The Christmas Lights are Up

For some time now, it has been dark when we get out of class and make our way to the metro and the walk home. We are now taking class that goes from 2pm-6pm each day.  I can't say that our walk home is in the dark because in a city this size, there are street lights everywhere.  We can even take pictures and have them turn out.  But these days, it is even brighter as the Christmas lights are up. You can't tell from the picture but the doves wings move and the star twinkles. Still it just doesn't "feel" like Christmas has in the past. Maybe not having our Christmas decorations that were "supposed" to be in our crate and not having the Pennsylvania fall or the cold and snow has kept us from moving into the season. Maybe it's because this year just  it isn't the "same". Still, the fact remains that we have so much to celebrate regardless of how it "feels" and just knowing that Jesus is the true Light of the World gives us all the reason we need to CELEBRATE.  

This last picture shows you the bridge that is almost  to our apartment building on our walk home each evening. Don likes to walk on the bike path - he says it is easier on the feet than the cobblestone sidewalks.

It Doesn't Feel SO Strange Anymore

In the last week or two, we have become more comfortable with life here. It was such a gradual change that we have been surprised to realize that we are actually "comfortable" most of the time. Well, at least with almost everything but the driving... Even Don doesn't feel comfortable yet about that and we still don't know how or what streets to go on.

Even though we don't know the language we don't go places wondering how we are going to get what we need. We know that we can get by in a pinch and if we have to come back another time, so be it. We walk into our big grocery store, where very few of the workers can even speak a tiny amount of English, and we go about our business as if we were in Walmart back home. Sometimes some customer standing next to us can answer a question or two and we always have fun trying to talk to them.

I went into a small store to buy some white tea the other day and neither one of the ladies spoke any English. By hand signs, I just told them I was looking, and then I remembered that I could say, "I would like... tea white." It was a wonderful feeling to have the words come to me when I'd already given up!

Friday night we walked to a big mall near us and met with other friends on our team for one of the children's birthday parties. We had conversations in English, Pizza Hut pizza (actually tastes very close to the pizza in the States), and birthday cake that was made with American cake mix! We could have been in the States just going about a regular birthday but then when we left and went out to walk around the mall - this time I didn't notice the big differences. It just seemed like a mall to me with people in it. The language didn't seem so strange, and the signs did not make me wonder what they said (I recognize some words now and know that in time, I will get a lot more.)

Okay, speaking of language, now I need to go study those present tense verbs that we are going to be tested on next week...

Costa da Caparica

Costa da Caparica is one of the many beaches in the Lisbon area. On this afternoon, in early October, we were driving around with our friends and decided to make a detour to the beach just to look at the sea and walk around a little bit. Costa da Caparica is across the river from Lisbon and on the Atlantic coast. You can stand on the beach and look to your right and see where the river empties out into the sea.

It was our first time to see the ocean since we have come to Lisbon and it was a perfect day in the late afternoon, with the sun beginning to set, a pleasant breeze and not too many people. Just smelling the fresh sea breeze, feeling the warmth on our faces, and watching the sun set was a gift from God. Don even got a picture of a lone surfer walking across our view as the sun was disappearing out of sight.

Fairs and Feiras

We have county fairs in the States, usually held sometime during the summer, but here in Portugal they have their version (somewhat) of a county fair called a feira. Their feira's last longer and in the case of the one near our apartment, it lasted for all of September. We enjoyed walking down on several occasions to enjoy the activity that surrounds a feira. There were even a few rides for small children. We also got a few nice plants and a really good little pan at one of the booths.

They have a lot of the same things we do - "fair food" of grilled chicken, hamburgers, sausages, corn, potatoes, friend potatoes, and even cotton candy. They also have a version of fried dough but shaped in the form of long hollow tubes that can be filled with cream or fruit fillings or just left empty and then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. We chuckled a little about the name because it wouldn't go over so well in the States - to be eating "farturas".

The word "feira"also means market and in fact, the days of the week came from their "market" days. Monday is segunda-feira (2nd market), Tuesday is terça-feira (3rd market), quarta..., quinta..., sexta... Saturday and Sunday are Sabado and Domingo with no -feira after the word.

The gypsies sell a lot things at the feiras - name brands and immitations. If you need something, you will probably find it for a pretty good price at these kinds of annual feiras.

Football (American) in Portugal

There is football (futebol, or as we know it, soccer) and the much less known and/or liked futebol americano in Portugal. The futebol americano is a non-professional version, but still very competitive from what I hear. The team that Don helps with practices on a grassy area where the Vasco de Gama bridge starts on the Lisbon side of the river. It is about 15 or 20 minutes from our house and a little more when Don gets lost. There are so many streets, buildings, traffic, twists and turns, that even when you are somewhat familiar with an area it is still easy to lose your way.

The videos are from one of the first practice sessions.

This morning there is actually a scrimmage going on between two teams at a stadium. The game will serve two purposes - practice game for the teams, and learning and practice for the new referees. Don had to leave at 7am and I am waiting for him to come home and tell me how it went. I wonder how crazy it got.

Arraiolos

Arraiolos is a town that is know for it's hand made wool carpets. In fact the name of the town and the name of the carpets are the same. Wikipedia has this to say "Arraiolos is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 683.0 km² and a total population of 7,389 inhabitants. The small town of Arraiolos has 3,351 inhabitants."

The municipality is located in the District of Évora.

Evora

Here is a link to information about Evora. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/portugal/evora

It really was a beautiful place and has the World Heritage status. Wikipedia says, "

A World Heritage Site is a place of either cultural or physical significance."

"We bones that are here wait for yours to join us."

Of Guards and Gargoyles

There are guards outside of the Belem National Palace (where the President of Portugal lives) and gargoyles on the monastery. The monastery is just down the street from the palace. These two gargoyles are just two of many other ones, even uglier than these, if you can believe it.

These gargoyles have holes for their mouths which makes me think that their purpose here was what many gargoyles were used for - as water spouts for the runoff of rain on the roofs to go out away from the building walls and foundation. One common belief also, is that they kept evil away from the building and its occupants, watching from high above.

In thinking about that as we explored the chapel in the monastery, I couldn't help but thank the Lord that He is with us at all times, in every situation, serving as our loving protector. In this city that is still a little strange to me, where we don't know the language and just walking across a street or trying to get out of the subway car before the doors close can be an adventure, our loving heavenly Father walks with us.

By the way, did you notice that even guards (human ones that is) sometimes need to wear sunglasses in Lisbon?

Monastery of Jeronimos

The building of this monastery, commissioned by King Manuel (who ruled Portugal from 1469 - 1521), began in 1502 and took 50 years to complete. It was built on the site of a chapel that the sailors would pray in before leaving on their voyages of discovery and to commemorate the return of Vasco Da Gama from India. Much of the building was funded by a tax on the spices they would bring back from the trade routes.

The Sunday night that we visited the monastery was a beautiful evening and it was interesting, as we moved around the building, that the faint background noise that we heard was not of people praying, but the cheering from the soccer game going on in the stadium that was a few blocks behind the monastery. Shortly afterwards, across the way from the monastery, we watched a big cruise ship pull out of dock and head down the river to the ocean. Monasteries, soccer games, and cruise ships - the span of history, culture, and present day endeavors - so varied and colorful. Yet none of it counts for much without knowing the meaning and purpose for what we were created for, a relationship with the Creator of all this world around us.

Ups and Downs (when walking)

Lisbon is another city that is set on "seven hills", so there are often a lot of "ups and downs" to deal with. We live in an area that is more level so our walk to the Metro (subway) and then to our language class is another part of the city (fairly level, too) is not difficult on a daily basis.

But, there are times that you do have to exert yourself to get around ; ) I'm just glad the Metro has escalators in many of the stations. The picture I have here is the Baixa-Chiado, one you can catch downtown. The escalator/steps tube is like a big throat that swallows you up as you descend to the level of the station. I was actually standing at the bottom of the fist escalator and yes, there is even another set going down, out of sight, at the bottom of the picture.

Windows, Balconies, and Clotheslines

I'm really fascinated with the old architecture here in Lisbon. I love to see the curves and windows, ironwork and stone. They have a law here now that when a building gets too old to use, instead of taking it down they have to demolish just the inside of the building. While they can completely rebuild the inside, they have to leave the facade up and restore it to its original form.

I was thinking the other day how much that is like God working in our lives. He makes us new on the inside when He moves into our lives and even though we don't get our facades restored just yet, someday we will be the way He intended us to be before decay ever came into the world.

For the time being though, life goes on whether the building is being restored or not, and often you get glimpses of life through the windows, balconies, and clotheslines...

Interesting Things in the "baixa"

The word, baixa, has several meanings but in general, when speaking about the city, it is used to describe the town center or "downtown". We have been downtown on several occasions with our friends and it is always a fun place to go, full of all kinds of sights and sounds.

Shops, cafes, churches, historical sights, plazas, ... the list could go on, and around every corner you turn, there is usually something more to see.

This plaza, a historic center of Lisbon and as Rick Steves' Portugal (tourist guide) says, "... is still the city's bustling cultural heart. Given its elongated shape, historians believe it was a Roman racetrack 2000 years ago; these days, cars circle the loop instead of chariots. ... Notice the fine stone patterns in the pavement, which once upon a time made locals seasick." (Rock your computer screen from side to side and you might get a little seasick, too.)

This guy could really play the accordion and I think he would have made money without the little dog holding the cup in its mouth. I felt a little sorry for the dog but it was really cute.

Some streets are really busy with traffic (and you have to watch out for the taxis - those drivers will run over you in a split second) but in the baixa, there are streets for just the people, too.

When we first came upon this guy we thought it was a statue, just drawing attention for the store behind him. It was incredible how still he could hold and then when someone would drop a coin in the can, he would begin to move as if he were a robot. I felt sorry for him, too, as the afternoon was so hot.

Where the Bull Fights Are Held

One day our friends took us to Campo Pequeno, an area of the city where the bull fights are held. I was surprised to see this big building that doesn't look like a traditional stadium where sporting events would be held. I was even more surprised to walk in and see the area the bull fights are held and then go out into the halls and down below to find a very nice shopping mall. Outside the building there are nice big areas for people to sit and walk but all around those areas are very busy streets and blocks of city buildings.

On the Way Home

Every day we walk to the metro stop; go down the escalators; go through the turnstiles; walk down more steps; and, if we get there at the right moment, we can walk right into the "cab" or whatever the compartment is called on a subway train.

Most days we just miss it or it hasn't come yet and we have a short wait for the next one. We are at the end of the green or "Verde" line and we have to ride one stop and then transfer to the yellow or "Amarelo" line.

If we are having good connection times we can jump through the doors and hustle across the platform and squeeze into the train. Most days we have a little longer wait than the first time and we have to stand up for the next four stops, packed in like sardines.

Once there we go back up the steps, through the turnstiles, down a tunnel, up some more steps and into the bright sunshine. We cross several streets - one a major intersection where we often cross two lanes and wait in the middle until the next light turns for us to finish crossing the street. We walk a few more blocks and come to our school building.

Coming back after class, shortly after noon, the ride and walk home are a little more restful. The stations are clearer, the trains much less crowded, and the traffic minimal. These pictures show the last station and part of the walk home. The construction is for a new bike lane and the graffiti under the bridge is ever changing. Notice the pink buildings in the last picture that Don is walking towards. Those are our buildings - we are almost home.

Interesting Things

In this updated building they chose to keep some of the old character. The calling tubes still work, I believe and I intend to ask Don to call up someday when I go up to the school rooms first - there is one tube on the wall when you go in the classroom suite door. The other interesting thing was the old peep that is on the door. If you look closely you will see Don's eyes and nose on the other side of the grate.

Our School Building

We think we have a very interesting school building. For one, on the outside it looks nice but not particularly eye catching. The glass door with the green grillwork is pretty heavy to open and to get in you have to ring the bell so the receptionist can buzz you in from the 3rd floor . Our classroom room suite just has the basic small white rooms and narrow hallways and looks like a completely different world that the foyer. The foyer is - well, I don't know the word to use right now. The building is old and Don is standing by the original talking tubes for calling up the the upper floors. It is really pretty in an ornate sort of way but I think the heads are a little freaky as they stare at you from above, almost as if they are watching who comes and goes.