Sunday 10 May 2026
The new Lisbon cruiseport is very close to the center of the city, and it takes only about 10 minutes to drive to the VIP Executive Eden Aparthotel on the Praça dos Restauradores, one of several inter-connected large open squares. It is much too early to check in for my free night (again, thanks to American Airlines miles), but I am able to store my luggage before setting out to enjoy my one day here.
The hotel, pictured above, originally opened as a movie theatre in 1937, its art-deco design created by Cassiano Branco and others. The cinema closed in 1989. The interior was completely gutted in 1995, when construction of the new hotel behind the original facade began.
As you recall, Will and I were here in late November of last year, just before the Seabourn Encore began its journey westward across the Atlantic to Bermuda and Miami. The city sprawls across several large hills, but today I remain in the Baixa, the relatively flat center of town.
The extensive Praça dos Restauradores spreads out directly in front of the Eden Hotel (along with other first-clsss hotels), and
leads directly to the Restauradores train station (Falcao e Cunha, 1959).
The upper-level of the station affords a fine view of St George's Castle (11th cent), on a hill above the Aflama historic district.
Just a few steps away from Restauradores is Rossio Square, today the site of a major spring food festival.
Rossio is surrounded on all sides by fancy shops and restaurants; I stop at Nicola for a typical Sunday brunch:
One of Lisbon's chief tourist attractions is also an important part of its transportation system for locals. The Santa Justa elevator (1899), connects the lower Baixa district with the higher ground of Barrio Alta.
Rio Augusta connects Rossio with the Tagus River waterfront. This pedestrians-only thoroughfare is the retail and restaurant center of life in Lisbon. The route ends at the Praça do Comércio, with its grand ceremonial arch.
Before returning to the Eden Hotel to finish preparing for tomorrow's flights to Philadelphia and Phoenix, I stop for dinner at a local Italian restaurant for pizza, salad, and Portuguese beer. As the sky begins to darken--it's almost 10pm--the theatrical lighting of the hotel lights up the Praça dos Restauradores.
Monday 11 May 2026
Lisbon-Philadelphia-Phoenix
Today is a long travel day. Fortunately all the flights are on time and I arrive in Phoenix in the early evening. It is too late to take the shuttle home to Tucson, so I spend the night at the Radisson Phoenix Airport North Hotel. I have been fed so much on the flights that I really don't need dinner before settling in for the night.
My hired car and driver arrive at 7am to take me on the 20-minute ride to the Lisbon Airport, where I arrive with ample time for waiting around. Because the Lisbon Airport needs a major transformation and enlargement, my boarding process is the most interesting part of the trip. My wheelchair attendant gets me through immigration and security very quickly--and no one wants to inspect any of my carry-ons. But the American Airlines plane is parked on the tarmac very far away from the terminal building. Two other wheelchair passengers and I are transferred to a specialized vehicle with a passenger compartment that lifts us up directly to the plane's passenger door, where we are among the last to board. Fortunately my Business Class seat is close to the entrance and there is plenty of room in the overhead compartment for my bag.
The flight is relatively short (Lisbon is at the very west-most point of Europe), just under six hours. Besides the time spent eating the individually-served meal, I manage a three-hour nap in my lie-flat seat. Arriving in Philadelphia just before 2pm, I am whisked through immigration and customs very quickly--in fact, the immigration and customs halls are completely empty except for passengers from my flight, and I am the first one in line. My bags are automatically transferred to my First Class flight to Phoenix, where I am again stuffed with more food.
Tuesday 12 May 2026
The hotel's free shuttle gets me to Terminal 4, where I have a reservation on the 11am Groome shuttle to Tucson. The driver is 30 minutes late, with no explanation or apology. In the past the driver would make up lost time with a heavy foot on the gas pedal. But today's driver decides to drive the entire 90-mile trip at least 10 miles below the speed limit, always in the lane with the most bumps and grinds. Needless to say, it is a very uncomfortable drive and we arrive one hour late.
But my friend Anita is there to pick me up for the short ride to Mountain View and my reunion with Will. Tomorrow I will meet all my other friends and begin coming-home chores: unpacking, sorting and doing laundry, checking finances, etc.
So this is the final posting from my two-week journey across the Atlantic and return.
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