IT. IS. HOT. Record-breakingly hot. Today’s high hit 110 (thanks, North African hot air mass). As we walked, Henry aptly noted that the wind felt like a hair dryer blowing all over his body. Yet the streets of Lisbon are still packed with tourists like us, taking in the sights and trying not to melt. We’ve been seeking out as many air-conditioned options as possible, which I’m not embarrassed to admit include the mall.
A favorite so far has been the Oceanário de Lisboa. We wandered through it for almost 4 hours, and not just because it was climate-controlled.
We also took the train to Cascais for a morning at the beach. The water was bracingly cold, but the sun was punishing and we only lasted a couple of hours. After lunch we managed a short walk through the town before the oppressive heat and some residual jet lag sent us back to hide in the relative cool of the apartment we’ve taken for the week.
This morning we struck out early for a walk through Alfama, the oldest neighborhood in Lisbon, and then a ride on the 28 line of the tram, in service since the 1930s. By 11am, however, the temperature was in the triple digits so we again retreated to the apartment for lunch and a break before venturing out again.
We spent the afternoon at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation – a museum and garden complex – and then to the Corte Inglés to see a movie (Incredibles 2). The kids have requested a low-activity day tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with a book.
Those are great photos! Thanks for the update. It looks like you saw a lot of interesting things.
I want to go to that aquarium! Everything looks beautiful, despite the miserable heat!