We are cruising the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula and will dock in Lisbon this afternoon. Columbus and his crew couldn’t have been more excited to see land than the almost three thousand passengers on the Crown Princess.
It’s not that we’ve been at sea as long at the Santa Maria; rather, it’s that we’re finally on our scheduled course, having bypassed France and Spain to get here in a timely manner. We’re here for twenty-four hours too.
Neither Earl nor I know anything about Portugal beyond the fact that it was once a mighty seafaring country in the 1500s. We’re taking a tour tomorrow and hope to get an overview that will entice us to return for a more in-depth stay.
In the meantime, as we approached the harbor I took a turn on the Lido deck where the Trough, the pizzeria, the hot dog/hamburger stand, and the swimming pools live. The weather has turned balmy, and water has returned to the swimming pools. I hope to enjoy both before we start the actual transatlantic crossing tomorrow evening.
Once we leave Lisbon, it will be five days before we see land again. Unlike Columbus, however, I know what’s waiting in the New World.
Love hearing about your adventure. Too bad your fellow passengers are not able to read your blog.