Lisbon

We arrived in Lisbon this afternoon to sunny skies and warm temperatures.  After checking into the hotel we headed for the downtown area for some sightseeing.  We toured the Restauadores and Baixa districts, strolling along the Avenida Liberdade, eventually making it to the waterfront area of the Rio Tagus.  Rachel and Sierra visited the Elevator de Santa Justa which gave them some great views of the city.  After that, we walked to the Prace Do Comercio (where the pictures were taken) where the ministerial buildings are.  The Praca is a very large plaza which was the site of the Royal Palace for over 400 years.The statue you see in the photos is that of King Jose I, erected in 1775.  The plaza area was once the gateway to Lisbon and it's still a very popular spot.  We stopped for dinner at an outdoor restaurant along the Rua Augusta, an upscale, mosaic-lined street lined with shops and cafe's. Tomorrow we are off to the Belem District, an area just outside the downtown district which is full of museums, historic buildings, and monuments.  The weather report is calling for rain for the next few days but hopefully not too much.