Back in town

Our Canadian friend sent us an email saying that a good example for her of ‘Saudade’ might be something like: “even though she misses the Camino a lot, the memory of it is often enough”. I think she captures it well

Today for us was not ‘saudade’ though, because we are reliving some memories. I feel like one of the staff to our German and French neighbours making ‘been there, done that’ comments such as: “no, it’s that way” or “leave your tray Madame they like to collect them” or “you’ll probably find this place better”. I’m not sure if I’m imagining but they seem to be thinking, ‘how does he know, he’s just arrived’. And I’m sure I saw Madame crouching in a corner behind a pillar, a tight hold on her husband’s arm saying: “Stay down, they’re over there”. So seeing how uncomfortable they were (if it was really them) we left to look for the start of the ‘Camino Portuguese’.

Started well, a big sign and arrow on a church, but that’s where it ended. We were on the other side of town adjoining our last stroll area and another feast among the many varied dishes that the Portuguese serve up to us: Trams dodging each other as they cut across behind and in front plugging for first go at the short single track; beside the track a Fado singer beckoning in customers while entertaining the few that were there with a melancholic echo that could only be sung that gently by a Portuguese Fado Artiste; and a bit off the track a narrow cobbled road with hills and valleys (in an ancient way) like the Camino even slowing the green Lisboan taxi down

Off now for our evening stroll down towards the river to watch the belly dancers, listen to the stunning voice of a young man, tap to the rhythm of the African drummer as people dance around his magic and then off to dinner to our favourite haunt and listen to the rattling of the tram tracks and watching both Spain and Portugal getting beaten at soccer at the world cup (TVs and the soccer are everywhere.

We’re off to kick some goals

Will and Corrie