To (But Not In) the Castle

The sign says to go to the Castle.
Graffito says "Mass Tourism = Human Pollution"

This morning's tourism experience was a visit to Castelo de Sao Jorge.  I use the term "morning" loosely, given that I am old and was jet lagged, so I didn't get out of bed until 11:00AM.

The Castle is the center of the original Moorish settlement of Lisbon.  The area around the Castle was lousy with tourists, thick as thieves.

I was going to go, but there was a line ...

A long line.

That went on and on and on.

So I didn't go in.  I've seen enough castles, I guess.  So I explored the neighborhood around the castles.  Where once this neighborhood teemed with Moors living in the shadow of the castle for protection from the crusading marauding Portuguese ...

Now it's narrow streets teem with souvenir shops

Or restaurants that proudly proclaim, "We have sardines!"  "Temos Sardinha!"

The neighborhood also teems with trolleys.

Teems.

Or maybe it's just my photo file that teems with the trolleys.

Or maybe there's a metaphor here I can end with.  Castles in Europe are like trolleys.  You miss one and another will come rolling along in minutes.