How many times to I have to say this?!

Lisbon is beautiful. Especially when I start my visit in great company!

I had called Mari earlier in the morning and she told me she would be having lunch with Vanessa and that Telma might be joining them as well. So I got my fat ass off the bed and got pretty and went downtown. I never miss an opportunity to go downtown Lisbon!

Vanessa and I took a stroll around Chiado, admiring the beauty of our city!

Right next to where we had lunch there's a vertical public lift, from where you have a breathtaking view of that area of the city! And one can even see the river!

One can also see the castle.

This is an old convent destroyed by the 1755 earthquake that shook Lisbon and destroyed most of it. In fact, this earthquake shaped the way Europe and Men thought about itself... People realized Nature prevails. No matter what.

The convent has been kept the way it stood after the quake. And is now a museum... Where I hope to go one of these days...

One of the amazing features of the beautiful city of Lisbon is that the river is always there to be seen... Around the corner, down the street, when you open the window of the upper floors of an old building...

The trams are another amazing part of the city. I love them and want to ride one as soon as possible...

And I was surprised to see some kids just getting a ride, like my father used to.
Yes, it is dangerous and yes, it is illegal, but is typical. It's Lisbon at its best...


A detail of the pavement.



São Carlos, Lisbon's Opera House.


One of the many churches.


A flower shop.


A jewelry shop.

One of the most beautiful subway stations in Lisbon, as far as I am concerned. So simple, so plain and yet so magnificent. Right under the beautiful streets of downtown.

Yet another pleasant afternoon had come to an end. Now, tell me, how can I not feel happy having amazing friends like these and being in such an amazing city like this?!

Sunday

Yesterday, an election for the parliament and prime minister took place here, in Portugal. Unfortunately, I could not vote, as I am still registered in Japan. For me to change this, I would have to be here three months before the election date...
My parents voted and we went out to visit some family. My uncle and aunt.


My uncle Armando is my father's brother.


We chatted for a while and looked at many pictures. Actually, I brought two of them. Both of my grandmother...

When we got back in town, we stopped at the local book fair. Every year there's one, not far from my place. And it's always in the park downtown, next to the train station.
We can buy books, but there is always lots of handcraft and cheeses and sausages, especially from the south of Portugal.


Here are some of those sausages.


And torresmos, fat fried pork guts. Something I would never ever ingest!



Look what we found: some books by Murakami. Japan is everywhere!


Wherever there's something to drink, my father is there. And this drink is from a very nice town not that far from here. Made of sour cherries.


My mom looking at some big fat sausages!



It was a nice day indeed.

It's all about the snails

Many times I mentioned that people in Portugal, especially in Lisbon, eat snails. And many times Japanese people would be surprised and say blarghhhh! My answer was but you eat raw fish, don't you!?

Just wanted to say that to show that every people eat weird stuff. The Eskimos in Northern Canada eat seal poop, for heaven's sake!
We eat snails in Portugal and I absolutely looooove them!

I hadn't had any for some fice years, but I was lucky enough to have some. Very likely, the last ones of the season! Because snails are usually eaten in early summer...




I was in heaven!

And in good company, with Elsa.


Da Costa de Carvalho, who drove me all the way to Loures. A city I hadn't been in years and I went there twice in a week!


Zé was happy too, I think.


Snails are great and these were really delicious. But they are not enough to fill one's stomach, not even after three dishes of awesomeness! So we order bifana, a pork steak in a bun.


Yummy!

I had had a lot of water, but my friends had had beer, so we decided to take a walk. To let the toxins go. And we came across my name on a wall. That never, never happens!


And we went on to the city park, where the Macau Pavillion for the 98 World Expo in Lisbon now is.



A very nice stroll, sharing stories, chatting a lot and laughing even more.

Next time, we will go to Loures with a swimming suit and a towel in the bag. A certain swimming pool awaits!

Os 100 anos da Aida

A Aida não fez cem anos. Mas como eu não posso dizer a provecta idade que alcançou e que prova que a esperança média de vida é só mesmo uma média e há quem viva para mais do dobro, a gente diz que foram cem aninhos.
Mas a menina está bem conservada, sim senhor.

A minha Mari estava a preparar a surpresa para a Aida. Que a minha Mari é uma preparadora.


E a Aida, mesmo sendo o seu aniversário, não deixou de nos presentear com um prato tailandês. Que ela é uma moça muito internacional.


Eu estava extasiado, que estava nessa terra linda que é a Via Rara. E estava lá imenso pessoal. O que é sempre bom. E mau, porque somos todos loucos.










Que bom foi ver o Zé, que há muito tempo que não o via. Para ai desde a última vez.


E a prendinha para a Aida estava complicada...



Mas aquelas cabecinhas pensadoras todas juntas lá conseguiram completar a coisa...







A aniversariante numa foto introspectiva... Porque quase que se vê tudo lá dentro...


Havia comes e bebes.


Ossos para chupar.










E prendas, para além daquela que custou a saír!


E até bolos! Sim, que ela teve direito a dois. Este, o da Kitty-chan, foi um deles.


Cantámos os parabéns.




E cá está a melhor foto do dia:


À que se seguiu uma série de fotos com o pessoal a ver o dvd feito de propósito para a menina dos anos...






Para que fique claro, eu não queria fazer isto. Porque eu não sou assim. Mas obrigaram-me.


Duas vezes.








Dançámos um pouco de Bowie...



Por fim, soltou-se essa grande cançonetista que é a Rosinha e os seus temas levo no pacote...


E C'olhões.



Querem melhor? É que é impossível!

A Mari trouxe-me de volta para casa. E descobriu que é possível dar uma volta completa a qualquer rotunda. E não só a três terços da mesma!

Mais uma festa bem boa, mesmo eu estando cheio de sono... É que ter chegado a casa às três da matina na noite anterior, deixou-me KO. Definitivamente, não fui feito para noitadas!