Lisbon

Today is a travel day and all goes smoothly other than a short delay leaving Madrid. After a 55 minute flight we are in Lisbon. Because we are coming from a European Union country we aren't required to go through customs - certainly saves time. We decide to take a 15 min taxi ride to the hotel rather than wait an hour or so for the transfer.

Upon landing in Lisbon I am immeduately struck by huge trees in blossom with PURPLE flowers! I have never seen anything like it. The street our hotel is on is lined with these trees. As we stand at one end of the street and look to the other it is like looking through a purple tunnel! WOW. Under the trees where the blossoms have fallen is a purple carpet. The trees we learn are called jacaranda trees and only blossom for 2 weeks and then drop the flowers. Lucky timing for us!

The cooler temperatures here are a welcome change from the sweltering ones of Madrid. Today it is about 24 with a breeze. Ahhhhhhhhhhh

World Cup has started today. Although we aren't in Germany we can see it on TV. Hopefully we'll still get the right tv station on the boat.

We had our welcome meeting tonight for our 10 day tour-a whole bunch of old people were there, what a surprise.

Although grocery stores have every type of juice you could ever want no one seems to have heard of cranberry....