little things

How to say Green Tea in Portuguese

| Mairead

(Look at the book paper butterflies!)

We’re sitting in a cafe in the afternoon both in our phones. This is so romantic… well maybe it is. Isn’t romance when the other person turns up with just what you wanted? Or when they ask you what you want and then bring it to you? Or when they’re interested in you and your interests?

(Can you smell the bread?)

Anyways, we’re both interested in reading (him) and writing to you (me) on our phones and that’s how we do romance here in the cafe in Portugal. Plus the sun is shining after a downpour this morning. I was on my get-some-photos walk when the hailstones started. I did have a rain coat and an umbrella but I still ended up with soaking jeans. They’re dry now and the rain clouds are gone… so maybe I’ll stop talking about the rain. Sure I will.

(Flowers in the park)

When we walked in here (to the cafe) there were two ladies chatting and as the locals do I said Bem Dia (good day) and they said Bo Tarde (good afternoon). I think you can say good day at any time.. but it might be just for mornings? Then I asked for thé vert which is the French for green tea… and the waitress said Chá Verde, the Portuguese for green tea.

(That’s how you say green tea in Portuguese)

All this to tell you, no matter what you want to say the Portuguese will help you say it. They are very welcoming and interested in what you want. Like I said romantic.

Isn’t it lovely when someone is interested in you, Mairead.

A Day in Porto – Part 4

| Mairead

(Tiles at the second Porto train station)

Still talking about Porto although we have moved further south. I am writing in a cafe, the rain is falling outside and there’s a television playing constant breaking news. Although I don’t speak or understand Portuguese it’s amazing what you can pick up from the pictures and the tone of the speakers.

(More tiles)

And indeed the tone of the – up to that moment very quiet – cafe owner as he discussed loudly with a customer, what he was hearing on the tv. So at first it looked like a strike of tanker drivers and I was well able to ignore it but when I looked up and saw cars queuing outside petrol stations I got a bit more interested! At the moment we have plenty of diesel, enough to drive to Spain to get more… So back to Porto…

(Looking in the window at the pan of boiling hot spicy sauce in Congo)

After the fish cakes we went on another walk to a restaurant called Congo. They have been here for decades. They are famous for their spicy pork sandwich. The spicy sauce is called Piri Piri and it’s boiled in huge pans in the front window. Then the raw meat, which had been frozen and sliced with a meat slicer, is added to the boiling sauce. This was served in a bread bun with a glass of beer.

(Congo’s menu tells the story)

Just in case that doesn’t sound very tempting, let me tell you it’s really tasty. Since becoming vintage I am a little concerned about my stomach’s reaction to spicy food. No ill effects to report, this was very good and had the added benefit that the bottled water tasted magnificent!

(View from outside the train station)

Our group of seven was gelling nicely now and there was even an opportunity for a joke about Brexit but we had a long (not very long) walk ahead so we finished up and headed to the train station. Yes, the (second) train station of Porto is impressive. Tiles, tiles and more tiles with scenes from Portuguese history on every wall. There’s the war with Spain, well, one of the wars with Spain. The one where both sides were fed up losing so many soldiers in battle that they decided to have a competition instead. A kind of jousting competition. Portugal won. Oh and we didn’t take a train.

(From the left white port, tawny and port wine)

Back outside we walked downhill via jewelry and flowers street towards the river. We were going port tasting at Portologia with explanations about white port (which doesn’t look white), tawny port and port wine. Very interesting. Port is kinda like Champagne in that you can only call it port if the grapes are grown and the port is produced in the Douro valley near Porto city. Also, it tastes different as it ages. The whole vintage thing just gives and gives, doesn’t it?

(Vintage computer spotted in a shop window)

When everyone had finished their three types of port and I had finished my water that was the end of the tour, it had taken three hours and was really enjoyable. Everyone said goodbye to Isabel but not before doing the Portuguese kissing on each cheek. Then she left promising to (and she did) email us tips and recommendations for the rest of our time in Porto.

(Hope this picture gives you a sense of the steep hill we had to navigate)

We walked very slowly back up the steep hill to get the bus home. When we arrived at the gate (via the death defying footbridge) to the Parque Biológico de Gaia it was locked! Denis thought we could definitely scale the fence. Port wine gives you wings, bottled water makes you wise. We walked back down to road level again and made our way to the main gate. It was locked too… again Denis with the scaling. I pushed the invisible bell (invisible to some…) and the nice man let us in.

Thank you, Isabel, we loved our day in Porto, Mairead.

(Can you see the yellow dot? That’s Parque Biológico de Gaia, Porto. Parking, electricity, water, free entry to park €19)

Normal Service Resumes

| Mairead

(There’s the border, remember when borders were places you had to stop and show your passport?)

We have arrived in Portugal and the weather has changed! There’s heat! We had decided to go just one hour south from Santiago but our phones both stopped getting service. That’s unusual. Forty five minutes further we were crossing the border and service was back.

(We are parked beside a park…)

It’s funny how you (we) get used to something. Our phones for example. Of course they are more than phones now. They are weather forecasters. They are parking finders. They are restaurant finders. They are route finders. They are birthday greeting senders, get well message senders, how are you doing? senders.

(That’s Spain over there and the bridge joining the two countries in the distance)

They are notebooks. They are book writing helpers. They are blog message savers. They are newspapers. They are cameras and photocopiers. They are flash lights and alarm bells and reminders. They are books, a library of books. They are exercise monitors. They are music players. They are photo albums. They are offices.

(A little bridge in the park joining us to the island)

They are clocks and calendars and bus timetables. They are televisions and translators. They are recipe books and talking books. They are information holders and sharers… and they are phones.

(The little island)

The phone network issue is making me grateful for my phone. Leaving my friend is making me sad but hugely grateful for friendship. Crossing the border is making me grateful that I am part of this place and sorry that our neighbours are leaving.

We’ll miss them when they’re gone, Mairead.

Did you watch the Late, Late?

| Mairead

(The Camino Natural de la Ruta del Cantabrico)

First of all, sorry if you did watch, no, my sister wasn’t on the Late Late Show (longest broadcasting show in Ireland, imagine.) No, you didn’t miss her singing – they cut her out.

(Look at those amazing clouds!)

Now I don’t want you to be thinking she didn’t do a good job. No, as far as I know she’s a grand singer, nothing to do with her talent. They cut the whole choir out, actually two choirs.

(And these!)

They ran out of time. And it was a great story, I’m sorry you didn’t get to hear it but I’ll check with her if it’s ok to share and tell you about it soon. Can’t get through to her at the moment she’s on a ferry on the Irish Sea. We love ferries in our family.

(Loved the noisy waves)

The other update: yesterday I did get out into nature and it was very beautiful. I packed up my fleece blanket and headed down to the sea where I sat on my blanket on a stone bench and watched the waves, the birds and the plants.

(Made a new friend)

I didn’t read, I didn’t write, I didn’t talk to anybody. Then I took some pictures for you and went back home to Ruby.

Thanks for the idea, nature loving friend! Mairead

(There we are just north of Santiago de Compostela in a town called Guitiriz, free parking, free electricity and free toilets)

Foz by the Sea

| Mairead

(See the house out on the edge of the cliff?)

We’re still in the place near the sea with the funny name – Foz. We’ve had our walk, I’m considering starting the couch to 5km running program again but I think it’s only because Denis is catching up on my walking steps. I might be more competitive than I realise. I’m no longer winning at the steps app and I seem to be putting a bit too much effort into thinking up a new strategy. Running might just be it. He doesn’t like running. I could win at running. I might well be losing my mind here in the Spanish rain.

(Close-up of some Lovely Lichen)

I can see a teeny tiny bit of blue sky so all will be well. In fact it was lovely and sunny this morning, only 7 degrees and a wind from the north or whichever direction the cold one comes from but still, the sun was nice.

(View of the mountains on our way here)

It’s something I don’t do enough of, look at the sky I mean. I was talking to my friend who doesn’t love reading. I, on the other hand, do love reading. I read all the time, even during meals if I can get away with it.

(Lots of cloud happenings)

She does something different in the times when I would be reading. So she was describing sitting in a deck chair with a cup of tea and a blanket around her shoulders looking at the clouds in the sky. And not just the clouds, she notices the birds, the trees waving in the breeze, the sounds, the smells and even the plants growing as she watches. Ok so she can’t see the plants growing but they do grow ever so slowly regardless.

(Big sky over the village with the narrow lanes)

Sometimes when she’s at work she finds herself thinking about nature carrying on with its work and it makes her feel good and at the same time long to be back outside just being in it. I was mesmerised.

(A few lovely clouds over Mont Saint Michel)

While we are away I spend far more time outside than I do while at home. It’s just the way it works out. I walk because I don’t have a car. I sit outside because our inside space is so small. And yet I don’t really see what’s right in front of my eyes. It’s like I’m so immersed in it I can’t see it. The practice of noticing nature seems so simple and so meditative and a perfect antidote to the competitive behaviour I seem to be practicing instead at the moment! When the rain stops I’m going outside (with my blanket) to just notice. Until then I can notice through the window.

Communing with nature, Mairead.

Change of Plans

| Mairead

(See the snow on the mountains outside town?)

There I was getting a quick look (literally, I’m not joking, 30 seconds of a look) at the pretty pictures on Instagram and I spot my best friend/bridesmaid from the 80’s who lives in Australia has posted a pretty picture. Aww, lovely cows… but wait it says, Rural Spain in the description. Is it a typo? Is there a place called Spain in Australia?

(Another lovely view, ten minutes away)

Quick as a flash I turn off the power to Instagram and head over to Viber. Are you in Spain? That was yesterday and today I got the reply, Yes! She is 90 minutes away from us! We will meet! In a few days we will be chatting like we’ve never been apart!

(And another… bit chilly on that beach today though)

Now… cast your mind back a few days to when I told you we had to change plans and go along the northern coast because of snow and low temperatures inland here in Spain. Because of that snow forecast we are in exactly the right place to avail of this opportunity to meet. I can’t wait! That’s pretty magical snow!

(The horses wear bells too)

Isn’t life amazing, it organises perfectly well on its own? Mairead.

PS. My sister (yes, the lovely one) will be singing on the Late Late Show tonight. She’s part of a choir at work, they got an amazing opportunity… the whole story will be on the show. I’ll have to wait until it gets to the RTÉ player on Saturday morning. You won’t want to miss it… well I don’t want to miss it, can you watch it for me?

(There we are on the coast in a town called Foz, €13 includes electricity, toilets and WiFi)

Nice cow

| Mairead

(Isn’t she adorable? All the cows have horns here. She seemed very friendly. The sound of her bell kept us company all day)

We are continuing our journey along northern Spain… slowly. We’ve reduced the driving time to an hour so Denis can work as normal. And we are zig zagging across the motorway (not as dangerous as it sounds) to spend a night near the sea followed by a night in the hills.

(There was an old graveyard near our stop with these pretty flowers just growing wild)

So last night was near the sea. 1.5km from the sea to be exact. We took down the bikes at 5pm and it was a lovely, mainly downhill, ride to the cliffs. Of course when it’s downhill on the way out it’s always uphill on the way back but we managed. We kept ourselves going by remembering the fitness goal might be getting closer.

(Beautiful view at the end of a short bicycle ride)

One of the new routines I started at New Year was drinking celery juice on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. I was very attracted to its benefits. It’s a bit of a palaver washing the stalks, chopping them, mashing them in the blender and then straining the mush through a sieve bag but any habit gets easier if you keep going. I checked with Denis before we left that the solar power battery would be up to the job of running the blender and he answered in the affirmative. We’ve been married long enough for me to realise that yes definitely doesn’t always mean yes definitely to the question you just asked. In this case it meant yes definitely that might work…

(Doesn’t that look like a face on the cliff?)

Now we’re here and I have a blender taking up space in the cupboard and three bunches of celery (from Spain via Tesco Greystones…) taking up space in the fridge with no way of bringing the two together to make juice. I’m lying, whenever we are hooked up to external electricity I can run the blender. This morning we were hooked up and I washed, chopped and began to blend. That’s when I realised how loud a blender is and how thin our walls are and how many people were sleeping around us in their thin walled vans. Maybe it was just about bringing the celery home.

To Spain, I mean. Mairead.

(There we are just west of Santander in a town called Cóbreces. €12 got us parking, electricity, WiFi, toilet and shower)

Dog Necklace and Free Wifi

| Mairead

2018 5

(Tierra de Campos from a moving motorhome)

Yesterday we travelled through a vast flat landscape, with gently undulating bits for added variety, called Tierra de Campos. The name means Land of Fields and that describes it well. The road we drove on was very good but no places to stop for photographs. I took some from the van but wished I’d washed the windscreen first…

2018 3

(See, no space to stop)

After two hours we arrived at the Spanish town of Palencia. We had never heard of it before but there’s a great motorhome parking spot with electricity and wifi, all free, so here we are. The town which is surprisingly beautiful, is a short walk through a park and over an old bridge. I got some pictures there and wrote in my notebook.

2018 10

(Main pedestrian street is called Calle Mayor)

The shopping street is full of beautiful buildings interspersed with very old cathedrals, churches and monasteries. There’s a lot to see in a very small space.

2018 8

(The old Roman bridge between the park and the town)

We’re getting used to being in a different country. There’s been a few changes… The time zone is different. The language is different. The availability of English speakers has reduced dramatically causing us to dig deep into our Spanish language resources. The love of change instead of banknotes is gone. The ease of using a credit card has increased… detrimentally.

2018 9

(Some lovely old shops here)

Another change is the shops close during the middle of the day, they open again around 5pm. So far we haven’t seen a big change in prices, definitely more expensive than Portugal but still way less than Ireland. I don’t know if it’s true of all of Spain but in this town there are a lot of Dad’s taking care of small children. There was an adorably lovely Dad yesterday pushing a small (<12 months) boy in a buggy with another possibly 3 year-old child wandering around him. But what made the Dad adorable was he was holding the little boy’s soother in his mouth. Well, that’s where I used to keep it clean too.

2018 7

(Interesting exhibit in the Archaeological museum… not dog hair)

I went to the Archaeological museum too and it was free on certain days and to certain ages and if you are a member of the EU. I seemed to qualify under one of those, the man in the ticket office didn’t have an English, but he decided it was free to me. Full of interesting exhibits including mosaics. They also had an exhibition of the work of art students in the area. The one I cannot forget is a felted necklace made from the artist’s dog’s hair!

Better that than stuck to the cushions I suppose… Mairead.

On the Rocks

| Mairead

2018 6

(The Clock Tower at Mȇda)

Continuing on our journey out of Portugal, two days ago we reached the town Mȇda. We are still in the land of huge rocks and it may not be clear from the photos how huge they really are. The medium-sized ones are the size of elephants and the large ones are bigger…

2018 7

(Stone wall… small rocks)

The outcroppings are everywhere. We stayed in a campsite in the town because our electricity and water need top ups and there was a mound of naturally occurring rocks there too. I walked up to the tower passing old stone walls that you might well see in Wicklow and definitely in the West of Ireland.

2018 3

(On the way to the Clock Tower… elephant sized rocks)

Earlier on our way into the town in search of a supermarket we passed a man and woman on a cart pulled by a donkey. Something I vaguely remember seeing as a child and seeing it here was very nostalgic. While pushing the trolley around the supermarket I almost bumped into the woman. They were doing their shopping. The new supermarket has been built just outside the town on a different hill. If you didn’t have a car it would be very difficult to shop there. The donkey and cart still has a place here. We passed them again going back down the hill and they were both walking, possibly too steep to let the donkey take the full load. Made me think of the donkey as part of the team.

2018 1 1

(While walking to the tower I saw a cart like the one at the supermarket, donkey-less)

All this is reminding me of home, even the weather. It’s been cold these last few days which is actually great for walking up hills. Also, the higher you go the better the breeze. I cannot imagine it in blazing sunshine. Must remember that, these expeditions are so much easier in a cool climate.

2018 2

(View from the top in the direction of Spain)

We’ll arrive in Spain tomorrow and we’ll have to change the clock to European Time. That’s another thing Portugal has in common with Ireland – the time.

Thinking of home. Mairead.