Carnival Portuguesa Style

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the culmination of the carnival celebrations throughout February. Since I have been in Portugal for almost a month, I felt obliged to join in the celebration.

The Monday prior is “the” night to celebrate all that would be forsaken for lent. The collection of characters who became friends congregated at Silk (a club that boasts a beautiful view of Lisboa from their roof-top terrace), and I invited my new friend Christy to join me for a night of dancing under the stars until the sun dared to rise. I have not laughed so hard in a long time. The costumes ranged from tragic to magnificent, but everyone was jovial as they sang Portuguese songs. I had a great time dancing and singing along (when I could in Spanish). For more pictures go to my photo album.

Traffic Jam Cabanas’ Style

Life in Cabanas is slower than many places I have ever been in a while. It is really refreshing to live in “Praise of Slowness” (Shout out to Chris Holohan for letting borrow his book in SA) by cooking and heating the place with a wood-burning stove, working in the sunlight with the gatos (cats) and watching sunsets. Portugal is a place where business deals are forged and broken on the basis of the amount strain it generates between parties.

The most stressful thing I have observed in the town has been the afternoon grid-lock captured above. I am staying across the road from a sheep’s milk dairy and the afternoon grazing is about as busy as the roads get near the home. As you can see there is a real pile up around the orange tree that brings the flow to a grinding halt. The other sheep just keep on coming and the cascade of wool just increases around the tree. The sheep in the middle were trapped by the tree but they did not seem to mind it much. In fact I actually watched one sheep use the back of his brother to stand on to claim an orange (my battery died so I could not catch it on film but it made me smile). When life gave him lemons, he decided to make orange-aid out of those who held him captive.

Even though it is a stressful time with Reckoning deadlines, life around me is sending a powerful message to take things as they come and enjoy an unhurried pace of life.

Missing a Furry Face

I was hiking in the hills behind the house where I am staying and I came across a family of rabbits grazing. I sat and watched them playing. They chased and frolicked around the orange grove. It made me smile for a moment, but then I became sad because it made me think about dearly departed Sgt.Pepper.

Sgt. Pepper was the rabbit that lived at the Snow compound in Amsterdam. He was a fun companion to me. I spent many hours laughing at his adventures as he played with our neighbour’s cat. He died just before I returned from California last month, so I did not get to say good bye to his furry face.

Seeing the bunnies play became a sort of memorial for Sgt. Pepper. I know that he was “just” a rabbit, but for me he was a point of simple joy in my day. Every time I saw him I smiled, no matter how my day was going; for that I will always be grateful and miss him a little.

Cooking Without Gas

One of the joys I am experiencing in Portugal is cooking for the first time on a wood burning stove.

Tonight I made my entire dinner on the gem you see pictured above. I am discovering how to manage the temperatures with varying amounts of wood and the proximity to the fire, and the thickness of the pan. It is a constant juggling to make a meal on the stove top and the oven but I got the hang of it. With a stone top I was able to keep my tea warm while I was cooking in addition to keep the home warm. I have to admit the food tastes richer and cooks faster.

My hat is off to those in the world who are rocking the wood stoves day in and day out. I also have a deeper respect for my forefathers who dreamed of such a luxury to care for their family. When I think of all the chopping of wood, letting it dry, hauling it into the house, then putting it to work in the kitchen. All in a days work! What is reality for others, is a temporary joy for me. Makes me think and appreciate the work of my relatives.