The Golden Age of Discovery

Great news: I have found Jesus. He´s overlooking the Rio Tejo, next to the bridge that resembles the Golden Gate.

A few days ago, I knew very little about Portugal. I knew that Lisa had studied a little of the language, which is a Romance language; I knew that the Spanish and Portuguese had divided te world between them and discovered many places; and I knew Nando´s. Now I know that the spoken Portuguese is tough for many Romance language speakers, and has been described as sounding like 'a drunken Frenchman trying to speak Spanish´; that, while discovering and trading with Africa, India and South America, Portugal took on elements of their cultures, rather than purely stamping Portuguese culture onto the new colonies; and I know that the Nando's symbol is based on a common Portuguese image recalling a tale about a roast chicken which crowed three times to signify a pilgrim's innocence. And I know that there is a big statue of Jesus, a la the Big Jesus in Rio De Janeiro.

Portugal is gorgeous. Due to a dictatorship during the 20th century, it was quite chut off from the outside world, and as such is still quite underdeveloped, but trying very hard to catch up. So it still retains the laidback attitude of an older community, and much of the technology is unreliable. In fact, innefficiency is said to be a defining factor of Portuguese life, the relaxed attitude often extending into tardiness. People here are very friendly and helpful, even if you speak only very hesitant, broken Portuguese. Í've decided to learn Portuguese when I go home.

On our first evening in Lisbon, we wandered around being amazed by the cheap prices of beer. The next day we discovered we'd been in the tourist strip, and that elsewhere it was cheaper! We quickly learned that the best places for price and taste are the little hole in the wall restaurants with no English translation, and preferably a handwritten list of 'Plats de dios', today's specials. The people here generally speak no English, but show enormous concern for you as a customer. And the food! And the prices! Sigh.

We've visited quite a few castles. Lisbon itself grew down the hill from the castle, originally Moorish, and extended along the Rio Tejo (Tajus River). The castle is really nice, it's now just walls and ramparts, no explanatory signs, no lavish interior decor. Just ancient walls and an amazing view.

Yesterday we contrasted this with our visit to Sintra, a small town on the outer suburbs of Lisbon. Nestled by hills/ mountains, Sintra is overlooked by Castelos Mouros and Palacio de Pena, which was the sometime residence of Portugal's 19th century kings, and is pure flight of fantasy. The foundations of the building were a monastery, which the King extended through his own specific design, which embraces Arabic towers, Anglo castellation and Portuguese tiling, creating a true fairy tale castle. It's amazing, and quite surprising. It's the sort of thing which would not be out of place in a theme park, yet somehow fits Portugal. Eccentric expressions of passion are de rigeur here.

Such as Giant Jesus (Cristo Rei). My biggest day so far has probably been my trip to Belém (Portuguese for Bethlehem). I knew from my guide book that it was a half hour trip from Altacara to Belém, and guessed maybe half an hour more from our hostel to Altacara. Ha! It took between one and a half and two hours to get to Belém, during which I took many photos of the Jesus. I'd headed to Belém to a) visit the Museum of Design; b) try pasteis de belém, special custard tarts; and c) check out the touristy things drawn on my map completely sans explanatory notes. Well, the Museum had closed down and was being relocated, due to open in 2009, and I couldn't locate the store Lonely PLanet recommended for the tearts. However, when I wandered into a random store, it turned out to be the right one, they just didn't display their name on the window! And I spent a gorgeous sunny afternoon exploring a crazy, lavish monastery, an enormous statue devoted to the Age of Discovery and the Tower of Belém, a defence balwark with amazingly beautiful architecture. This included a bust of a rhinoceros; apparently a rehinoceros was to be delivered to Lisbon, and the King immediately gave it to Pope Leo as a gift, even before the rhino had arrived. Big mistake; the boat sank, but the Portuguese found the rhino and stuffed it with straw, and then commemorated it in the Tower. See? Random expressions of passsion.

The final random moment of the day occurred as I amde my way back to the hostel. Lisa had texted me about a peaceful protest she'd witnessed. Walking back through town, I followed the sound of drums, thinking it might be this protest, to witness a bizarre parade of homemade costumes, asks and great music- drums, bells attached to costumes, bagpipes. When I returned to the hostel I asked the receptionist what the parade was, and she advised me it was to do with the legalisation of marijuana. Hmmm, weird costumes, it COULD be that. Later I learned that it was an Iberian mask parade, and that the marijuana parade had been the protest Lisa had witnessed. Portugal. So random. So extravagant. I just love it.