12.08.07 Lisbon, Portugal

Well, here I am in the capital of Portugal…just another big city as far as I am concerned.After traveling over 4,500 miles now I have come to appreciate small town life.I must admit that the hustle and bustle of an urban metropolis just doesn't get my heart pumping.Towns the size of Charleston are just right.I have found myself gravitating towards that size in my travels and have also found them not only to be more fun, but a lot friendlier and a lot cheaper.

Yesterday I left Porto and got some great sights in.It was nice to see a distinctive change in scenery and style of life.Tomar was by far my favorite of the leg.I stopped in Nazare for the night and found it a sleepy beach town.A sleep brought on my the time of year of course.In the summer it is end to end stuffed with people.It was pitiful to see the restaurants that lined the front row beach boulevard empty.I almost felt like I could go in and tell them the price I would pay because something would be better than nothing.It did work for my accommodations for sure.I got a great room cheep!As I fell asleep I heard the waves crashing and the TV had CNN in English.It was nice to get a little news and let my mind veg a little and it was great having towels and not having to use my chamois to dry off.

I woke up early and headed out with Obidos, Sintra and Lisbon in my path.Obidos was incredible.A completely walled city with only foot traffic!Not as stunning at Mont St. Michel in France, but distinctly Portuguese.It was also nice that I got there early enough to have front row parking, oh wait I am on a motorcycle that always happens, well I parked in the front and walked right through the gates without having to pay the usual fee.

Sintra is definitely a stop that I will make again in the future to check out more.A city stuck in the trees on a hillside with a castle at the top.I forgot that I made a deal with myself not to travel to the usual tourist destinations on the weekends.I paid for my mistake with endless rows of traffic and people everywhere!I cut my visit a little short as a result, but know that I will be back to this part of the world.

I have found that I prefer this part of Portugal over the north.It is great to pass village after village with a castle in the center being the focal point.The only thing I don't like so far in this part of Portugal is the roads.Not only are they confusing as hell they are not in the best of shape.As I have said in previous posts Portugal is not the richest country out there, but the people are great!

It is funny the moment I saw the coast again I felt at peace inside.Although I did not know that there was unrest I did very much feel at home again when I saw the ocean.I have realized that I definitely prefer the sea over the mountains.There is something there that just comforts me, plus it is a constant reference point to help me navigate.Maybe that is why I like it so much.None the less I am glad I have chosen to primarily stick to the coast, but I will not let it keep me from seeing some of the interiors great sights.The next day or two will be spent in the interior of Portugal before I hit the south coast.

Once I arrived in Lisbon I was instantly attacked by peddlers and drug dealers.Yes that's right.In the middle of the day in plain sight I was approached with an offer.And it was a good thing, I was getting low.I was very surprised and gave the man 20 Euros….no just kidding everyone should know me better than that.

So Lisbon, I will be checking out tomorrow if of course my motorcycle survives the night.Another, draw back to big cities is the crime and there is a little more around these parts then I am used to.The good thing though is another biker told me that I should be safe.No one wants BMW's around here.They all want Yamaha and Honda!I guess the BMW's stick out too much and the people that would want them can typically afford one from a dealer instead of the shady guy on the corner.So another good reason for owning a BMW!

Another thing that I have to contend with this weekend is the African summit that is happening in Lisbon.All the leaders of African countries are in town and let me tell you every police officer in Portugal is too.All afternoon caravans with police escorts when whizzing by.So we will see what happens tomorrow.