Lisbon’s Golden Gate Bridge—who’da thunk it. A brief but enlightening stay in Lisbon showed more than I imagined. Stereotyping and ignorance generally produce the incorrect conclusions….. Lisbon’s mix of ancient (one of the oldest cities in the world) cultures, brief glories as a world power, modern city, and former colonizer of Brazil served well as a re-entry point to Europe from Brazil. Traffic choked like all major cities reflecting the commitment by our species to the mechanical tool also known as a car. I’m on board as we sit in this traffic contemplating how the car reflects the best and worst of us…. What we can do in art, style, mechanics, technology in general in worship of the combination of things the car does for us—our egos, expressions of art, easy movement of ourselves and our stuff—and what it does to us and our grandchildren’s grandchildren. It’s right up there with our other addictions like cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Anyway, Lisbon’s landmarks, monuments, cathedrals/churches, and old quarters are welcoming. The crossroads to-from Africa-Europe, Mediterranean-Atlantic, the Romans, Greeks, Moors, even more ancient cultures, and the new global population make for a vibrant hub, much more active and diverse than expected. As I enjoy wandering tiny ancient streets, Lisbon rewards with passageways so narrow that I can literally reach the walls on the buildings on both sides of the “streets”. I cannot help but wonder whether this was a defensive measure to force invading armies into narrow channels, vulnerable, and easier to repel.