Europe - Lisbon, Portugal

Friday, July 6

The train-trip from Paris to Lisbon was the worst ever (well, just as bad as the one in Yugoslavia). The part to the Spanish border was fine, air conditioned and everything, but at the border (Irún) we had to change train because the tracks are wider on the Iberian peninsula and the French train can't continue. Here is the deal, two trains are merged into one; half the passenger does not have a seat and the trip to Lisbon takes about 18 hours. How would you like to stand upright and sleep, in a crowd of garlic-smelling persons with screaming children? Well, if it is just for 18 hours, you might as well enjoy the horror and say to yourself: "In a few days I will look back at this experience and laugh", then it is much easier to consume.

Saturday, July 7

At the end of the ride (8AM) half the passengers had left the train and we found a compartment with two Danish girls, Mette and Søs (Jeanette), also going for Lisbon. Like us they had no plans and we persuaded them to go with us to a camp somewhat in the center of the city. They didn't have a tent but we explained that here everybody sleeps outside and the tent is only for safekeeping of the luggage.