Scouting Locations, Painting Starts tomorrow

You know when you are really tired and you have that, "wait, what?" reaction?  On Tuesday, when I arrived in Lisbon Airport after my overnight flight, picked up my luggage, went through customs, had my covid test checked twice, had my temperature taken, had my vaccination card examined, bought a Portugal SIM card, negotiated for my rental car and then headed out of town, I was that kind of tired.  So tired that I was driving over a bridge and thought, wow, this bridge seems to go on forever.  I mean, this seems like a cool bridge, but it's kind of long. 

Yes, the Vasco de Gama bridge in Lisbon is long.  It's the longest bridge in the EU, at 7.6 miles. It's stunning.  Sigh.  

Today was a day to get my bearings and do some slow exploration of my surroundings. Benches strategically placed here and there along the cliffs in the area I'm staying are an unimaginably great resource for a painter.  Any one of these spots could be a great place to either stand and paint (as the Sundance Kid said, "I'm better when I move") and have the bench as a palette/supply holder, or if the urge to use Yupo paper strikes, sit down to hold the paper on a horizontal plane and give the paint a chance to stick to that slick surface instead of dripping to the ground.

I had only my phone/camera with me when I took these photos, but starting tomorrow, I will have a sketchbook or paint or both wherever I go.  And my trekking poles.  It's crazy beautiful -- and steep and rocky -- here.