Ode to Portugal (bg)
Tomorrow, a little more than halfway on our journey, we cross over from Portugal into Spain. I took Portuguese on my Duolingo app since January and still managed to butcher it pretty good. But the big surprise was that the Portuguese people we met, almost to a person, showed real appreciation for even trying to communicate in their native language. Simply, for trying.
Sure I defaulted over to my Google translator at various times, but while it communicated , it didn’t connect us.
It made me reflect on how powerful language is when you simply try to reach out to another person in their language or sometimes just their situation at that time. Thank you for that wonderful lesson my Portuguese friends. And to add to the list of wonderful Portugual experiences on our journey:
Eucalyptus tree forests - towering, shady and beautifully fragrant
Vineyards - large and small
Wine - they’re right , some of their best wine doesn’t leave the country.
Olive trees- ancient and still bearing fruit
Homeowner farmers - literally working as little as a half acre, every day, to feed their families with fresh produce.
Roosters - yeah, they crow all day long
Bread boxes next to mail boxes - give us this day…
Churches - from eye popping cathedrals to roadside shrines- worship, prayer and faith are forever intertwined.
Football. From the national team to every city, town or community. It’s the other church.
Cervesas - Super Bock and Sagres
Nata - one of the tastiest pastries ever for dessert. Or breakfast. Or at lunch. Or anytime.
And the people.
Katerina - we loved your hotel
Pau - thanks for the hospitality and shuttling
George - thanks for the early coffee, and picking up the room key I took with me
Felipe- one of the best hours I had in Portugal was chatting with you and your friends at the cafe
Marguerite at Zero Box hotel in Coimbra - thanks for all the arrangements there and in Porto.
Miguel - great Coimbra boat trip and history lesson
Molly - Thanks for going way beyond and providing the desperately needed laundry service
Ricardo Duarte and his lovely family who offered to refill our water bottles in front of their house.
The man in the laundry mat in Porto. Another fabulous 10 min of broken communication to help me with Portuguese instructions.
The optician in Viana do Costello who repaired my sunglasses - and refused payment.
The dental team in Caminha to not only spoke English, but quickly and so warmly took care of our traveling companion Toby’s crown.
Obrigado. Você sempre viverá em nossos coraçõe
Spain - you’ve got big shoes to fill. Let’s go!