Portugal again

After breakfast that first morning I went walking and went looking for the elusive Bairro Alto. I kept walking and walking and walking. The roads and pavements got steeper and steeper and steeper.. All of a sudden a wooden trolley bus (tram) cam hurtling round the corner and zoomed clankilly down the hill. I said to myself "I like that".

My mobile phone rang and the caller was the receptionist from the hotel to tell me that my luggage had finally arrived. "Mmmm", I thought, " I have to walk back down these steep hills to get back to the hotel". My All Stars were like ankle straps as I trundled down the hills.

My reunion with my suitcase was like a reunion with my wardrobe and bathroom accessories. I was so glad to see it. Tagged onto the suitcase was a discount voucher from KLM for €25 for the inconvenience I had been caused. That paid for the t-shirt, shorts, tooth brush and toothpaste.

I had read about Tram 28 on numerous reviews as "vintage trams taking passangers from the city centre at sea level up through the narrow maze of streets towards St George Castle". So I troop off to the tourist office to find out where to catch it from in the neighbourhood. "Third street after the archway", was the response. Oh no, not again, the verbal directions. I asked for a map and was given the same identical map I received from the tourist office at the airport. X marked the spot. X was nowhere near the mark. Eventually a tram driver who had stopped at a siding pointed in the direction of the Cathedral. Up there somewhere. I did find it eventually and had fun during the trip.

Did I tell you I found Bairro Alto?

The 28 tram stopped and the driver told us all to get off as it was the end of the line. End of the line? Where in Lisbon were we?