May 1 is a holiday in much of the world. In Portugal and the rest of Europe, it is celebrated
as Labor Day. Papa and I got up this morning and went to the train station by 9:30. The train station was like a ghost town! We rode the train to the north central area of Lisbon and walked downhill over several hours to the historic center. Locals started coming out by 10 to walk their dogs, ride bikes, and go for runs. By 11, as we made our way across the city, musical groups started appearing in various places. By noon, there were celebrations all over, with parades of people in historic costumes, flamenco dancing, and a National Guard open house at the historic Convento Carma.
We ended the day by walking along the Tagus River, where others had gathered
to listen to a guitarist and watch the sunset. Such a good day!
Today is our last full day in Portugal on this trip. We've had a wonderful time. The countryside is beautiful, with incredible historic buildings, palaces, convents, and cathedrals. The people are happy and optimistic. Most speak English and want to be helpful to visitors. Many of the young people we've met at pousadas and hotels, work for minimum wage, $500/month. Throughout the country, we've seen people working in their vegetable gardens late in the day and on weekends, even in the smallest of yards. There are construction projects going on all over the country. Their national road system is well maintained. The metro system in Lisbon is cheap and efficient, as is public transportation across the country. The Portuguese are trying hard to pull themselves out of their current financial situation. Groceries are much less expensive than we pay in the US, with decent wine at 2E/bottle, loaf of bread for 69 cents, apples for 40 cents/pound. Gas is 1.37E/liter, or about $6.84/gallon. Over the past five years, they have proactively added alternative energy to their grid, with thousands of new wind turbines, reducing their reliance on fossil fuels and setting a record of renewable energy providing 70% of all of Portugal's power in the first quarter of 2013.
Our hats are off to them!
