Language Feast

We have been staying in the very comfortable Hotel Real d´Obidos, just outside the walled village. We have walked a lot in the area. Today we turn in the car and will spend the night in Lisbon. These past weeks have been a language feast: Portuguese, Gallego, Spanish, Basque (I speak none) and French, most of which have been overlaid with a variety of accents. I love the sound and the familiar kinaesthesia in the mouth and throat when speaking. Hopefully the stimulation of switching back and forth helps keep cerebral synapses snappy. Through exposure, Glen finds he even understands languages he doesn´t speak. Every place we have visited has been more beautiful and enjoyable than our expectations. Ate logo / Until soon. Home tomorrow 27Jun07.

Musings from Portugal

The lingua franca in the countries we have visited in Europe seems to be English. Germans, Slovenians and Dutch, for example, communicate with the Portuguese, French and Spanish in English. *****Because of temperature, wind and rain in some combination, the most useful item on this trip has been my goretex jacket. We have had perhaps 6 or 7 days that were sunny all day. *****Americans would do well to borrow some energy conservation tips from the European Union. Lights in public places such as halls and bathrooms, usually turn on with motion sensors and turn off with timers. How simple. *****Our sojourn amidst chateaux in France, castle in Spain and paços in Portugal is about to end...

In Obidos, Portugal

After two nights in Lariño, we drove today from Costa da Morte (in Galicia, Spain) named the Coast of Death because of all the ship wrecks. The coast itself is beautiful despite its name, although I am sure that the area and ocean are grim in storms, especially in the winter. We are staying in Obidos (Portugal) tonight, and will spend the last night or two nights in Lisbon. We fly to Austin Wednesday 27Jun07 and arrive at night. This has been a wonderful trip but now we can´t wait to get home. We miss you all.

Uh-oh! Wanderlust

Wanderlust is setting in again. We may leave Montagrier early to wander back through Spain and Portugal. We will turn in our car and catch our flight home on the scheduled date in Lisbon.

University of Coimbra, Portugal

When I went to school in Santos, Brazil, in my childhood and teens, the University of Coimbra was spoken of with reverence and in awed tones. The University of Coimbra is a public university in Portugal, and was established in 1290. It is one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world. Glen and I got to visit it today.

Leaving Sintra, Portugal

This is Quinta Verde, Sintra, where we have spent a week with our friends, four other couples. Glen and I leave Sintra tomorrow and will spend one week driving through northern Portugal, northwest Spain, and then on to Montagrier, France, where we will spend four weeks. It will not be as easy to find internet access and time for posts during the next week, but we should be able to check our e-mail every two to three days.

Our Car Was Burgled in Sintra

We parked one block from the main street in the Historic Center of Sintra and had lunch. Our Peugeot has only one keyed lock on the driver's door. When we returned to the car there was no longer a key hole but rather a slot where a screwdriver had been inserted. The only thing that now allows us to lock and unlock the car is one electronic remote.
The thief(ves) left all the car doors unlocked and our binoculars were stolen out of the back where they had been tucked away out of sight in our backpacks. The car would have been burgled even if they had not been in it because nothing was visible. There must have been at least two thieves~~one look-out and one to cooly go through the car and pick and choose. They left the backpacks and my gortex jacket. This has never happened to Glen or me in our lives. Tough luck. Guess we won't be looking at any Spring birds soon. :-(

Euro $hock!

We have a Peugeot 307 Station Wagon on a purchase/sell-back program. The car rides beautifully and only had 2 kilometers on the odometer when we took delivery. We went to fill the car up with gas. It took 46.92 liters and cost Euros 64.70--at an exchange rate of 1.36 the tank of gas cost us U.S.$87.99. Gasp. We had braced ourselves for Euro Shock, but it still was a shock.

Beyond Words

What more need we say. Yum.

Loving Lisbon!

We arrived May 10 and felt groggy after flying all night, but today walked miles. The variety of fresh seafood is delicious and quite a treat!
Beijos, Tracy & Glen

Portugal

Portugal. Slightly smaller than the state of Indiana in the United States, population just under 11 million. The climate is maritime temperate and the reported annual average temperature is 61F, the latter information being of no practical use. We look forward to a variety of good seafood which will certainly include cod (the Portuguese must fix cod at least 365 different ways). We plan to abandon ourselves to the maudlin yearning and longing provoked by the beautifully plaintive fado singers. Que saudade já tenho.

Portugal juts out into the Atlantic. The lure of the ocean must have been strong, causing Portugal to spawn intrepid seafarers. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore the unknown world and the first to sail around the southern tip of Africa.

To Lisboa May 9, 2007

On May 9, Glen and I leave for Lisboa. Finalmente vou visitar o Portugal!
Then on to the Perigord in France.