We are having a stopover in Vilafranca-de-Xira. Early for us, but our situation has made it so. This town is so pretty and our accomodation so delightful, it was not such a difficult decision and more lessons were learnt.

At breakfast, Corrie asked for a ‘cafe con leche’. The response was quick and harsh: “Why do you ask for it in Spanish”. Corrie taken aback said: “I speak Spanish and I’d like a coffee with milk”. The man came out with the coffee, he asked me what I wanted and I said: “Hot chocolate please” thinking myself very lucky that I couldn’t speak Spanish. We then decided not to react to his earlier aggressive behaviour and of course, spoke in English.

He went a bit weak on the knees at our lack of response and apologised for his comments, saying that people often think that the Portuguese don’t have their own language, and thought they spoke Spanish. He said that some Portuguese don’t like the Spanish because of how the Spanish treated them in earlier times including a few invasions in the eighteenth century. He went on to say that some were also jealous of the Spanish because they had more money and were more self assured. He went on to be the best host you could imagine.

The tourist office was our next venture. We knew these places mostly speak English, and don’t sell coffee, so the language was settled early. I mentioned our earlier experience with this man, whom we now have a good relationship with (keeping confidentiality of course). She said: “we had our chances in earlier times but failed to take advantage of them. Our economy is in bad shape and even my own daughter has gone to Germany to work. She said people think we are not good workers but given the right opportunities we can be amongst the best, it is the government that lowers morale.

We did eventually ask for advice on what to see in town and followed this up with a visit to a very modern and well designed interesting neo-realism museum. Then it was off to a glass library situated alongside the Tagus river, a possible large distraction for those who loved this view as much as I did. The talk on Portuguese poetry would have been a bonus but it was not on today, and the talk on the culture of bullfighting might have given me more of an understanding on why they do it, but it was cancelled due to the rain. So we kept in training by walking along every street in this gentle town.

We’re off tomorrow on another short walk, and this time it seems there will be serious rain so we’ll leave fully prepared. I look forward to breakfast and a new topic of discussion, and where Corrie will order coffee with milk and not a cafe con leche!