At the castle in Lisbon:

And back to Portugal we are!  I'm not complaining-- I am convinced that Portugal is Spain's cooler, prettier, more accessible, incredibly polite younger sister.  This weekend was definitely a different side than what I saw in Lagos, but a blast nonetheless.  It was quite a drive out there-- about six hours, though part of that was because we were on buses and took a couple breaks.  The countryside is so much prettier than in Spain.  When we got there we walked (read: hiked) up to a castle on a hill and looked down onto the city below.  Que bonita!

Then it was off to the commercial plaza for a quick walk around.  It's right next to the river and was gorgeous.  Smelled like fish, and a not much of a commercial center, but what a view!

The next day we went to Belem, a historic neighborhood, and saw the monastery of St. Jerome and the church with the bodies of the navigator Vasco de Gama and assorted royalty.  That afternoon I went to the aquarium in Lisbon, considered the second best in the world.  It was definitely worth the metro rides, and I'm so glad I went!  After seeing some of the bizarre creatures, I'm further convinced that God has a sense of humor.