Reversing history to discover Lisbon and beyond

I don't know how Portugal managed to discover anything. The first evidence encountered when I finally got out of the airport terminal says it was luck. I experienced what is probably the most moronic airport pick up and drop off area ever. Cars would just drive up and double park blocking lanes of free flowing cars. Uber drivers and dropping off locals causing chaos everywhere. They'd be just getting out and having a 5 minute chat whilst dropping off a friend, double parked next to a police car on a pedestrian crossing. That was the norm. The taxi queue was no better. It did not help that my airport bus service I chose to take (instead of the subway) was lost in translation. Big sign said every 20 minutes. Evidence said there hadn't a bus in 40minutes.

Street art on the buildings

 My overnight hotel was close to my departure for the mini tour I would do for the next week. Alas after booking flight I booked tour a tour to fit instead of other way around. So it's meant a bit of back and forth as I'll return in a week's time. But in the meantime I had 4 flight meals, and 2 airports worth of food to burn off. Dropped the bags and started the explore. First goal was to find departure point hostel of my tour. Where I wasn't staying. My tour is focused on the 35 and under crowd but not strictly age restricted. But the starting hostel was. I didn't mind though, as I needed a decent shower, uninterrupted sleep, and comfort after 24 hours of transit.

Anyway I completed the goal, and true to form I completed the first Chad-ism. Something I always seems to manage. I tripped up and skinned my knee. Footpaths and I don't get on. Every time without fail I'll do this when in Europe. It wasn't even the cobblestones. Managed to trip on a hotel welcome mat as I walked past. Actually think it was hotel mat a previous time also. Alas hotel was only 3 star, so no help forthcoming from a concierge. Only I could have known. But I'm coming clean on this because it'll only be a later photo that would have led to family and friends asking.

Managed after getting the formalities done to navigate my first subway ride into the old town area. Walk the streets a bit. Even if my legs were tired and blisters had formed I was there to get out and see something. Otherwise it would have been just a transit day. And I'm not here to do nothing. So discover Lisbon I did. It seemed fitting that I would end my day walking down to the Lisbon waterfront to see the 2 pillars in the water. Boats in the past would have departed with this as their final image of Europe before going off to Africa, or later South America. Whereas I was turning around looking in from these pillars to my new frontier of southern Portugal and Spain.