Day 28 – 3rd September – Aveiro for the day
A leisurely walk down to the train station where Di and I lined up to purchase the tickets. The man serving was really nice. He accidentally did it incorrectly so had to redo it as he hadn’t allowed for the seniors discount. Finalised and validating but Jimmy’s didn’t go green. Back to the guy who realised he’d only charged for six. Now on board.
1.25 hrs and we arrive at Aveira. It’s a very nice place. Lots of tiled buildings. We walked into the city centre and sussed out a restaurant to have lunch. There seemed to be a misunderstanding regarding the ordering of food but eventually we had finished our lunch. It was across the road where we asked when the gondolas were going to leave. Managed to get onto the next one and although it was a nice ride it became progressively wetter and wetter.
We asked the gondola driver (gondolier) to dtop us off as close to the train station as possible which he did. Grabbed a drink and snack then back on the train.
A bit of shopping before we got home to have a snack for dinner and Jim and Di decided to go out to experience the night life.
11,283 Steps
Day 29 – 4th September – Livraria Lello – and haircuts
Decided to chance it with buying the tickets for the famous bookshop. Thankfully all the girls decided to join me on the trip. We arrived early so we grabbed a coffee each. Then lined up in the 11:15 line. There were hundreds of people waiting all over the place. A couple of women came up beside us and one asked me if this was the line for 11:15. I said yes but they’d have to go to the back of our line. Next minute we watch as they wandered up the front of our line. One edging into the line and the other standing at the doorway. UNBELIEVABLE! We inched our way closer to the door and they literally only got in just before us.
The bookshop is STUNNING.
I selected a couple of books and was standing in line with Helen when the ‘other’ woman from the “push-in duo” sidles up and stands next to me. Then she realises it’s me when our eyes met, then it’s ….”sorry oh sorry…. And returns further back. OMG. (I won’t tell you what I was considering doing!)
The guys met us outside and we had our photo taken by a girl with what looked like a very old setup but she was able to print out the A4 pages straight away.
After passing a really lovely church, we found a cafe for lunch (Tom got McDonald’s). The guys had also found (after lunch) a terrace out the back of a pub. It was very nice and I met a young woman from Spain. So I went over to her and started chatting. (Mostly in English). Her name is Diana and we’ve exchanged details. She was very Interesting and she kindly took our photos.
We headed back home to drop off the purchases, got ready then back out for dinner. Amazingly the three guys decided to have haircuts! All three came out shorn, trimmed and plucked! Searching for some dinner the place we chose turned out to be ‘healthy’ food. Whoops!!!! Anyway it was mostly delicious.
On our way back home I saw another ‘Ronaldo’ – still sadly not the ‘real deal’.
We kept on making our way back home but decided to go for one last nightcap at our ‘local’
Home and all getting our act together for the early start tomorrow morning. 12,040 steps
Day 30 – 5th September – Lisbon here we come
We’re pretty good at getting away early even though it’s a logistical tussle getting all our cases into the lift and down to the ground floor ‘many times’. Tom had organised with the bed and breakfast guy for a big van to pick us all up and take us to the Campanha station.
A short trip and we’re there. More luggage logistics and we are over at platform 8 waiting for our train. On the train. It’s a nice train but no usb points. At least it has wifi. (But sadly the two toilets near us are not flushing. YUKKKKY)
2.5 hours later we’ve arrived in Lisbon – Oriente station. It’s HUGE. There were some of us doubting the station we’d arrived at but all good. Found a lift, then Finally found a lift that went to the ground floor but some took the escalator.
Next taxis. This is the second time this has happened. Tom, Helen and I get in the first one with all our gear, the others in one behind us. We give the guy our address and off we go. We get there and he slugs us for 35 Euro and is in a real hurry to get away. We find out the ‘possible reason’ – the other cab fare was 15 euro! ‘Scammer’
Settled in and stepped out for lunch. Quite a few eateries we can see from my balcony. We all had very nice meals. Went out walking to see what was ‘occurring’. Found mcDonalds for an ice cream.
Everyone was pretty exhausted from the trip and from walking on the cobblestones (they aren’t too friendly to the ankles). On the way back to our lodgings we thought to ask the hop on hop off bus people about just that. Managed to negotiate a reduced fare for both that and a tour to Sintra tomorrow. We’d been thinking to take the train but this fare includes entry to the Palace.
Got on the 6pm bus and saw the sights. Many photos later (nearly a two hour bus ride) and we are making our way back.
Home to settle in for the evening. Managed to get the TV working (I did) but were unable to find much in the way of football. Portugal play tomorrow night so will be a fitting end to the Portugal leg.
6,156 steps
Day 31 – 6th September – SINTRA
We had to get up pretty early this morning as the bus was going to leave at 9:15. We did have to wait for a bit and even started thinking that we seemed to be missing each call for a bus. We were on a French/English speaking tour. The guide was really nice. We stopped for a photo opportunity at Queluz National Palace where Helen and I went to the loo – we literally were on the Throne in a Palace!!
Continued the journey up to Sintra where there were many many photo opportunities. We were given 3 hours in which to look around.
We had done a lot of walking but the spaces for the Quinta de Regalaría were all gone and I wasn’t taking a chance to not be able to see it. So ended up not going – however I’d taken a photo to know what I would have seen had I made it (another of the ‘close but not close enough’ visits.
Only a short bus ride. Up to the National Palace of Pena. And THIS place was simply amazing for Photos.
Simply TOO many photos from which to choose. We only had an hour here then we continued on to the Cabo da Roca. The westernmost point of land in Continental Europe.
Last stop was Cascáis. This was a really vibrant town and it was preparing ‘to go off’.
We finally got back at seven and went straight out to have dinner. It was a really lovely meal again at our ‘local’ and we got to sit upstairs this time.
Off to bed – it’s been a BIG day – 12,567 steps.
Day 32 – 7th September – Naples > Sorrento
Up and raring to go with the logistics all figured out with all cases and bodies down and waiting for the two cabs to arrive. They did. But we were VERY dubious of fitting everyone/everything into two sedans. But fit they did (struggle #1)! Zoomed off to the airport. With the help of a TAP Portugal (taxi driver cracked a joke calling it ‘Take Another Plane’) guy we managed to print out the boarding passes and luggage tickets for everyone. (The machine couldn’t cope with 7 at a time).
Through customs and have to admit that this time I tried to scan the wrong boarding pass. Whoopsie.
Having coffee and a bite to eat at Starbucks. Plane was delayed a bit but we lined up and waited again at gate 23a. Helen and I were in section B and thought we had to wait to go through (sign saying section C boarding) but when we’d had enough waiting we went up to the guy and could have gone through with the others! All good, we went up the back steps and put our carry on together. This plane is STUFFED with carry on. It was another struggle (#2) to get them all in but all in hand now.
A 3.5 hour flight can be as boring as a 21 hr flight – especially when there’s no TV on the seats.
Arrived as planned at Naples airport. Our driver ‘David’ wasn’t there but he’d sent his cousin? Luigi. He was very funny right from the start. He packed all the luggage (no problem) but suddenly two police men were asking us questions. We weren’t sure what was going on but eventually found out they were actually trying to make sure we weren’t literally being ‘taken for a ride’. It’s to stop people being overcharged for everything. It was just over an hour to get from Naples to Sorrento and we were all dropped off at our separate lodgings. It’s not quite what we’d expected but is clean. Once we’d sorted out the tourist tax, we contacted the others. We’d had minimal to eat today so we found a restaurant and had our dinner. Then stopped in for a nightcap. Finally got home. It’s been another huge day. 6,556 steps.
Day 33 – 8th September – checking it all out
Not particularly early today. It was after one when we went to bed. Helen joined me for a walk to find a specific church whilst Tom kept his feet elevated. (His cankles are really bad).
We took a photo of ‘del boy’s restaurant’ (long story only we know about) and even though I’d sent it to Tom and Di for the place to meet up – they didn’t get the photo but managed to randomly meet us there anyway at 11. We had a snack and a drink then decided to go down and book the cruise for tomorrow morning.
Once we’d booked we decided to stay down the port area and have lunch.
After lunch we caught the ‘friendly’ (not so) fat bus driver for the 2 euro ride up to the main square as it was hot and we have honestly walked the ‘million miles’ they sing about. The guys then stayed in ‘Irish Pub’ whilst we girls scoured the shops. It’s quite amusing really. It actually doesn’t go past the guys when their relative spouses purchase something (which they don’t want hubby to know about) because all payments have to be ok’d. Hahaha
A bit more window shopping then we decided we would go home to change, have a break then go back down to the dinner we’d booked at the garden restaurant at 8pm.
…
It was a very nice meal but quite a expensive. We decided to have a reasonably early night as we needed to be up to get to the docks by 9:30.
12,254 steps.
Day 34 – 9th September – Amalfi and Positano
We’d purchased the ticket yesterday, so once we arrived down at the Port the Skellys were there and we joined the line amongst a gazillion people. Thankfully we got on without a problem. The boat left at 10:30 and it took a good 1.5 hours to get to Positano. The photo opportunities were many and all amazing. We were down the docks for the 1:35 boat to Amalfi where we stayed for two hours.
I’d done my own thing whilst the others did their own things and I was waiting for them near the docks in a little restaurant. I’d asked for an iced lemon sort of slurpy they sell here. I’d also asked if I could sit in the restaurant. Anyway about twenty minutes went by then this waiter guy comes over and asks me to leave because I’ve got a takeaway cup. I tried to explain I’d been told I could sit in the restaurant but another waiter (a girl this time ) also said I should leave. I said I hadn’t paid For my drink. The girl at the counter apologised for them and said she didn’t charge me for the cover charge. It but I think they should have given me the drink in a glass which would have made all the difference. Wasn’t a particularly nice experience.
A little while later we all found each other and successfully found the right queue for the next leg – we were returning to Sorrento. It was quite a long journey but was very pleasant sitting this time on the upper deck. We finally reached Sorrento and decided to take the friendly fat guys bus again (oops can’t say fat-sorry). We had had a lot of travelling today so we decided to call it a day. Not sure what the others had for dinner but we had scrambled eggs on toast. Very delicious and nowhere near as costly. 10,719 steps.
Day 35 – 10th September – a rest day
I’m not sure we’ve had any rest days on this trip. I think my feet are starting to complain about walking on the cobblestones. Aggghhh.
We did meet the others down the town for a little while and had lunch. I will have to be careful what I order because there were chips brought to the table and we said nobody had ordered them. But I had ordered fried potatoes. Of course now I realise they are one and the same but in my head it was something entirely different. At least we had some very nice entertainment (which I live-streamed on Facebook). Love the piano accordion music – especially when they are playing ‘that’s Amore’ in Italy!
We parted company after having visited a few more shops (I purchased some new sandals) and a bigger supermarket. (Not many countries have the type of supermarkets we have in Australia. And rarely the larger size bags of things like Chips, sugar etc. you have to be satisfied with much smaller items). AND if you’re not in a restaurant, you very often find yourself having to pay a lot more than a PENNY (it’s 50 euro cents) to ‘spend a penny’ – go to the loo – if there’s anyone who doesn’t remember that saying).
We headed home and had already decided we were staying in for the rest of the day.
Helen had purchased two box hair dyes. So we used our relaxing day to ‘make the change’. Well….you know when you’re in a different country things aren’t just ‘quite the same?’ Well Helens hair wasn’t quite the same! There is a number (6.5) on the colour that she uses normally but there wasn’t this number available. So she purchased one with 6 on it. As I started to apply it I asked if was the one she usually used. Having assured me I went ahead (on her head). Finished applying it and we are four minutes into the 20 that’s suggested to wait- and she looks in the mirror!!!!!! OMG. It’s not the usual colour – I didn’t think it was right at the time, but I should have been more insistent. I really can’t apologise enough as the hair is now red and it’s only the roots. No amount of shampooing and using the ‘other’ colour she had has fixed it. Damn it all. This is a bit of a catastrophe.
Amazingly helen is still speaking to me. We just had nibbles to eat for dinner and went to bed early with a lot of wet towels on the floor. 4,690 steps.
Day 36 – 11th September – Capri and Pompeii.
We weren’t super early today but we met the others (minus Brian who is still suffering a bit with a cold. We had a drink then they went off to catch the train to Pompeii and we walked down to the port to see how much it would cost for the ferry to Capri. 43 Euros each later and we were speeding across the waters between Sorrento and Capri. I decided to purchase a ticket for the trip around Capri. So another 24 Euro and I’m on the next boat. Whilst Tom and Helen spent just around an hour having a SUPER expensive baguette and sandwich, a coffee and a beer (I think it was) all for the Princely price of 60 euros. (Just over $120). OMG!
Once I was back we walked over to the bus and paid our 2.40 Euro each for the bus to take us up to the town centre. yet another restaurant to buy some hot chips and a piña colada (not as good as yesterdays one but quite good). This is definitely the island for rich people.
The boat ride back seemed very quick to me as a drifted off to sleep quite a bit whilst Helen and Tom were up top in the sun.
Caught the bus back up the hill then made our way home. We had to get everything packed and ready to go very early in the morning. we called the others and we met up in the main square at 7. We found a restaurant to have dinner and it’s one of those decisions you’d like NOT to have made. The food was VERY ordinary. And mot cheap
Finally home and off to bed early. It’s a five am start in the morning. 12,921 steps
Lady Boomer 