In which a pickpocket is foiled

I heard the sound of a zip being unzipped and whirled around to confront a pair of startled 30-ish men. They denied everything. Then one said that the zip was open. Which confirmed their guilt. Jo was ready to take them on but there were no cops about (I have seen very few around) so we walked off. My camera was in that zipped compartment but my wallet is secreted in a zipped compartment at the bag’s back that is against my back. Surely I would feel a hand in there.

This happened as we were walking up to the Castle of St George. Once inside the turnstile I figured we were safe on the assumption that thieves wouldn’t spent their own money to buy an entrance ticket. [Still naïve.]

The castle dates from medieval times and is founded on prehistoric remains. It is a proper castle with high walls, deep slits, crenulations, cisterns and very steep staircases up the stone walls. It is easy to imagine blokes in chain mail and maidens in wimples.

On the way down the hill from the castle we dropped into the Cathedral where the Cardinal was conducting the Palm Sunday service. It had started at 11am and was still going strong at 11:45 when we were there. The choir sang beautifully. The church was decorated with palm fronds and people were carrying bunches of herbs – rosemary, bay leaves, etc presumably for next week’s Pascal lamb.

Then we went to Gernoimos at Belem which is a monastery in the Manueline style. It looks like a wedding cake that is melting in the sun. The place was packed with tourists enjoying the warmth on their spring break.

Jo has taken Jim and Fi to a football match on the Metro. He may stay to watch the game or come back to the hotel for a snooze.