Standing on Africa

Left before crack of dawn to try to beat Lisbon traffic and get to Mozambican consulate as it opened... five accidents on the approach to the 25 de Abril bridge put paid to that, but we were only No. 13 on the visa request queue. Spent the entire morning there, and various phone calls to UK and Maputo and papers printed in our car, but others still need officially translating and stamping, and they will not be granted until after their flight was booked, hey ho... such is bureaucracy and petty officialdom.

We are fairly used to it, but stressful for them. They did well, though, and we rewarded ourselves with some pastéis de Belém and a walk out on the riverfront. Here they are standing on the map of where they hope to be sometime next month; that's the Jerónimos monastery in the background.

A depressing encounter with the new priest. Bible study in a bit, might be the last for a while...

Gratefuls:
- Mike's driving and ingenuity with the printer
- almost forgot, a bit of good rain last night, hallelujah! 
- resulting in gorgeous, misty scenery this morning (how I would have loved time to photograph it)