Lisbon, Portugal Day 2 in 2013

I left the hotel after a quick continental breakfast so as to catch the 8 AM bus to the Convention area…arriving about 8:30 AM. I completed my registration…then checked in with the Sergeant at Arms Office and got my assignments, etc…I have something to do each day…and started off helping in the Registration area…basically telling folks when they got off the bus where to go, what to do, etc….as best I could in the various languages being spoken….the ability to point helped me a lot as well as finding out where the bathrooms were and the ATM’s…as these were most of the questions. I was eventually joined by a Spanish and German speaking volunteer…so we did better.  A lot of fun as all of the attendees are here to have a good time and learn more about Rotary and what we are doing…so a very positive environment. My “duty” shift ended at noon..so I then went to the Press Center to get the story of what info I could get….the Record Searchlight wants a story…and the manager there gave me a pass to get into all events…although the registration does the same thing…but they do have a nice reception area and we are all invited to drop by for water, some goodies, etc. Appealed to me, of course.

The Convention Center itself was built in 1998 for a World Fair type of thing for the Portugal founding celebration…and it is ultra-modern in design, as my photos will show. Built around the sea and the sail idea…it is a one of a kind setting. The actual meeting rooms are typical but the Athletico Pavilion, which is the main function meeting area is a 20,000 seat arena, much like ours…but very modern in every respect. The outside designs are what makes it standout…and the entire area of about a 5 square mile area was originally totally undeveloped land along the Tegas River. Now it is a total new city, in fact, called New Lisbon by the locals….and included is a new mega mall with the new Metro station..of which the bridge leading from the Convention Center to the Metro was designed by…guess who? Calavera…who designed our Sun Dial bridge. It really looks similar but even more “artistic” than our bridge. Lisbon in built on 7 Hills….as other world cities…and this same theme of multi-levels is picked up in the mall and the surrounding area….and again, makes great use of water, water falls, running streams, etc. Very impressive. I had to pick up a notebook to hold my music for the choir so found their “supermarket”, Contempo, which is our Super WalMart. Huge crowds with huge baskets filled with whatever you can get at a Costco or Walmart….and probably 20 registers with 10-15 in each line….and as the fellow Rotarian behind me said…”and this is supposed to be a poor country???”.  No way, based on what I have seen the past two days…and I am writing this Sunday evening after a full 2 ½ days here.

About 2 PM I got back on the Hop On-Off Bus to go back downtown, which is about a20-30 minute ride (it took me 15 minutes this morning when we had to be at the choir rehearsal at 8 and I took a cab…roughly $13 for the 10 mile trip)…and then spent the afternoon on the two bus routes to pretty much see the whole area. I got off at 6…then walked about a mile up the hill to what is the best vantage point in Lisbon for some photos. Just a spectacular night to walk and enjoy the mild weather…ending up at the same Italian restaurant as the night before (surprise) for a delicious spaghetti dinner…again in the outside restaurant “watching the folks pass by”, and enjoying my dinner. Back to the room and a good night’s sleep. I had hoped to e-mail last night but his “system” was down…and just came back up…thus the delays.

More to come in Day 3.