New Horizons

After an almost three year delay imposed by the COVID pandemic I was in the sky Europe bound once again. Destination Portugal. Demeanor…elated.

However, airlines have a way of testing one’s patience these days. Not only was there an initial 2 hour delay creating concern about missed connections but a repeat for the connecting flight. Once aboard,I discovered some sadist has been designing seats shrinking them to tiny people size. But never mind…dinner and wine would soon be served, or so I thought. However, due to the late takeoff and not one but three medical emergencies among passengers, meals were served after midnight and expectations of sleep were definitely dashed. But the bright side was a safe landing in Lisbon.

Portugal was the world’s first maritime power and its colonial empire included 53 countries. It is the oldest nation-state in Europe… a kingdom for over 800 years and a republic since 1910. I was delighted to find that the Portuguese are friendly and have a reputation for welcoming expats. Lisbon was very clean and quite enjoyable with its many green parks. The country is quite ahead of the U.S. in renewable energy. It’s capable of meeting all its domestic energy needs by solar, wind and hydro. Even its major export cork comes from cork oaks which are stripped of their bark every nine years without harming the tree. Fifty percent of the world’s cork comes from Portugal.

Another major export is port wine (to which I can attest is savory) and like codfish, Portuguese tile called Azulejo is a classic. The blue and white tiles decorate the streets, palaces and homes.

Lisbon’s many sidewalk cafes are a delight and I found the locals extremely helpful. I especially noted that there was no ethnic nor other discrimination(Portugal was one of the earlier European countries to recognize same-sex marriage) evident….something that we Americans would do well to mimic.

Another Country: More Lessons

Seville, Spain: The Flamingo dancers are amazing! Who can watch and not feel the need to move? The red & black dresses, the heels, the maracas, the straight fronted trousers and open shirts of the men…all are energizing. It reminds me of the importance of taking time for fun and abandoning our concerns occasionally. It was tempting to consider flamingo school!

Seville is also home to beautiful The Plaza de Espana which was constructed for the Ibero-American Exposition in 1929. The architecture is a mixture of Baroque Revival, Renaissance Revival and Moorish. The Plaza has many tiled alcoves representing the various provinces of Spain and four bridges over moats. With its park of a half mile of lush greenery , ponds and fountains, it is definitely a place to visit.