Retrospective

As most of you know, we emigrated to Portugal in 2018.  We wanted to get away from what felt like an uncomfortable, untenable political climate in the US and for a host of other practical reasons, not to mention a good adventure.  Our lives here have become routine to a large degree and we’ve somehow accepted the maddening bureaucracies that intertwine life here.

Living here is a rich experience, complete with magnificent, humourless storks, tiny rough, winding, mountain roads that we’ve come to understand is how most of the world travels.  There are hidden Thai restaurant-jewels in plain sight among the bacalao cafes and there is even top-drawer Mexican food in Porto.  Neanderthal sites and caves of the last of those fascinating people dot the country and a three thousand year old neolithic village sits on the hill top above Viana do Castelo.  The people we have met and come to love are mostly villagers with multiple generations of their sense of place and the accompanying sense of pride in their villages and ways of life, far away from the “Headline News” of the world.   They got it right!   True, the headline folks can be found in Lisbon and even Porto, but we court the slower pace of our neighbors and friends.

 

Now that the “Holiday Delirium” aspect of living in Portugal is behind us, our lives are accented with smaller, more lovely events, sights, quests and pleasures.  Such as yesterday…On my way to Viana, over the mountain saddle at the end of our lane, I passed the elementary school in the foothill village of Subportela where there were several kids plastered against the play yard fence, all looking out. On the other side, a man had stopped his car and was bent forward in a beckoning posture toward a big wooly English type Black Lab who wagged slowly and happily toward the man…with a half inflated soccer ball in his mouth!   It was a priceless vignette. Started my day off with a smile.

Farther afield, most European countries are fairly inexpensive to reach and enjoy…we’ve been to Spain, Italy, Croatia, France and England on short holidays as well as many places in Portugal.  We are simply very fortunate to have been able to do what we have done and are doing.

Let’s start in late 2024, about the time of my last blog entry.  Now that most of the tourists have gone home, we are officially on our own holiday.  Last night we had fiery prawn tacos and shots of tequila in our favorite Mexican restaurant. In Cascais, just a few minutes from Lisbon…who’da guessed?  Today, chili dogs on the bluff and Monday we’ll ease down into the Algarve and the next day into Spain and up the Costa del Sol, headed once again for Menorca. 

Then the Holiday Season was upon us and again we distributed Oranges to the little people from a crate on the back of our moto…as I wrote to a friend, “Last night was Oranges For The Midgets Night. We bundled up and rattled into Viana to set up shop on the river promenade and passed out clementines and chocolates to all the little people. It isn’t something they are accustomed to and most look up in AWE at the windfall. Fun Hendon tradition!  Our midget Ukrainian philosopher, Platon, really worked the crowd. He would chase down families a half block away, shove chocolates and oranges into their hands and then leap on them with a big hug whether they wanted it or not!  He was hilarious.”

Winter may be approaching in Barroselas. Last night the wind howled and shrieked and the rain slammed through in horizontal sheets. Rua Faria Torres looked like Rio Faria Torres!

The sun isn’t due back for a full week and the wave heights are predicted to build to seven meters… gonna drink my coffee in a beach cafe and get in some good reading this week.  

My times in Texas and Oklahoma always loom when I drive over the saddle on our mountain toward Viana, and come across CowGirl.  Saw CowGirl today. We share a common bond of appreciation of cattle and we blow kisses to each other at every chance.  This is the true Iberia.  This experience seems to be captured in my mind in a series of vignettes…there is interesting imagery everywhere one looks, such as this handsome tops’l schooner in A Corunha.    I couldn’t get very close to her, but even at the distance I managed, a polite man walked up to my window, folded his hands together behind his back, courteously bowed to me and said, “Señor, it is impossible for your car to live at this place.” and PING!…The scene is in my permanent memory.

The other day I looked up at the Eiffel Bridge in Viana to find a horse and rider walking across the bridge swirling with motor traffic.  I believe it was just another-day-in-traffic for that rock steady horse. Ain’t no thang.  Really admire that young woman for adventuring out solo.  I’ve always found riding alone cross country to be a spiritual undertaking. She was well tacked with a Spanish stock saddle, two saddlebags, a bedroll and a good felt hat. Her heels were down and they obviously shared a vision. I’m sure the evening found them on some farm with good feed for the ‘tractor’ and a sense of calm and presence for the driver. I was quite admiring and envious.  They are both completely alive!

Meanwhile back in Barroselas, Trixie and I drove into Viana last evening. The city was alive with Agonia revelers. Have never seen it so festive.  Was so inspired I turned our party lights on when I got home and sat in the company of a pair of towering strelitzias.  In the quiet of our garden I could hear a choir in the distance. I hope your evening was as magical.

And then it came time to venture into Spain again … Hemingway said, ”Even on a hot day San Sebastian has a certain early – morning quality.” And Papa was correct. It is the most vibrant, well shaded and looking-forward city I have ever seen. One is caught up in the anticipation of the next treed boulevard, the next stretch of beach and seawall, whirling with clean-limbed youth. My timing was off by sixty years, but Gawdamitey it’s a handsome place.

This past summer I went to a museum exhibition of African Art and was amazed at the immediacy and earnestness of the masks.

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  Was so impressed that I found the wonderful master copper smith Jürgen and his wife Hildegrund in the Algarve and through Jürgen’s good offices arranged for some copper smithing instruction.  They have remarkable aesthetic appreciation, both of them, and I spent a few nights at their house and the days in Jürgen’s smithy.  This is the start of a wonderful journey.

As I prepared to drive to Loule and the smithy, I drove into town on some errand and noticed that Viana’s waterfront is lively and comfortable; the excess people seem to have gone home leaving us natives with a peaceful village. Also, quite lovely weather here with Fall-muted sun, a good breeze and mild temperatures…. Doesn’t get much better. This season always beckons; it resonates with memories of the smell of gun oil, gun dogs, bags of decoys and the glorious funk of long-stored waders. Even though those days are gone, I can still smell them, feel them, roll in them.  My son, Sheffield,  arrives this evening; will be good to see him.  He’s a very sweet and agreeable fellow.

 Last month I flew to Bristol in SW England for a little holiday by myself; Linda was in the States seeing her sisters.  It was a bold and maybe dangerous move for me, as I walk very unsteadily and must use a cane to move at all.  It was just fine, however, and I discovered that much of my frustration in walking with others is the need to try and keep their pace.  At my own pace I can go and go and go.  Bristol is steeped in nautical and Industrial Revolution History. I’m wild for it!   It has a marvellous little passenger ferry fleet that will stop or pick you up at every museum, pub and landing throughout the city. 

This museum allows people to sign up for an Engineer’s Class (10 minutes) and then they actually let you drive this little engine down the track and back. Way way cool!  They were booked full when I was there, or I’d still be there, so I was only able to watch as other ancient, decrepit children struggled up into the cab and got to drive away in a cloud of steam!  

But I came damned close to buying a big floppy engineer’s hat. I’ll be back.

I stayed in Portishead, which is about an hour from Bristol. My tiny cottage was even a bit removed from Portishead and I had to quickly understand the schedule of those wonderful double-decker busses.  

Now sitting in a seldom used, busted ass bus stop some five miles from the nearest village (Portishead) waiting for the X4 bus.  The buses run regularly and are regularly 20 minutes to an hour and a half late.  The temp is low 40s and there is now a fine English rain starting and although I bought a hat and gloves yesterday, I’ll still be happy to see the bus.

A moment ago a smart Rover came up the hill pulling a flatbed trailer stacked high with bales of freshly cut hay.  Instantly I could see the big blanketed horses shuffle in their boxes, hear them nicker softly and crane their necks for the best view of the arriving load.  And sure enough, the swirl of wind from the hay was incredibly fragrant.

The horses gave me hope, and it worked!  I’m now on a bright warm bus heading to Bristol!

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Meanwhile, I’ve been listening carefully to conversations among my fellow bus travelers and as far as I can tell, they all say some very fast variation of,

“Anyou Luv, becomshya, due gray, but either the Schondrello ups, or wecudefindaseves pickled init. Donchuearme, Luv?”…and they all nod approvingly. I nod too.  And there’s a certain passenger type…of the nine of us on the X5 into Portishead this morning, seven of us had canes or walkers. My People!

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The south of England is like a continuously unfurling set of ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL. It is gorgeous, lush and peopled with crows, hawks, pheasant, sheep, cattle, swans, gulls, horses, chickens and quaint little villages. I expect to see an Austin Seven come clattering out of a side street at any moment.  Nearly everyone has a dog, who are all invited into every restaurant, bus and shop.   Currently in Wells, which is the most picturesque yet.   This is a lovely experience!

That just about brings us up to date.  Be well and the here’s the Best of the Holiday Season to all!