Well, we’re back – albeit after a bit of a delay with our easyJet transport. No complaints though and a great crew on the sun-setting return journey home.
We touched down around 8pm and they still had a return flight to Glasgow to complete. While one of their staff – a new girl learning the ropes – was then facing a drive back home to Swindon!
She was doing well on board – though l don’t think she’ll ever ask a passenger again if he or she (or they) want ice with their red wine.
Forgive a few more pictures from Lisbon. A quick mention for its wonderful decorated pavements where limestone is hewn into tiny blocks creating patterned compositions and modern designs, street numbers and business logos.
Though the tradition of pavement cobbles can be dated back to Roman times, the decorated tradition started (according to golisbon.com) in 1849 after the completion of the wave design known as “the wide sea” in Lisbon’s Rossio Square.
By the end of that year, the pavements of the Chiado district and Avenida da Liberdade were also completed.
Eventually most of Lisbon’s streets were paved this way, and it spread throughout the country.
These pavement designs are also seen in Portugal’s former colonies, with the “wide sea” design seen in Rio de Janeiro’s famous beaches, and even in one of Macau’s main squares.
Taking a train to Cascais, along the coast, the wave formations on the paved areas there really do kid the brain into thinking the pavement is rippling!
Today the “Portuguese pavements” are still made by hand, and are part of the country’s heritage and identity, continuing to decorate the streets and squares all over Portugal.
There’s even a pair of bronzes in Lisbon paying tribute to the painstaking job involved in laying them all.
I do have to say some of the older pavements really do undulate and can be a bit hard on the legs. Well mine anyway!
