PORTUGAL 2005 Part 12

It's a very long time until I can reached this final part. Enjoy it!

(This story continue from Part 11 - THE INDEX of this series are HERE)

**FAREWELL TO PORTUGAL**

'How are you, P' Praphon?' I asked Mr. Phaphon right in the next morning, at the breakfast table, after half-night walk through the rain last night. 'I thought I would've to get a cold, but I wouldn't.'

'Me, too.' replied Mr. Praphon 'What time do we leave?'

'I'm not quite sure but it'll be around 10 or 10:30.'

'Hmm, then let's have fast breakfast and we'll have a bit of time to stroll around. It's good light today.' He emptied his big cup of coffee before continue 'Had you packed?'

'Already! we can spend as much time as we have this morning but let me go back and pick some additonal clothes at my room first, it might be cold outside!' I answered and hurried back to my room.

I did really want to brought out some warm clothes which I brought over 10,000 km from my home country but couldn't find a chance to use them; a Texas long sleeve polyester top and a liverpool scarf. When I came back, Mr. Praphon look amaze at me.

'What?' He started 'You did brought these from Bangkok but why on earth did you never use them?'

'Oh! Because Portugal is warmer than I was expected. These gears are for temperature at or below 5 degree celcius. But today is the last day and I thought I better use them.' I replied.

'You should think of that sooner....more sooner...'

Both of us walked from the hotel's front to hotel's back and found out that on the back of the Palacio Hotel, there is a small casino, 'Casino Estoril'. As soon as we started walking, light went out again, and the rain was going to pour. However, I got used to these type of weather and just ignore it.

After stroll around in the pouring rain, we crossed the rail to the famous Estoril beach, a golden sand beach. There is no rain here and the sand is golden. The most beautiful beach I've ever seen over 2 weeks in Portugal. 'If I be here in the summer, I will swim in this blue sea no matter what!' I thought.

We returned to Hotel's lobby just after 10:30 and found many poeple here. Joyce was also there. She was updating Nora's symptom to others. She said that Nora have to be in Portugal until the doctor allows her to fly.

When everyone's ready, Pedro drove us to the airport where we did last farewell to him and also to Nunu. A few days ago, I wanted this day to come, but now, it's getting hard to part. When I was on board, sitting silently, thinking of thinks I've learnt and how valuable they are.

The SWISS was landing softly at the Suvarnabhumi airport. I, was walking toward the baggage claim area, called my girlfriend...

'I'M BACK....'

PORTUGAL 2005 Part 11

(This story continue from Part 10 - THE INDEX of this series are HERE)

**Final almoço em Portugal - FINAL LUNCH IN PORTUGAL**

The hard day for the company was passed by. I felt better when the next daylight shone on my face. The company set out again for the last business. It was a fair daylight in late November. Joyce wasn't with us today, she went to see Nora ere the dawn came. Pedro the driver drove carefully as ever but it was like the company has been spelled - No jest nor joke as of usual.

After the morning session, Nunu's colleague, zelador da empresa (the company's caretaker) led us to a restaurant which she claimed very very good in both taste and history. It was an old restaurant stuffed with various kinds of food; from soup 'til dessert. The hi-light of the restaurant was the old-style cooking equipment with large chimney in the centre of the room. She explained that this room was once being a kitchen for high family in the old days. The environment outside the restaurant was magnificent. I did use the long lunch time shooting many pictures. The taste of food was good but I might enjoyed them better if I didn't felt 'Thai-Food-Missing-sickness-syndrome' !!!

Thus our 'Última almoço da empresa em Portugal' - last lunch of the company in Portugal.

**Lisboa durante a noite - LISBON @ NIGHT**

When the dusk came, the training session was end, and my time in Portugal is also going to end. I and Mr. Praphon agreed that we can't afford to went back without exploring the heart of Lisbon, even it's during at night, like when we did in Oporto.

I and Mr. Praphon took comboio suburbano (suburban train) from Estoril to Cais do Sodré, which cost us only around 2EUD each and took 25 minutes. Cais do Sodré is located near the Lisbon's Linha da Caravela (Green line) Metro and the ferry station of Transtejo company which offers ferries to Cacilhas, Seixal and Montijo.

: Lisbon Metro Map from WIKIPEDIA

: With suburban train we used

After struggling for some time, we found the way to the mentioned Metro and were starting to discuss which way we should go. I proposed that we should enter Lisbon's downtown because last week we did explore Lisbon's urban at Oriente. We were not sure so we decided to took off the Metro station-by-station, starting from the next, Baixa-Chiado.

We had lucky and unlucky thing at that time, Baixa-Chiado seemed to link with the centre of Lisbon but it was about to rain again. I really felt angry because it was always rain when I were free or on vacation.

'RAIN? Why you've gotta rain? please do not rain, it is my last night in Lisbon, for heaven's sakes!!' I roared. But it seemed like asking for somethings from god from Buddist like me received no answer. The rain started pouring lightly. 'We shouuld go, shouldn't we?' I asked my superior.

'It seems like we have no choice, oh...' he stopped when we stepped out of the Metro exit. 'Look!, it's the christmas lights!!! They've prepared it one month ahead'.

At that moment, we accidentally found an old strange building. 'Elevador de Santa Justa' or 'Santa Justa Elevator' was its name. Some might call it 'Elevador do Carmo' (Carmo Elevator). This lift was built by Raul Mesnier de Ponsard, Gustave Effel's apprentice engineer. The elevator was more than 100 years old and still working.

The rain was getting stronger when we left Elevador de Santa Justa. We, then, walk straight down the slope of the hill. At the street's end, I found the beautiful 'Terreiro do Paço' which its square is now decorated with the LARGEST CHRISTMAS TREE IN EUROPE!! How big it is, I cannot say.

'Whooo! How can we manage to be here?' I asked but it's like I was murmuring to myself. 'This place must be very beautiful under sunlight but with this Christmas Tree, its beauty goes on day and night. Let's too several pictures P' Praphon!' I added but Mr. Praphon was too quick, he already took a few pictures.

'Come in to the frame!!' he called.

You can see how big it is from my last picture which was taken a few hundred metres. I confirmed that it was the largest in Europe after I travelled back to my home country.

THIS STORY CONTINUES IN THE NEXT PART