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Belém, Lisbon, PortugalSunlight danced across the waters of the River Tagus, and the smell of salt came on the air from the Atlantic Ocean beyond. Morgan leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment, letting the balmy September sun warm her skin. It was only a short flight from Amsterdam, but Portugal felt like a different world. The culture was closer to her own Spanish heritage and the relaxed atmosphere of the beaches of Tel Aviv in Israel where she had grown up. Perhaps the sun melted away the sharp edges of the northern European personality here. She wished they had more time to get to know the place, but as ever, the mission marched on.
“I didn’t know that the Portuguese once had such an empire,” Jake said. He stood on the edge of a huge mosaic compass rose with a map of the worl
