Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, centuries older than London, Paris or Rome. It is mainland Europe’s westernmost capital city and the only one on the Atlantic coast. It’s one of three European cities, where Anne and I attended an annual Rotary Club international meeting.

Lisbon was a city (under a different name) in Roman times, then ruled by Germanic tribes after the fall of Rome and captured by the Moors in the 8th Century. In the 12th Century, the Crusaders under Afonso Henriques retook the city, and it has been a political, economic and cultural center since.