My Portuguese Semana Santa

To the ten people who read my blog (mom, dad, etc.), sorry for the radio silence. Julie and I took off to Portugal for Semana Santa (Holy Week in Europe, spring break in the States).

Language: I've heard if you are a native Spanish speaker you should understand Portuguese pretty well. I am (unfortunately) a non-native speaker and while my Spanish helped as far as reading goes, I was pretty lost when it came to oral comprehension. Portuguese sounds like a mix of all the Romance languages with a little something extra thrown in. Confusing. I forgot what a bummer it is to have no clue what is going on around you. I am so happy to be back in the land of Castellano...

Food and Drink: Yummy and cheap. Even though Portugal is a small country (geographically), they use their land wisely and produce loads of wine. Vinho verde was my favorite and I also tried a few Port Wines (as required when in Porto), but it was a bit too sweet/strong for me. The seafood was awesome minus the bacalhau (dried and salted Cod)...definitely an acquired taste.

People: Over the course of the trip, I realized I am experiencing some travel/tourist fatigue...but I really enjoyed Portugal largely because the people were so hospitable. For example, when Julie and I arrived in Porto looking ridiculous (She had two backpacks, a poster, and a purse. I had a backpack and an Ikea bag to carry all my extra stuff.), a gentleman could tell we were lost and told us (in perfect English) where to go to catch the Metro - we didn't even have to ask him. I love it when that happens. As for the man department, I didn't find a Cristiano look alike. Darn.

Scenery: Portugal's glory days were from 1500-1700...so there's a lot of random juxtaposition, mostly new (1970s) vs. crumbling buildings. It seems to me they just let the buildings crumble and if they burn, the skeleton of the building is left alone. I found it intriguing... I also loved the azulejo tiles that cover buildings and homes (in place of stucco or paint), in buildings (on the floor, on the walls) etc. I'll put my photos up in the morning.