From MARK:
We caught a four hour bus ride from Santiago, Spain to Porto, Portugal on Saturday, June 21. Other than the duely noted one hour time difference, the ride was uneventful (something we've come to appreciate). Porto has been quite unique, and I might describe it as 75% Spain-feel with a 25% complete feel of it's own. We've used the days for some much needed rest, although we did attempt to play at a local mini golf green, but apparently the semi-pro's had the course this past weekend (these guys had their own clubs and sweepers!). Oh well, maybe next time?
We departed the bus in Porto, Portugal to a wonderfully cool yet sunny town (the Atlantic breeze and temperatures reminded me of Hawaii if you closed your eyes) and walked a good distance to the Tourist Info (TI). People were friendly and while English is used, I was completely incorrect in thinking my Spanish (which all came back to me the moment we left Spain) would be useful in this Portuguese speaking country. While the two languages have some similarities, they're about as close as Spanish and French. Needless to say my Portuguese accented Spanish didn't get me far. We picked up our flagship sayings of "cheers" and "thank you" and have been doing quite well. The abundant cobblestone streets and square, marble, hand laid sidewalks give a European feel, and when walking through the central neighborhoods you can sense a tinge more distress than that of Spain. You'll see a handful of boarded windows and note a few buildings that might need some extra paint. We passed a plethora of shops each offering walls filled with a variety of sunglasses.
The TI told us we were lucky to be in town on Monday, as it was the annual celebratory day of St. John the Baptist, complete with free concerts, midnight fireworks, and local customs.
The Euro 2008 soccer championships are also under way (think of the Super Bowl times 100). EVERYONE has been watching the playoff games with acute intensity (men, women, and children), and we'll have to agree, they're quite amazing and FUN to see! Due to Porto's festivities already under way, they've been showing the games on a HUGE screen TV in the central square, so we indulged the other night in watching Spain beat Italy in "sudden death" after double over time. The final game occurs next Saturday (when we'll be in France) between
the winners of Spain vs. Russia and Turkey vs. Germany. I'm rooting for Spain since it has been our home for a majority of the trip thus far.
Last night we had a late dinner of ribs, fries, kababs, Fru-Tea, and chocolate mousse, then went to hang out in the central concert area. The annual tradition that accompanies this day is quite unique. They sell large plastic hammers and hand out free, smaller ones which have accordion-like heads that squeak when rapidly compressed. The tradition encourages tapping each other on the head with these hammers to ensure good luck. So, we proceeded to watch the free concert while being pelted with plastic hammers over the head with a squeak to go with each hit (and some even obliged us by bowing for a return good-luck bop which we heartily delivered). The much loved Portuguese band "Anjos" played local favorites with girls screaming near stage (while the singers simultaneously shook their hips, did squats, and clapped overhead) as kids ran by for quick hammer taps as if trying to set a new record. Everyone was all smiles and laughing, including little old ladies and kids hoisted on shoulders to better reach with their plastic hammers.
Vendors sold freshly made cotton candy, beer, and popcorn; the smells combined with a wildly random scene made you want to stay, however the mist and spittle of the evening eventually drove us back to our room. We watched the fireworks show on TV accompanied with Ghostbusters, Mission Impossible, and James Bond music and then drifted off to sleep in our small family run hotel room.
*We did try the port wine, which was quite good but a little too sweet for our tastes.
No comments:
Post a Comment