I first visited here in 2007 on a MSC Sinfonia transatlantic from Genoa to Bueno Aires. I looks up the post (link) but, since it is from my old German blog, the photos didn’t transfer when I had to change hosts in ~ 2016. Then I made the loop twice in Early 2012, once on my own and once with the Eldest on the NCL Jade. Then there was the transatlantic in 2017 that Carmen and I made on the MSC Seaside. And, in 2021 – George and I had a port call here on the Star Legend. A cruise that was supposed to go to Morocco but, as things often did in that time frame, the pandemic forced a change of plans.
You can tell that we have docked in a Portuguese town. It isn’t just the change in the signage language. It starts with the Ships of the Wall which I have mentioned before: logos of various ships which have docked over the yeas. Lovingly painted by their crews on the wall across from where the ships dock. There isn’t any graffiti – just the bright colors and clear shapes of logos, ships, letters & numbers.
It is rather when you hit the first sidewalk with the inserted lavastone mosaic
or see the use of the same volcanic rock in stairs.
But mostly it is the sidewalks with patterns, inserted pictures, and their use of two colored stones that says “Portugal.
mostly, I just enjoyed a nice hike through town, up and down a few hills, and a view of the ship on my way back.
