Tram Spotter

My First experience of trams was secondhand, Mam and Dad were always talking about the world famous Hill of Howth Tram. Unfortunately the tram line closed down before I was born. It was indeed the last tram in Ireland. Aparently grown men cried when it closed down. Of course it closed down due to lack of patronage and lack of investment. Anyhow the arrival of the new Luas Tram Lines in Dublin and a visit to Amsterdam gave me a new interest in trams, mainly travelling on them not just writing down the numbers. I have not become a Tramspotter as such and havn't got the Anorak yet.
What I really like is to visit European Cities to broaden my experience of the European mainland and if the city has a tram network or a tourist line, even better. One of my recent trips was with Mum and we decided to go to Lisbon, Portugal. Not having been there before it looked a nice city and it had the added bonus of several tram lines. In fact Lisbon is Tram City. There are several old fashioned tram Lines with traditional mainly wooden trams which have been lovingly restored and maintained. Lisbon also has several Funiculars and modern trams and another Tourist Line in Sintra just a few kilometres away. The Sintra Tramway has been recently extended by the local council and is quite old fashioned and the trams date back nearly 100 years. Mum said it was very like the Howth tram and memories flooded back to her particularly the shaking and rattles and the varnished wooden interior. Our tram driver for the day worked part time for the Council and he relayed stories to us as the tram travelled through the countryside. He even stopped the tram at one point so I could take photos. There was only one other passenger on the tram. It turned out the other passenger was going home for the weekend. during the week he stayed in a Hospital or possibly a Mental Institution. Every Friday he waits for the 2.00 tram and each week he tries to get away without paying his fare, The Tram driver explained they both play this game and each week they eventually come to an arrangement and the fare is agreed at about 80 cent. When I returned to Ireland I printed off some of the photos of the Sintra tram and posted some to the tram driver who wanted his passenger to have a picture of the tram and of us all in the tram. I havn't heard back from the driver, I hope the passenger got his photograph. Maybe another time I wil return to Sintra and get that 2.00 tram and I wonder will there be a certain passenger waiting?