I'm sure lots of studies have been done on the differences between living in hot and cold climates and I think at the end of the day everyone experiences similar ups and downs in life - family, love, death, etc., but it sure as hell is a lot easier to cope/be more relaxed/less stressed in a warm climate.
Some more observations on life in Portugal.......
Shops empty - how boring
The 'Crisis' is still hitting hard here. Half of the shops in Espinho have 'for sale' or 'for rent' signs, and the remainder seem to do very little business. I often think as I pass up and down the streets how boring it must be for the shop assistants - standing there all day long, trying to look busy with the odd customer trickling in every couple of hours. There are a lot more people around because of the weather and we're heading into the summer season, but most of them seem to hit either the beach or the esplanade - so not much use to a shop a couple of streets away in town. Finally the beach cafes and restaurants are filling up. There's nothing more bleak than empty tables, with forlorn looking waiters pacing up and down waiting for customers. I guess it's the same in most resort towns, but Espinho is more a living town than a resort and I think it is felt even more.
Shops - birds/children/religious
Funnily enough, the shops that seem to survive, with new ones opening regularly, cater to the following markets:
- Kids
- Religion
- Pets
- Beauty
Lot of shops in Espinho selling all sorts of religious memorabilia, although I passed one the other day and wondered if Tarot reading is compatible with statues of the Madonna?
Napkins
Ok, I'm going to rant here.....why, dear Lord, do they use slippery, shiny, tiny paper napkins in all the cafes? It reminds me of the toilet paper we used to have at home a million years ago - people of a certain vintage will know what I'm talking about. It didn't work as toilet paper and it doesn't work for napkins. False economy - I end up using about 5 of them in one go. So, there's a business idea for someone. Make it cost effective for them and you're on a roll, here in Portugal at least.
White Horses on the ocean
But I have to say that I have finally found the ultimate herd of wild stallions, galloping across the water, with their magnificent white manes flowing in the wind. I went to the beach a lot during the winter to watch the waves and that scene unfolded many times. Absolutely mesmerising.
Street cleaners working in unison - sweeping the esplanade after the storm
We had one very major storm this winter and over a period of a week tons of sand was blown up from the beach onto the esplanade. I was fascinated watching the army of street cleaners at work. Over the space of about two weeks there were anywhere from 10-20 people, standing in rows with their sweeping brushes going brush, brush, brush....forming little piles of sand - brush, brush, brush....more little piles of sand. Next came a small digger type machine to scoop up each pile and throw it back onto the beach. Great to see them all get some employment, but I think it could have been done in a couple of days with a street cleaning machine?! I have to say that there are armies of them out every day in Espinho sweeping the streets and without them, the place would very quickly resemble a rubbish tip.
Family bonds - Sundays
The Portuguese are extremely family oriented. And Sundays are usually given over to spending long hours eating, drinking, yakking, yakking, yakking and walking (verrrrrrry slowly) on the esplanade..... I think some of the British married to Portuguese use the Hashing as an escape from the weekly ritual - for a few hours at least. It's nice to see but I think I would find it too much of the same all the time and would be itching to get out and do something.
No one on the highway
One thing I've noticed when travelling in Portugal these past few months is that there is practically NO ONE on the motorways. They have some fantastic motorways here in the north - I can only imagine what they are like in the south near Lisbon. Two reasons for the lack of cars I'm told (because there are plenty of cars in the towns and cities). One is the price of petrol (similar to Ireland) and the second is the price of the motorway tolls - I observed at least four toll stations on the way to Braga, and that's in the space of one hour. But it is really strange and kind of eerie to be travelling on a Sunday with no one (seemingly) out and about......a bit like being on a ghost highway.
I'm still hashing (although some noses have wrinkled when I explain what it is and who organises it - mine wrinkled also initially but you gotta do what you gotta do to get out there). We've had some really good ones recently - excellent weather and in some nice areas close to Porto. Finally getting to see some of the more rural areas and they are a throwback to times gone by...small farms, cocks crowing (when do they not?), dogs yelping....
I finally got to help set a Hash...that means I was a Hare for the day. Myself and Joe spent a few hours on the Saturday before marking out the route - I wanted to make it as hard as possible but was voted down....hey, what's life without a challenge?
And to mark the occasion at the end of the Hash on Sunday, the two Hares had to do a 'down, down' (basically drink a beer out of a plastic urinal (used only for this purpose!). All part of the ritual (what age are these guys - 7??!).
Travelling Fool......this time all in Portugal
Aveiro (May)
I took my bike and headed by train/bike/ferry/train to the main town south of Espinho - Aveiro. Aveiro is on a lagoon and is quaintly known as the 'Venice' of Portugal (I say quaintly because although it is very pretty and yes, there are canals throughout the town - it's stretching it a bit - a lot, to compare it with Venice. The town is a fishing port that produces salt, wine and lumber.
Lovely day cycling by the river to
the São Jacinto Nature Reserve, with
beautiful sand dunes and not a sinner around. But that very fact became a bit of a problem. I
was on the beach walking at the water's edge when I realised I was totally isolated
and had better head back when a lone fisherman starting to come towards me...nothing
wrong with that normally, but why was he heading directly for me (even when I
changed course)?
Oh Jesus....he's fiddling with his flies (not the ones you use to fish with)....'how did I get myself into this situation?'.....keep calm, take out mobile phone, start jabbering gibberish...look straight ahead....almost there....DO NOT LOOK AT HIM......oh my God...'there's my bike' - run/cycle/fly away. Ok, wrong time of the year to be there alone - you live and learn.
Oh Jesus....he's fiddling with his flies (not the ones you use to fish with)....'how did I get myself into this situation?'.....keep calm, take out mobile phone, start jabbering gibberish...look straight ahead....almost there....DO NOT LOOK AT HIM......oh my God...'there's my bike' - run/cycle/fly away. Ok, wrong time of the year to be there alone - you live and learn.
Headed off one Sunday with Jorge, a teacher at my school. Jorge was born and brought up in New Jersey. His parents are Portuguese and he always spoke Portuguese at home and came to visit Portugal in the summers. His rendition of his childhood reminds me of a lot of the Italian-Americans I met when I lived in Boston. They retain a large part of their heritage and holidays and celebrations are like being back in the old country.
Braga is one of Portugal's main religious centres, with lots of baroque churches and 18th century houses. We also visited the pilgrimage site of Bom Jesus, which has a baroque stairway which zigzags up to the church.
Apparently during Holy Week (week before Easter) these steps are climbed by penitents on their hands and knees (not a patch on the agony inflicted on penitents climbing Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday in Mayo!).This site is considered very spiritual and one of the most beautiful pilgrimage sites in Portugal. We also visited Barcelos, home of the famous Barcelos Rooster. The rooster is celebrated everywhere in northern Portugal, with gift shops selling everything with the emblem on it.
The legend tells of a Gallego who was sentenced to hang, despite his protests of innocence. In a last minute appeal to the judge, who was enjoying dinner at the time, the condemned man made a bold statement: If his claim of innocence was true, the roasted rooster on the judge's plate would get up and crow. Suddenly, a gorgeous scarlet-plumed cockerel rose from the plate, crowing loud and long. The man was acquitted and the legend was born!
Viana do Castelo
The networks are expanding. How the networking loop works:
I received a lovely invitation as follows
- I attend a workshop in Porto
- hear Irish accent behind me
- start conversation
- discover Maura's from Spiddal - came to Portugal, fell in love, 20 years later she's still here, still married, still has three grown kids
- mention that Espinho is a bit 'dead' and not much to do
- exchange contact details
- 2 weeks later receive an invitation to visit them in their weekend bolt hole in Viana do Costelo.
Maura and her husband Antonio very kindly, warmly and generously (I know you're reading this Maura!) invited me to spend the weekend. I could only go Saturday afternoon and Sunday because of school but it was so worth it. They have restored a very run-down barn type building and it is absolutely beautiful. The house is in a small village called Darque, which is part of Viana do Costelo. We had a great meal - sea bass packed in sea salt and baked in the oven - delicious. On Sunday we had a wonderful day, early morning walk by the river on my own, typical breakfast at a local cafe (toast and coffee - no big 'Irish' breakfast here), then visited an area further inland to try to find a waterfall. We didn't find the one we were looking for but instead we stumbled upon a beautiful river walk with glorious rock pools. It was magical....
Finished the afternoon with a great lunch (7 Euro per person and I won't even go into what we got for that as it will make you insanely jealous...suffice to say that there was eating and drinking a-plenty) and a walk on the beach where the river meets the sea....I reluctantly got on the bus back to Porto.
Guimarães
As a follow on to that visit I returned to visit Maura where she lives in Guimarães, which was the 2013 European Capital of Culture and is beautiful. We had a great day visiting her and Antonio's other 'hideaway' they built when the kids were small. Not far by car but completely isolated and the perfect spot for anyone who truly wants to get away from it all. Very overgrown now as they haven't used it for a number of years. Cute little house they built themselves - rustic but with all the necessities.
It really reminded me of the place I owned in Maine when I lived in the States - very peaceful and at one with nature. Her friend Clare hosted a delicious lunch and lives nearby in a beautiful funky stone house with a fantastic courtyard garden.Maura's father-in-law has a house smack bang in the centre of Guimarães and I got to see what a typical old-style Portuguese house is like. It's three stories over a cafe he used to run and now leases out. Although he is in a nursing home close by, he trots home every day, gets into his PJs and hangs out in his own house! When he's good and ready he heads back to the nursing home for the evening - I think it's the perfect scenario.
Hiking in Gerês National Park and Arouca
I finally got to go hiking.....I've been trying since I arrived to find a group but to no avail. Once someone set me straight I discovered that there are a number of them in the area. I joined two and have been for two fantastic hikes so far.
And what now?
I made the decision a couple of months ago to stay away another year for various reasons. I thought I might stay in Portugal as long as I could move into Porto (Espinho was fine for one winter but not for two!). But I couldn't get a commitment for next year in Porto and when that networking loop worked it's magic again (long story), I was offered and have accepted a teaching job in Santander, Spain, starting on 1st October. I've been to the Santander area a couple of times hiking and I really like northern Spain so....not a very difficult decision. I realise more than ever that hiking is my true passion and to be close to superb hiking both in Spain and France will be great.
I'll post one more blog from Portugal to close out (including a visit from Fio), but for now, I'm hoping to enjoy a couple of weeks before I head to Ireland to sort out everything and to enjoy the super summer they're going to get!
Adeus....or as they normally say here in a not very Portuguese way - CIAO!
Helen
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