COLOURFULWORLD

Wednesday 12 October 2022

European Holiday - Portugal 1 - Lisbon & Centre

For other signs from around the world check Tom's blog

July 14th - Jose, Karina and I arrived in Lisbon around 12,30pm after a 3 1/2 half hour flight from Berlin.

These were the first signs seen at the airport while we waited for our luggage.

Sagres Beer
Bolt ride share
Welcome to Lisbon - Hard Rock Cafe

              

After a late lunch at my parent's house in Cascais (30km from Lisbon), together with my sister and brother-in-law who also live in Cascais, we had a short rest, and then packed a small suitcase each for our 3 day trip the following day! 

Yes, we were on the move again, this time by car.

Day 2 

We were driving to Carregal do Sal (285km away/about 3h drive), the small town where we lived for 12 years before moving to Australia. It happens to be my parent's birthplace, and we moved there 1 year after arriving in Portugal because Jose was starting a rail project nearby, and as we had cousins who lived there, we decided to settle in that town.

My parents, our daughter Karina and both of us left home about 10,30am, and drove towards the North.


One and a half hours later we stopped in the central town of Leiria, where I had arranged to have lunch at 12,30pm with cousins and a couple of South African friends - a big group of 18 adults and 2 kids. After a most wonderful lunch at Frangus - great food and service, we took a group photo and it was time to say goodbye and get back on the road.


It was late afternoon when we arrived at our final destination - Carregal do Sal - a small town which lies between the more known towns of Coimbra and Viseu, and contacted the owner of the Airbnb to get the keys.

We had requested if it was possible to have an extra bed for Karina, and they left a foldable bed in the tiny lounge of the 2 bed-roomed wooden bungalow. 

We experience quite a few hot days and the bungalow just wasn't insulated to withstand that type of weather! Because the windows were low and didn't have mosquito nets, we couldn't leave the windows open at night either when it was cooler, and the fans were quite noisy, ... so needless to say, this was the worst Airbnb we stayed in, in the last 5 or 6 years.  But in that area we didn't have much choice, as when I booked I didn't realize that the municipality's Summer festival was on for 4 or 5 days at the same time we were there.


The bungalow was just outside the town and the owner had mentioned there was a small cat that used to come to the property, and they would feed it. And yes, just a couple of hours after our arrival the cat popped by and walked straight in. We would often find her sitting on the outdoor furniture waiting for us to open the door in the morning.

Later I noticed the very young cat was pregnant. Of course on our first shopping expedition I bought cat food and would feed her and leave water for her. I tried to convince my parents they "needed" to adopt the cat, but they didn't think it was a good idea.
When we left, I told the owner the cat was pregnant and to please look after her.


                          

Signs hanging in the bungalow

During the 3 nights we were there we dined at the festival grounds, and then stay and listen to the different music bands.
Walking around every night I would always come across people we knew when we lived there over 15 years ago (I always try and visit when we go to Portugal), and people were happy to see us.


Lights, music, food, friends
Dinner on the first night - Codfish with fried potato chips, goat cheese with pumpkin jam, cream milk pudding

Dinner on the second night - bread with various dried sausages, codfish in cream sauce, more puddings...


We were recommended a new (to us) restaurant in Cabanas de Viriato, just a 15 minute drive from Carregal do Sal.
Delicious food, cheap but oh so much food!! In fact in most restaurants where we ate I found the portions were too big for what we are used to, so a lot of food is wasted...

Octopus with potatoes in olive oil

On the way back we stopped at Casa do Passal, the home of the Portuguese Schindler - Aristides de Sousa Mendes. 



He was a Portuguese consul in Bordeaux during WWII and he defied orders from the ruling dictator Antonio de Oliveira Salazar (whose home-town is also about 15km from Carregal do Sal), by issuing visas and passports to an alleged 30,000 refugees fleeing Germany. He was punished by the regime with demotion and then compulsory retirement.
He died in misery in 1954, in Lisbon at the age of 68 and is buried in Cabanas de Viriato.
After his death, the regime "disappeared his memory" - nobody in Portugal knew what he had done to help the refugees, not even historians.

He was first recognized for his efforts in Israel in 1966, where he was declared to be a "righteous among the nations", and in 1986 the United States Congress issued a proclamation honouring his acts. Only in 1987 did the Portuguese Government publicly apologize to his family and posthumously awarded him the "Order of Liberty".  In June 2020 the Portuguese Parliament officially honoured Sousa Mendes with a monument at the National Pantheon in Lisbon.

          


Sadly until about 2015 the family's former residence in Cabanas de Viriato was falling into disrepair , the roof having already caved in. After a protest by the locals, the restoration of the house is underway, thanks to a grant from the European Union and private funds, with a view of transforming it into a memorial museum.

House as it looked in 2014 


You might enjoy reading this long article about Sousa Mendes and stories of Jewish people he saved.

Before getting back on the road, we had a last lunch with 2 friends of mine, and we came loaded with more gifts - cheeses, home-made wines, home-made Aguardente (fire-water), vegetables...


 Our last lunch: Top - Alheira (Chicken sausage invented by the Jews who lived in Portugal ) and Bottom: prawn patties with tomato rice

The alheira, was originally invented by the Jewish people who lived in Portugal, made with chicken and bread. Nowadays it is no longer kosher and might include pork, game or even be vegetarian.

In the north of Portugal every home preserved pork sausages to see the family through the winter, hanging them from the rafters in meaty coils. Jews – who did not eat pork – were conspicuous for their missing sausages. 

“They were seeking refuge from the Inquisition,” so they developed a bread sausage that could fool informers and local zealots who denounced them to the Inquisition for not eating pork.”

We were gifted 2 zucchinis (courgettes) - the size of my carry-on bag :)

                                L - My parents, daughter Karina,  R - Jose and I

Before we drove back to Leiria (to have afternoon tea with friends that had been at the lunch on the way from Lisbon) , I wanted to stop at this swing.
Situated on the other side of the Mondego River, that separates the District of Viseu and District of Coimbra, in Vila do Mato (Tabua), is the Swing of "Bóco" with lovely views over the river. There are a couple of swings with views over the rivers in this area, but no time to visit them all 😏.

In Leiria, we made a quick visit to the farm of our friend John - "Karamba Chilli". He farms and makes chilli sauces, chilli powders, etc. which he sells in Portugal and some overseas countries. I have great admiration for John, he used to be a Civil Engineer, but about 20 years ago he was involved in a horrible car crash and became paraplegic in his early 40's. He later bought this farm and with his wife they have dedicated themselves to growing chilli, some fruit, onions...


We then drove to our friend Bela's house, where we joined her parents and one of her daughters who had recently returned from a teaching job in China for late afternoon tea. 
Belas's parents were my parents first friends in Johannesburg and in fact Bela's late grandparents were our "adoptive grandparents" in South Africa. 

Bela's daughter, Bela, Jose, Karina, me, Bela's parents and my parents

After tea we said our goodbyes and got back on the road towards Lisbon. 
And that was it for our first 5 days in Portugal.

The following day my younger sister would arrive from South Africa at 6,30 in the morning!!

Ready to get back on the road towards Lisbon


Electric car charging stations at one of the petrol stations/service stations on the highway

On the highway we saw the Google Street View car

34 comments:

  1. ...it looks like you had a fabulous time with family. We are blessed to have our family living with a 30 minute drive of us. Thanks for stopping by.

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    1. Thanks Tom. Sadly we are spread all over the world.

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  2. Such a wonderful visit with all those friends and relatives! And oh, the food! Exquisite!

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    1. Thanks Barbara, I was really missing Portuguese food, it's the best! No wonder I put on 4kg during 3 weeks in Portugal!

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  3. Interesting post. It has always heartening to read about one of the “righteous among the nations" heroes who did the right thing at great risk.

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    1. Thanks Linda, so glad he was finally recognized for his great deeds.

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  4. Dearest Sami,
    That was another intens—emotional visit to your birth country; as only immigrants will experience it.
    What a very touching story about Aristides de Sousa Mendes!
    May God generously reward him for so much love he managed to give to those in need of it. Sad, how he got mistreated for doing good...
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. Sad that his efforts to save people during the war have only recently been recognized, specially by his country of birth. I was happy to see the house is being restored, when I lived nearby it was sad to see such a "palace" fall apart.

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  5. Beautiful post, beautiful kitty and even more beautiful food. Yummy.

    Have a fabulous day and rest of the week. ♥

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    1. Thanks Sandee. I so love the variety of Portuguese food.

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  6. Olá, Sami!
    Graças à Mariette, vim ver o seu post e li e relembrei-me de uma das figuras mais importantes da nossa história recente, Aristides de Sousa Mendes.
    Alguém que fez tanto por todos e que infelizmente só depois de morto é que foi reconhecido.
    Espero que o resto das férias também sejam boas, recheadas de boa comida e amigos e que aquela gatinha e os filhotes, sejam adotados e acarinhados como merecem todos os animais!
    Beijinhos e boas férias!
    :)

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    1. Obrigada pela visita Paula. Realmente mesmo tendo vivido 15 anos no Carregal do Sal, a 15 min de Cabanas de Viriato, so no ultimos anos e que soube da historia de Aristides de Sousa Mendes. As ferias foram fabulosas, a comida Portuguesa sempre uma maravilha, infelizmente, ja estou de volta a casa ha cerca de 1 mes. Como adoro gatos tambem espero que a gatinha e filhotes tenha sido bem tratada.

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  7. I love Portugal. The culture and the city are just so vibrant. Love the rustic building in your photos.

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  8. I am a little surprised by food portions being so large. I don't remember that. Is it recent do you think? It's lucky you were driving and not flying, otherwise the zucchini might have put your luggage overweight.

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    1. Actually not sure Andrew, but I think it's mainly a "thing" in country towns, not in the big cities. Yes, those zucchini would make my luggage go over the allowed weight for sure, lol.

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    1. Que bom Pedro, boa viagem e boas ferias.

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  10. I love so much Portugal. Non only the country and the mildness of its climate but also the kindness and welcome of its inhabitants. I am lucky enough to live in a part of Paris where there are still many Portuguese restaurants and bars, (one of which serves a particularly good vinho verde). I didn't know that Aristides de Souza Mendes had died in poverty. But it's good that posterity has given him the honour he deserves in Portugal

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    1. That's a lovely compliment Arnaud. Next time I visit Paris I'll need to visit those Portuguese areas, lol. Aristides de Sousa Mendes had a sad end to his life, and his children and grand-children have almost all emigrated to the USA, Canada, Belgium, France...

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  11. What an interesting post, Sami, and wonderful photos of everything! How delightful to be with family again -- you're all so far away, it had to be a real joy. The B&B -- not so much! But oh, I'd love it if they'd watch out for Mama Cat and her babies. I don't know much about Portugal so I'm always interested in learning more.

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    1. Thanks Jeanie, always wonderful to have a family reunion, which is not always easy to organize. I do hope the Mama cat was looked after.

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  12. Família, amigos, boa comida e ótimos passeios. Que maravilha!

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    1. Ferias sao sempre maravilhosas, obrigada Catarina

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  13. I finally had time to read about your trip to Portugal. I also read the very long Smithsonian article on Sousa Mendes. Glad he is finally getting the recognition he deserves. I look forward to your next adventure with your entire family.

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    1. Thanks Elizabeth, it's a wonderful article.

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  14. The family reunion looks just wonderful. These food pictures are just amazing. I envy your access to great scenery and great food

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  15. Great signs!
    Oh, Sami, with this job I get slack on visiting you all! I am sorry.
    Th bungalow looks sweet, and oh, it can never get too hot for me ;-)
    Just ride "away" and you will feel cooler when you stop...
    Awww, the cat. Plural then, soon.
    Great you met old friends! When I visit my old home town...some recognize cause I look like my brother, but I always has to secretly ask who this is.
    Hmmm, the food!
    Oh. I just finished the book "Schindler´s list". Another one, also a good person. I will never understand why ... why.
    And in the news, maybe your Daughter told you, in Cologne another religion gets loud. The Jewish people never did that, why bother them.

    Saturday we visited the Jewish section in the museum and I thought now I am "done". ... on to your article and then hopefully... my brain stops giving me bad dreams.
    We were not even born back then and still have the guilt....

    Fire-water?! LOL!
    The alheira is like "Maultaschen", German monks invented to sneak in meat! See... we are all one people!

    I´ve seen videos were cats were scared of courgettes - these would freak me out, too!!! Hm. Good for sneaking in meat! Ingo did this when we lived in Karlstrasse.

    Great swing and such a wonderful family-picture!
    I wish my parents were here to see their grandkids. And so much more - you are lucky :-) xx

    We bought a bunch of chillies on the market... so hot I can even like a banana-milk-shake ;-)
    .. and nearly cry, so hot, I took but one!!!

    You have such a special, interesting life - and it all comes together!
    Boy, am I boring and thank you so much for sharing - a great start into a new week!!!

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    1. Thanks Iris. Our lives are always interesting when we travel :) I had no idea about the new religion in Cologne, Karina actually tends not to listen to the news. I don't think you should feel guilty about anything, you didn't do it and all countries have dark pasts unfortunately, some worse than others. Portugal had the slave trade!
      Not a fan of chillies, I start coughing if food is too spicy :)

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  16. Looks great, Amazing photos. Greetings

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    1. Thanks Rupam, enjoy the rest of your week.

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