4 am wake up, 7 am flight from Birmingham and a. Long, hot, sunny day , mainly in the Alfama district; one of the atmospheric and at times, bewildering parts of this great city.
Walked over 8 miles, taking in the See ( cathedral ), various squares, small travessas and becos.
The castle was a popular spot and is a useful fixed point for a walkabout.
The Portas de Sol made for a wonderful vista of the Tejo estuary.
As is so often the case, signs for the Camino were apparent. Not solely for Santiago, but for Fatima, too. A welcome drink was taken by this attractive mural.
We soon realised that the standard , tourist map was inadequate for this area, as such is its warrenlike character, many names could not be listed. Nevertheless, not to be daunted, axway bak to the AirBnB was eventually found – when in doubt, ask a local!
The traditional tiles were to be seen everywhere; almost as numerous as the cobblestones. And a perfect end to the day was found in a nearby restaurant, after we had had a drink in a place specialising in the Fado, the much vaunted , if at times incomprehensible music. I was intrigued by one of the instruments being played- a crossover between a guitar and a banjo, which produced a mellow accompaniment. Almost as enjoyable as dinner, with a jug of wine at € 2.80. Perfect accompaniment to grilled Turbot; uma boa refeição.
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