Travel: Papa Bento

The day before I went to Lisbon, a girl at my hostel in Faro told me that the Pope was going to be there at the same time. Indeed Lisbon was very excited for the visit. Portugal is the second most Catholic country in Europe, after Poland.

I guess in Portugal they don't have bento boxes because the Pope is called Bento.

Nearest distance to Pope Benedict: 50 feet. He went by in the Popemobile but I didn't get a picture of him at that moment. But there he is, very small in the chair.

People attending mass with the Pope: LOADS including me. I read somewhere that there were 80,000 in the square and 200,000 along the streets. 

Average mass attendant: old lady in her 60s. 

Banners, posters, flags with the Pope's face: LOADS 

Bank of the Holy Spirit, appropriately, has a banner of the Pope. 

At the end of mass, a lot of priests came amongst the crowd to give communion. I got a funny look from the old lady standing next to me when I didn't go up for it. 

No thanks.