Thursday, April 13 – Last full day in Portugal.

One final morning run took me back down to the waterfront and into the squares of the Baixa.

Then, weeks ago, I had booked us on a food tour for our final day. It turned out to be an excellent decision.

Entitled “Lisbon Awakens: A Culinary Crossroads, Reborn” it was a fascinating look at the history and culture of Portugal through its food. It started mid morning and took us to 4:00 in the afternoon.. Our guide, Ines, was born and raised in Lisbon and was passionate about teaching how overseas exploration in combination with shifts in political winds impacted the foods and flavors of the country.

She took us to some places we never would have found on our own and we made multiple stops to taste and learn. The positive experience was aided and abetted by the beautiful weather. Altogether, an excellent experience I would recommend to others. (And, of course, it means there are MANY food photos).

Back at the Airbnb, we rested and got ourselves packed for the trek home tomorrow. Erin presented her paper today and she had a conference dinner (and it isn’t as though we didn’t have enough food during the day) so we just opted for a gelato and a final drink this evening to toast the end of an excellent trip.

Alas, tomorrow will just Chris’s cranky observations on the miseries of air travel…

25,434 steps, 12.1 miles