augusta, a pedestrian way with restaurants cheek to jowl.  After dinner we walked down to the river where live music was playing.  
Pictures of our glorious day at flickr.