Visiting a city for the second time takes the pressure off. We had already ticked off the big sights, so we could wander and people-watch and spend two hours at a flea market. 

But on the last day of our three-day stopover, we had to see the Monument to the Discoveries again, to ogle the gigantic sculpture. Since it’s a short walk from there to Belem Tower, we visited that again, too. 

The tower was the last sight early sailors would have seen as they set off for foreign ports and years-long voyages. It took on a special meaning since earlier in the day we visited the final ship to make the Portugal-India run. It gave us a taste of early navigation, of tight quarters and difficulties braved.

Travel has come a long way since then … but it’s still about discoveries, large and small.