We never go on a walking tour, but today we did. Pablo was very entertaining as he led us with his pink umbrella through the tall and narrow streets of Western Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited city. These streets were so designed to keep the uncomfortable weather away both providing nearly continuous shade from the fiery sun and protection from southern Spain’s mighty winds. As he informed us that Cadiz had one of the world’s first [...]
I’m a little obsessed about where I sit and am not too sure where it comes from. I’ve thought about potty training but have no memories of that. So once seats are booked and I don’t have one up the very front, that’s okay, but if they are free flowing seats, that’s when it’s scary. So I determine where the bus will arrive, have Corrie put the luggage on, while I try to be first [...]
We sat on the steps of the local cathedral behind a Faro flautist listening to the enchanting sounds of his silver flute. I could have stayed there all day, watching people stopping, some momentarily, others longer. The power of the flute that has no argument, no need for conflict, no hidden agenda. Instead passers-by responded in their own unique ways. Three men wandered up the steps and sat quietly, their backs against the ancient city [...]
Usually we are in the centre of the old town wherever we are. As we walked, it meant that we were on the camino, having easy access to food and other services, useful because we have to be prepared for unknowns when walking many kilometres and having destinations that need to be reached that day. Now it is very different because we are freer to make more relaxed choices. To this extent we booked our [...]
Someone said to me the other day that Spanish is similar to Portuguese but Corrie tells me differently. She says it is easier for a Spanish speaker to read Portuguese, than to understand the spoken language. So not a linguist myself, I started thinking about it on another level. Today it was really profound. At breakfast in our Porto home, yes we’ve moved again, a loud argument began between the Portuguese owner and a young [...]
