Lizbon - Okyanusa Şarkılar Söyleyen Şehir

Yola çıkmak! Yitirmek ülkeleri! Bir başkası olmak süresiz,
Yalnız görmek için yaşamaktır. Köksüz bir ruhu olmak!
Kimseye ait olmamak, kendime bile! Durmadan gitmek, sonu olmayan
Bir yokluğun peşinde. Ve ona ulaşma isteği içinde!
Böyle yola çıkmaktır yolculuk. Ama ben açık bir yol düşünden öte,
Bir şeye gerek duymuyorum yolculuğumda. Gerisi sadece gök ve toprak. (*)


Portekizli şair

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Portekiz Cabo da Roca, Cascais ve Sintra'dan izler ve yansımalar

Sular çağırıyor beni, Denizler çağırıyor,
Beni çağırıyor ete kemiğe bürünen tüm uzaklıklar
Ve denizlerin geçmişte yaşanmış bütün çağları beni çağırıyorlar.

***

Ah, gidebilmek, nasıl olursa, nereye olursa!
Gidebilmek o açık denizlere, dalgalar, tehlikeler içinden,
Yol almak açıklara, başka yerlere, Soyut Uzaklığa,
Belirsizlik içinde, gizemli gecelerin karanlığında,
Rüzgâra, kasırgaya

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Portekiz'de Bir Ortaçağ Kenti Obidos

Okyanus dalgalarını ardımızda bırakarak Nazare’den
ayrıldıktan sonra, etrafı surlarla çevrili ve yüksek bir tepe üzerine kurulmuş olan
Obidos kentine geliyoruz. Bir Ortaçağ kenti olan Obidos 12. yüzyıldan günümüze
kadar korunmuş yapılarıyla Portekiz'in en pitoreks kentlerinden biri.  

Eski bir Kelt ve Roma yerleşimi olan Obidos’ta
yaklaşık 3 bin kadar insan yaşıyormuş, nüfusundan da

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Portekiz'in doğduğu şehir Guimarães

Braga’dan sonra Portekiz’in eski
başkenti Guimarães’e hareket ediyoruz. Guimarães, Braga’ya oldukça yakın mesafede.
Etrafı yemyeşil dağlarla çevrili Guimarães, tarihini korumuş ve tarihiyle
bütünleşmiş bir kent olduğunu, daha kente girdiğimiz andan itibaren
hissettiriyor bize. Braga’da olduğu gibi Guimarães’da da, geniş meydanlar karşılıyor bizi. 

Guimarães’in bugüne kadar korunmuş olan

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Portekiz'in İnanç Merkezi Braga

Portekiz gezimizin ikinci durağı, Porto’ya yaklaşık 45
dakikalık bir mesafede Portekiz’in kuzeyinde yer alan Braga şehri, eski
adıyla “Bracara Augusta”. Şehir Bracari adında bir Kelt Kabilesi tarafından kurulmuş, daha sonra ise Romalılar tarafından işgal edilen bölge, 11. yüzyılda ülkenin dini başkenti ve büyük bir başpiskoposluğun merkezi haline gelmiş. Avrupa’nın
güneybatısında, İber

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Madeira Island - 7 Secrets to Discover

Madeira Island is one of the islands in the Madeira Archipelago, and was discovered by the Portuguese in the early 1400's. It's still part of Portugal today, and is a popular holiday destination with tourists from all over Europe. The stunning coastal scenery with a backdrop of soaring mountains, mixed with a rich heritage and artistic culture, make it a fascinating place to visit and stay awhile. Here are seven little known places to visit on Madeira Island - discover them for yourself!

Caniçal

Whaling has always been part of Caniçal's history, and in the past it was the center of Madeira's whaling industry. Whaling ceased in 1981, and now the waters around Caniçal have become a marine mammal sanctuary. It is illegal to kill whales, seals or dolphins here now. The old whaling company's offices have been converted into a very interesting whaling Museum (Museu de Baleia), and if you've watched John Huston's movie Moby Dick (1956), you might recognize some of the local scenery.

Santana

This is a fascinating area on Madeira Island, and is a perfect place to see the triangular thatches houses unique to Madeira. These houses were originally built in the 16th century, although currently the oldest examples are only around 100 years old. The steep triangular shape protects the house from the rain, and they are mainly for sleeping in, with bathrooms located well away from the houses. There are thatched cow byres dotted around the hillsides, and the valley is home to fruits, vegetables and willow trees in abundance.

View from Santana

Traditional House at Santana

Ilhéu da Camara de Lobos

Did you know that Winston Churchill enjoyed painting? Ilhéu da Camara de Lobos was one of his favorite subjects. It's still home to fishermen today, and still manages to maintain the feel of a picturesque fishing village. There's a 15th century chapel named after St Nicholas, which contains some fascinating decorations. Overlooking Ilhéu da Camara de Lobos is the highest sea cliff in Europe, Cabo Girão, which rises 589m above sea level.

Machico

When the Portuguese first settled the island, it was divided into two parts. Funchal, the current hub of Madeira Island, became the center of the western part, and Machico the eastern side. Unlike Funchal, Machico developed slowly and quietly into a primarily agricultural town. There's a beautiful 15th-century church, the Igreja Matriz, and also the lovely Chapel of Miracles (Capela dos Milagres).

Golf

Golf is very popular in Madeira, and in face that Open da Madeira is part of the European PGA Tour. It's held around March, and is held at the Santo da Serra Golf Club. This course was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones, and currently contains 3 nine-hole golf courses. A new clubhouse with every possible amenity was opened in 2000. There are other golf courses dotted around the island, including the recently completed Estalagem do Santo.

Teleférico - Cable car

Catching a cable car is always fun, and if you're wandering around the old part of Funchal, give this one a go. It travels up to Monte, which is near the tropical gardens of Caminho das Babosas. It takes about 30 minutes return, and gives you a unique birds eye view of the city and surrounding hills. In colder months, it's even possible to toboggan back down to Funchal.

Quinta Vigia

This now the official residence of the Regional Government, and is a magnificent old building. It was originally built in 1662, and has received many illustrious guests over the centuries, including Princess Adelaide (Queen Victoria's daughter) and the Empress Sissi. It has charming gardens, and along with the house itself makes it worth a visit.

These are seven highlights worth visiting on Madeira Island, but there are plenty more to explore. Give yourself plenty of time to discover everything this beautiful and historic island has to offer.

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The Traveler´s Diet and The World Cup

I have probably already talked about this; I can never remember what I have already said and what I haven´t. Anyway, I am going to let you guys in on my very secret diet plan.

1. Carry a 40 pound backpack around with you everywhere.
2. Eat only 2 or 3 meals a day since you don´t really have time for snacking (not like sitting at the desk all day!)
3. Eat something shady in Egypt (no idea what). End up sick, not able to eat for a few days.
4. Walk miles a day. Miles and miles.

It feels great. Except for the little slip up in Egypt, everything has been healthy. We are eating fresh food and smaller meals and walking a ton. Big K must have lost 10 or 15 pounds and me, little K, maybe 6. But all in all, we are happy and healthy.

And then....we went to Italy.

We arrived in Italy and our first stop was Bologna. This is supposed to be the home of some of the best food in Italy (they all say that but what the heck). Since we are scientists, we decided to test out the theory and see if we could prove it wrong (by multiple testing of course). So we went to a typical Italian meal, which consists of a starter, first course and second course. Unlike us, they eat it in a strange order. Your starter may be a meat platter, your first course is pasta and your second is usually a meat dish. Then there is always coffee and desert, which are generally delicious. If you are particularly brave, there is a cheese plate and a digestive. Of course we had to try it all.

And then we went to Venice and had to try the food there, because I heard that the Venitians have the best food in Italy. And then we went to Rome, where we met up with some of Big K´s family and of course had to prove to them that the food in Italy was good, as well as to find out for ourselves WHICH region ACTUALLY has the best food. We also made sure that Florence was not left out. All in all, I think that the bottom line is: all the food in Italy is good. Period. Sorry Neopolitans. You are NOT the best. You are in a 21 way tie with all the other regions in Italy. But....I have only tried 4 of them, so I never know, I may have to go back and keep trying out the theory.

So, now we are in Portugal, which as you know is Big K´s family´s origin. So we are trying to get a feel for the city, eating and drinking and walking. And most of all, watching The World Cup....watching the USA kick butt, even though the England goal they made was a little crappy...watching Portugal tie with Brazil to make it on the next round... So its a week of eating and soccer. Carry on.

Next, we go to a few more places in Portugal before heading towards Paris for our flight out of here. I made a map but the computer I am on would not let me save it in a format I could post here. Next time, I guess. Until then, Arividerci, Adios and Ciao!

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