Correspondence from Amy's first guest

Hello to all of Amy's blog followers. You have a special guest writer today, Amy's first Portugal guest, Carol.

Today was my third full day in Portugal. I am feeling more settled now and can even recognize some landmarks as I use Amy's cell phone to call out driving directions. I've watched so many of the movies where a single woman goes to a warm, tropical, different place and has an epiphany, a wonderful love affair and her life changes. That's happened for me too - at least the part where I go to a warm, tropical, different place!

This morning I both set my alarm and turned the volume up so I could hear it to rise at 8:30 am. Morning is a time to make good coffee and sit outside, knitting, journalling, reading, chatting or just looking at the lush green surroundings or blue sky.

After a few loads of laundry done and hung on the portable dryer outside, I did a bit of a circle around the neighbourhood. At one point, a gentlemen was standing in the window of his second floor home. I said hello and stated it was a beautiful day. That opened up a whole one-sided conversation with him pointing and gesturing to tell me something about, well, I am not sure as he was speaking Portuguese despite me point at myself saying "carol," and "canada" as if those words would convey I only speak English. I waited politely, nodding, smiling until there was a break in our conversation where I pretended I had been walking briskly and would now need to resume.

Amy and I headed out to have coffee and a snack in town at the Rose cafe. I had a Pasteis de Nata for the first time. This custard tart in a crisp phyllo pastry shell has customers lining up for 2 or 3 hours in Lisbon to buy from the Antiga Confeitaria de Belem. I don't see lining up for a tart for an afternoon in my future so chanced buying one today. Delicious! These Portuguese folks are great lovers of desserts and bakeries - I like 'em.

Waiting 5 minutes

Off to Guimaraes we went. Amy wanted to check out some noise she heard while driving and there was an Avis office there. Carefully planning, we arrived there after 2:30 pm, because the website said they re-opened after lunch at that time. Upon arrival, a sign in the door said away and back in 5 minutes. After waiting 25 minutes, a call to the number on the door roused a young man to come in 20 minutes or so. He drove (fast) around the small and crowded parking lot with Amy a few times and then declared nothing wrong.














Guimaraes is a city, but smaller than the one we had planned to go to originally for the day. It is the location where the Portuguese government had begun in the 800s. In agreement that historical spots, churches and museums were rather low on our priority list of must sees, Amy had picked Guimaraes Castle as a tourist spot that would meet all three requirements. One and done. It was quite an interesting place.

First the Castle -- I am not really sure how this Castle would have worked as it had no roof. Would someone have lived there? Top highlights here:
 
#1 Beautiful view of the City from all sides.


















#2 A group of senior Engineering students barking out orders for the afternoon to a group of new students to do exercises, sing, do dance routines. Chatting with a few students as we left the grounds it was apparently a frosh exercise

#3 Putting on helmet and picking up a foil to help defend the Portuguese people from more invaders.

After the battle was won, we made our way down the two flights of steep stairs and out into the sunshine. It was a short walk to a chapel on the grounds.

This was the home of the first leader of Portugal. We wandered through and almost missed half of the tour before a young man insisted we must see go back and see the bedrooms. We almost beat a French-language tour group into the bedroom area, but instead, got trapped just outside and sweated awaiting our turn. On the positive side, we learned what an anteroom was - the room just outside the bedroom!

Amazing centuries old furniture, rugs and four ceiling to floor, handmade panoramic tapestries with intricate designs.

A fairly uneventful (and better navigated) drive back to Barqueiros where we had supper out. When one person has the meal it is called 1 dose, when 2 people share the meal it is a 2 dose meal. Our 2 dose meal was salted cod with corn bread breading, served with potatoes and turnip greens in a lot of olive oil and onions. It got mixed reviews with me liking the meal alot and bringing home left overs while Amy determined she had given Portuguese salted cod a good try and there was no need to try a third time.

A day with wonderful moments here in Portugal. May the sun be shining where you are the breezes warm. Thanks to my host and dear friend Amy for the time we will spend together and for paving the way for Duane and Karen and I to experience Portugal.

Boa noite..

Carol

p.s. to all those who have wondered, Amy is making driving in a European country look easy!