Door was open, so we came in

Day 23:  Lisbon and Cacilhas, Portugal

Today was either a day that nothing worked out as planned or it was one of the best days ever – just a matter of perspective. 

We finally (!) got our plan together of what we wanted to see, so we get ready to purchase tickets … and we find out there is a two-day strike for better wages and working conditions, so all those plans won’t be happening.

So we pivot to a new plan. 

We decide to visit the actual tile factory where they have been producing azulejos for almost 300 years, we try out the local custard dessert called pastel de nata and decide we may have to take a class to make them.  While eating our treats, we find out there is the local health fair going on, complete with eye, teeth and hearing exams right in the main square.  We pause … and we also notice what looks to be an enthusiastic evangelical preacher in front of a youth group while on the other end of the square in front of the fountain the local university club (?) dressed in black cloaks is doing what looks like some right of initiation, which everyone else would call hazing.  We also see volunteers biking smiling seniors around the square while there seems to be a kids field day going with activities on the side   Other students are on the main stage performing hip hop moves while the previous group was an elementary school choir. 

We appreciate the daily life of the city that is unfolding right before our eyes.

Next, we decide to take the ferry across the bay for fresh seafood, and find out there is a tour of the last masted navy sailing ship in the harbor.  We ponder the Ship of Theseus  conundrum when we find it has been restored and only 13% is original. As we tour the Naval submarine next door, I find some irony in the rumbuncious child in front of us who is dressed as a little Napoleon, whose armies made the Portuguese royalty literally move their capital and themselves to Brazil in the early 1800’s.

We meander the streets and just when I am done with restaurant row and souvenir shops and ready to head back, Siri decides to go just a bit further which takes us down a different street and a door is open with a sign.  We read, “Guinness Record” and “When the door is open, you can visit”.  

The door is open, so we take it up on its offer.

We enter into a dark hallway and meet Eduardo Henriques –  An older gentleman with a kind smile.   He proudly lets us tour his home of treasures for the next half hour.  We find out he has been making murals of coins for decades and the largest are in the Guinness book of record and we can see why.  Some coins he has collected are just from Portugal, others are from Europe and the world.  All have been made into murals of Portugese ships and sailing themes.  His house is also a museum of naval artifacts of ship horns, bells, portholes and other souvenirs from his life as a merchant marine.  He keeps bringing us down more stairs and turning on lights to more rooms of his treasures.  We are impressed with his enthusiasm and his passion.  We take a few more pictures before we say our goodbyes.  As we walk back out into the sunshine and look at each other knowing that we just had one of those travel adventures that just happen when you go through an open door.