Usually Jet Lag Ruins My Sleep After a Long Flight. Not This Time.

I made it onboard Regent Seven Seas Mariner! Well rested, for sure, after a busy day in Lisbon, Portugal.

Our room is still plenty dark, so I have no idea of the time.

But nature is calling. This happens nightly — about midway through my sleep — so I figure it must be around 4 or 5 in the morning because we went to bed around midnight.

I quietly slip back into bed trying not to wake the wife, but she heard me up and asks "What time is it?”

I don't know, so I check my cellphone. "It's 11:15 a.m.," I say, confused, but thinking that the time change from traveling the day before from the United States to Lisbon must be playing into what I am seeing on my phone.

The time is correct, and we have slept for more than 11 straight hours. "What the hell happened?" we blurted out nearly simultaneously. We had expected to wake up early to explore a bit more of Lisbon and maybe get in a workout and a nice breakfast before our driver would pick us up at the hotel to take us to the port to start our Regent Seven Seas cruise. He was scheduled to arrive at noon.

That plan was out the window.

The good news: We got the best night of sleep in recent memory.

We typically battle jetlag for a couple nights after flying to Europe from the U.S. Many times, we bolt awake at 3 in the morning, unable to get back to sleep. So, we don't have to worry about that on this trip.

The bad news: We had 45 minutes to clean up a bit, pack and get down to greet our driver to get to the port to start our cruise. This meant we would get no breakfast and would miss out on taking in more of Lisbon.

That bummed us out a bit, but we scrambled and left our room in time to get our ride. Something was bothering me about rushing through the morning, though. I realized what it was as we went through security screening at the port and were expected to remove our electronics from our bags.

Well, this process goes as planned if you actually have your electronics still in your luggage!

I had forgot my tablet computer at the hotel. What the hell was in that one Sagres beer I had last night at dinner, I wondered. The 11-plus hours of sleep and now being so forgetful? That isn't all.

We called the hotel, the wonderful Altis Avenida, to let them know we left the computer there. They said they had already sent a driver on his way to meet us at the port with the computer and the pants we had left behind.

The computer and the what now?

I had left a pair of trousers in the closet, too. Yikes!

I'm happy to report that I have been reunited with my items and am typing this post on my tablet. (I may or may not be wearing said pants — or any pants — though, while doing so.)

I'm also delighted to tell you we had a fun day in Lisbon ahead of the hibernation period in our hotel. We really tired ourselves out after our late-night flight and stretch of being awake for 30 of 33 hours, but we had little choice because we had to see Sintra. We had the one day available in Lisbon, so we forged ahead.

Sintra is a delightful UNESCO World Heritage site. Major attractions include a castle, a museum, two palaces, a monastery, a forested park and sprawling hillside estates. We hiked up a switchback road into the forest and back down through the lush green park that is filled with well-marked hiking trails leading up into the mountains and the monastery and convent looming over the town.

We used the train system, hopping on at Rossio station in central Lisbon, which is easy to navigate and costs 5 euros per person roundtrip. The ride is about 45 minutes from Lisbon to Sintra, which is also filled with dozens of cafes, restaurants, shops and buildings with interesting architecture and colors.

We had a fabulous time in Portugal and will be back for more in-depth adventuring in and around Lisbon. Now, onward to Spain for the next few days. You can't say we aren't well rested for the trip.

Thanks for reading,

JR