Happy Birthday to me!!
On the bus ride towards Porto we learned about the production of cork from the Cork Oak Tree. The trees must be 25 years old before the bark can be stripped off and then you must wait 9 years each time you want to harvest the bark but the trees do live to be 200 years old.
Our lunch stop in Nazare was nice but I wish we could have gone around the point to see some of the worlds’s tallest waves.
Alcobaca Monastery (pronounced 'Al-co-bassa) was finished in 1220 for the Cistercian monks. It was built to be very plain so that the monks would not be distracted from their prayers. There were anywhere from 50 to 100 monks at that time. It was built near a river so they had running water, a very large kitchen and huge fireplace.
Near the monastery was the chapter house and in the transept King Peter and his beloved Queen Ines are buried facing each other. Because they are royalty they have very elaborately decorated tombs.
We arrived in Porto and boarded our ship in time for dinner where we met our table mates with whom we will dine every meal. Luckily we have a very lively group that seems to get along well. Susan & Janice are travel companions, Mary Beth & Brad, Cheryl & AL, and John and I.
The cruise manager, Isabel, gave me a cork purse and they made a birthday cake for me to share with my table and sang to me as well. A very nice way to celebrate a new decade of life!
Night scenes of Porto from the ship.
No comments:
Post a Comment