Sunday 28 June We headed off early to get to Mosteiro dos Jeronimos a very large monastery about a forty minute tram ride from the centre of the city. There are modern trams but we caught an old brown rattler which the driver has to furiously spin the controls round and round. The basilica in the monastery is the resting place of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Da Gama and his men spent the night in prayer there before departing on their expedition to th...

Arrived in Lisbon after a three hour train trip from Porto. Came to the station in what we considered plenty of time to get our tickets and find where to go but there was quite a line and only two windows open so finally made it to the right platform just as the train pulled in. A smooth trip with Internet access on the train so caught up with mails and looked up where to visit in Lisbon. Our hotel is right in the heart of the city with trams and trains a few s...