On Sunday, this past week, we took a trip to Madrid for four days of meetings. It was nice to be with co-workers, re-connect with friends from past training, be blessed by worship and music in English (!), and just be out of our city and apartment for a break.
For this meeting we were able to ride with co-workers who have been here for more years then we have and have worked and traveled in Spain. There is just something comforting in being able to go to a new place with someone who already knows how to get around and can navigate and show you some interesting sights. They even brought along a delicious picnic lunch to eat on the way.
We had an afternoon off on Tuesday and went to see some of the sights in Madrid and then on the day we left, we went home to Lisbon by way of Segovia - a really neat town in Spain, known for the best preserved aqueducts left by the Romans on the Iberian Peninsula. There is also a beautiful castle that was used by the kings and queens over the years. I'll put more pictures up later.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Last Friday
Some days things happen - like losing golf balls and not getting to eat at the restaurant that you'd planned to eat at. But that doesn't mean the day will end badly.
Don went out into the little "garden" that we have in front of our apartment building to practice a little on his swing. He only had two practice balls (lightweight nurf type) and he came back with only one. I think he spent more time in the bushes looking for the ball than getting to practice. I couldn't help but also think that the crowd of young people, walking by right after the wind took the ball to (or through) the bushes, had picked it up off the sidewalk and taken it on with them.
Then later in the evening we left our apartment and walked around the next block to the building where our Portuguese friends, Rui and Susana, live. We had decided to go out to eat for the evening and were riding with them into the downtown to eat at an "American" place - The Hard Rock Cafe. There was a wait of at least an hour and we had to stay there, standing on our feet, if we wanted to keep our place in line.
We decided to walk around a bit where there are many restaurants and cafes lining the streets and where you almost get accosted by the waiters who are out to drum up business for their tables. After walking around a bit we ended up going to a very well know Portuguese restaurant that was not in the center of the tourist area. We enjoyed some really good steaks, some good time with our friends, and a very good end to the day.
Don went out into the little "garden" that we have in front of our apartment building to practice a little on his swing. He only had two practice balls (lightweight nurf type) and he came back with only one. I think he spent more time in the bushes looking for the ball than getting to practice. I couldn't help but also think that the crowd of young people, walking by right after the wind took the ball to (or through) the bushes, had picked it up off the sidewalk and taken it on with them.
Then later in the evening we left our apartment and walked around the next block to the building where our Portuguese friends, Rui and Susana, live. We had decided to go out to eat for the evening and were riding with them into the downtown to eat at an "American" place - The Hard Rock Cafe. There was a wait of at least an hour and we had to stay there, standing on our feet, if we wanted to keep our place in line.
We decided to walk around a bit where there are many restaurants and cafes lining the streets and where you almost get accosted by the waiters who are out to drum up business for their tables. After walking around a bit we ended up going to a very well know Portuguese restaurant that was not in the center of the tourist area. We enjoyed some really good steaks, some good time with our friends, and a very good end to the day.
An Afternoon in the Baxia (or downtown, as we would say)
Today was a culture day and we went downtown to meet with a few people for lunch and say goodbye to a colleauge. We went to an Indian restaurant and then went looking for a straw hat for Don. Didn't find the hat but we had a good time looking.
I took a lot of pictures and Don would sit and wait for me sometimes when I would want to step into a store. We also saw some really interesting things as we walked around and even had to cross the street right in the middle of a political rally parade. The banner said "social service - yes; privatazation - no!" They had a car with a bullhorn leading the parade and they were leading the people in shouting slogans and such. People who wanted to cross the street would wait till there was a thin space in the crowd and cross over.
There was a guy playing the accordion who had a little dog holding a cup in it's mouth for donations. Lots of beggars - one with a really nasty looking wound on his leg that we wondered later if it was just a really good makeup job. If he could get up and walk on it, it would have been a miracle and he can't stay there all day every day. It is sad but there are places that will help the beggars but from what we are told they don't go there because they can make such good money off the tourists.
We carried around leftovers from the restaurant that Don intended to eat later but with the heat we were in, I just wondered how it would hit his stomach later. That was one reason we didn't give it to the beggars.
Last September we were down in the Baxia with our Portuguese friends and it was strange to be there today, just the two of us, knowing our way around, being confident of getting what we wanted (even if we couldn't speak well), navigating back to the metro and knowing how to get home. I used only Portuguese to order when I found a really good lime ice cream on a stick that is like the orange dream cycle. It tasted so good on a hot day with your mouth all dry from the heat and the wind.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Today's Language Route
As part of our language/culture hours we have several "language routes" that we take. Stopping at some of the same places every few days, getting to know the shop owners and workers and practicing our language. Today's route took us to places where we didn't speak any English and understood almost all that was spoken back to us! We did stop in our neighborhood on the way home to our little mini-market where some of the girls speak English but know that we are practicing and let us use Portuguese but will help us by way of English - explaining to us why something is said or not said a certain way and laughing with us over our (mostly Don's ; ) mistakes.
We walked down to a little cafe near our metro stop and ordered coffee, water, a scone, and a piece of cake and worked some in our grammar books. We rode the metro and didn't walk too far as it was such a very hot day but shopped for awhile in an air-conditioned store. It is 97 degrees right now with a very strong sun and most places, including our apartments, are not air conditioned. Oh, and typically the metro is a fairly cool place to be on a hot day, too.
Don and I split up as we were looking for different things and found workers to help us with what we were looking for. I was so happy to be able to ask for what I needed and not get a confused look and have to repeat what I said, but instead I got a direct answer that I understood! Granted it was not long sentences or big words but still a big encouragement.
Just a few pictures from today and I forgot to take one of our mini-market. I'm going to get some pictures of our friends in there sometime.
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