Greetings from Lisbon, Portugal

Good morning.  I have paid for internet access, but cannot get it. Will type on a document and hope that I can later transfer it to the blog.  Yesterday---let's see if I can remember.  It was very cold when we got up.  Went back and I got a light coat out of my suitcase and Chuck (also John) retrieved their long pants.  Left Salamanca and traveled through high desert.  This area had ranches and raised bulls--of which they were very proud.  Every so often there would be statues of bulls painted different colors (like when Chicago had the cows all over downtown)--maybe two or three together along the highway.We traveled through Serra da Estrela mountain range.  Parts had been very dry with the corn stunted  --short and dried up.  We traveled 330 miles yesterday.  Made three separate stops.  The last one was Fatima for Sanctuary for Our Lady of the Rosary.  It is a huge Catholic holy place with a church, chapel, and a square that held 500,000 people.  The 13th of the month is very special and crowds had been there the day before.  People come for healing---often walking many miles and then on knees across the huge square on the way to the statue of Jesus.  Others came to fill vessels of holy water.  By this point it was very hot with temps 95 to 98. C & J were muttering about their shorts that were packed safely away. 
Arrived in Lisbon. Lisbon is grittier and older than Madrid.  Chuck went out to buy water.  Although the hotel is ok, it is located in an area that has seen better days--out the front door and fine out the back.  At 6:30pm we took the ferry across the Tagus river and ate at a typical Portuguese restaurant.  When we sat down, each place was set with a stack of three plates and a small one of top.  On the table, there were baskets of crusty bread, a bottle of red wine, bottle of white wine, pitcher of green (new) wine, bottle of water, beer, head-on boiled shrimp, along with various fried appetizers.  We started right in. Next came bowls of soup--rich soup broth with tomato and seafood. Next came a nice vegetable salad, Next came small shrimp with garlic and olive oil, baby clams, --the best clams ever.  Next came a rice dish with crab and then paella.  After all was cleared we were served dessert--kiwi, oranges, and papaya, and pineapple topped with whipped cream--yum, Then glasses of port and finally coffee.  We staggered to the bus and came home via the 25th April bridge, built by the same company that built the Golden Gate bridge.  The Christa Ray statue, a huge statue of Christ overlooking the bay, stands high on the hill by the bridge.    The lighting at night made the statue more impressive than it was in daylight. 
Wow, I was able to paste this in.  Have plenty of time today because we changed time zones when we crossed into Portugal (a non-event--just drove through), but WE didn't change watches, etc.  So instead of getting up at 6:30am, we got up at 5:30a.m! Now it's off to breakfast.