Finishing February

Friends become your family when you're far away from home. 
We are grateful for the dear friends this mission has brought into our lives.

We spent a wonderful Sunday afternoon with Helena and Miguel Silva, their friends, and the missionaries.
We work with the Silvas in the temple. They are so faithful and such an asset to the Church here in Lisbon.



They served up some yummy Portuguese food!



On Monday we were on the other end of town. 
Neill and David Marriott are missionaries working with the Young Single Adults in the Lisbon area. They also work one shift at the temple once a week. 

They served up some yummy American food!!
(And, as Neill said, it was soooo fun just speaking English ALL night!)




We had so much fun going to see Little Women a couple of weeks ago, that we decided to do it again.
The Call of the Wild.👍


And, surprise! 
We finished another puzzle (quebra cabeça)


And with that, we say...

Palácio Nacional da Ajuda

This week's activities kept us in town. 

We needed to find the mission office and have some documents printed up for our travels during the upcoming temple closure.

(President snd Sister Fillmore, Elder Saples, and Elder Jensen)

With that task completed...

They say the best way to explore the city is to walk. 

Yes, we do walk...and walk...and walk.

We climb, as well.

 Lisbon was built on seven hills (and then some!) so you can really get a work-out!!

We found yet another church.

...and this quirky little place.

But the Ajuda National Palace was our determined destination. 

Located at the top of Ajuda hill (I know!), and with a superb view of the Tejo River, the palace's construction began in 1796. 
After the devastating 1755 earthquake, the royal family moved to the Ajuda area, where the land was safer. At first, they built a wood building which was known as the Royal Tent. The king thought that a wooden palace would be safer if another earthquake occurred, but, alas, in 1794, an accidental fire destroyed this house and new royal dwellings had to be built, this time in stone. 
Although the palace was never completed as planned due to the exile of the royal family in Brazil caused by the French invasion of Portugal, it is still one of Europe's most perfect romantic buildings.

This was the last official residence of the Portuguese Monarchy in the 19th century.

We weren't really in the area, but, hey, we had walked so much anyway, we decided to go and have lunch at our favorite - 

Time Out Market

- before heading home.

If I do say so myself - and not to brag or anything - but I do believe that we are becoming very proficient at navigating our way around this city - whether it be by metro, train, bus, taxi, or by the 'heel-toe' express!

One Year Older...

Yep!

One year older...

And wiser, too?!

This is what you do when you turn 72.

(And, who knew last year at this time, that I would be celebrating in Lisbon?!)

Anywho...
After we returned from our 'field trip' to Queluz on Monday, and finding that we still had quite a bit of the day left...

Kay and Larry had never eaten at a Hard Rock Cafe, so...

Why not!

And still not ready to end the day...
We picked up some pastéis de natas and headed to a movie.

Kay and I enjoyed Little Women a lot.


Thursday was the real birthday. 


Then...
We ride the metro all the time. And we always wonder what treasures would await us if we would get off at some random stop and go above.
At first glance the Alameda stop looked a little ho-hum but then we found this tiny little restaurant (seating for 20!) and decided to give it a try.  👍


Then...
we completed our day with our shift at the temple.



But wait...
The birthday week of celebration continued into Friday!
On our way to the temple yesterday afternoon, we noticed that our little park was having a chocolate festa. We couldn't pass that up!




And. One. More. Thing.
Puzzle #3.
Done!!


And now you know what you do when you turn 72!!!

Queluz

This week our travels took us to

QUELUZ.

In Portugal near Lisbon you can find a lot of palaces and castles. The Palacio de Queluz is one of them.

It is often called the 'Portuguese Versailles'.

Portugal has had at least 40 kings and queens in its loooong history, so it's hard to keep all these people straight, but here's a little story about this palace and it's king and queen.

Queluz Palace was built in 1747 and was the royal residence for Queen D. Maria I and Dom Pedro. Despite the 17 year age gap and the fact that Dom Pedro III was Queen Maria’s Uncle, the marriage was a happy one.

They say that when Dom Pedro died in 1786, poor Queen Maria started to show signs of madness which escalated when her eldest sign José died from smallpox two years later. She was then confined to ‘Maria’s Pavilion’, away from public view but her crazed screams were heard throughout the Palace. Eventually, her younger son Joao took her to Brazil in 1807 when the French invaded Portugal.

Maria lived in Brazil for a total of eight years, always in a state of incapacitation. In 1816, she died at the Carmo Convent in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 81.

She was known as Maria the Pious in Portugal and Maria the Mad in Brazil,

Let the tour begin...

Batalha

Batalha is a little town about two hours north of Lisbon. In 1385, it was the scene of the most important battle in Portugal -

the Battle of Aljubarrota. 

This battle ensured the Portuguese independence of the Castilians (Spanish).

It was a real military victory, to be sure. The Portuguese were greatly outnumbered. King João l vowed that if his little army defeated the Castilians, he would build a magnificent monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary. They won. And, true to his word, King João l built the Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória.

Some say that this is the best monastery in Portugal. 

It was never completed - even after working on it for 150 years.

It is a beautiful monastery!

Founder's Chapel

The tomb of King João l (1357-1433) and his wife, Queen Filipa de Lencastre (1360-1415).

Their son, Henry the Navigator, is buried here, as well. 

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The Unfinished Chapel

And isn't this just the cutest little lamb you ever did see?!

And isn't this just the cutest little art class you ever did see?!

Their easels are pizza boxes.