HISTORICAL LECTURE ALONG THE RIDE TO PORTO
Wow! This was an amazing ride. I was dreading it, but I learned in Lisboa
that the Aleve in the morning and then a healthy dose vinho tinto about 2 PM
makes the arthritis lessen.
I
am very tired of daily pain and acute stiffness that makes walking a limp and
bus stairs a challenge, and when I get home I will look for the Humira. But just now to have discovered the wine as
anti-inflammatory is very helpful.
Most
readers have been delightfully drunk in their lives, but I suspect few have
found that as well as the elation of the drinking there was the elimination of
intense and restrictive pain.
Of
course, I know that it is a slim bit of a balance. I must not drink too much, just enough to be
happy. Otherwise I would have to pay for the medication with hangover.
Oh, red wine is the one alcohol that lowers blood sugar.
Oh, red wine is the one alcohol that lowers blood sugar.
Then
the stopping was just wonderful. The comfort stops were right as they were
needed, and I was never uncomfortable.
I
fell asleep for part of the journey and most of the rest was full of Sandra
explaining something. She brings the
information down to my level. I've read guidebooks, but this was absolutely the
best composites of Portuguese information that I might imagine.
There
was a short lesson in Portuguese. I'll record it phonetically.
Sim
= yes
Nao
= No
Quanto
Pushka _ How much
“s”
in the middle is pronounced “sh”
“j”
is always like the “g” in george.
“Toilet”
will work fine
Kenca
– hot
Frio
– cold
gelado
– icy
shyooo
– full the cup to the top
chaio – tea
A good toast, "saude" sounds something like
Sawuda meaning good health.
We
learned that a referendum in Portugal
has eliminated the possibility of developing nuclear energy, so the electricity comes
from dams, wind farms, and solar with a small percentage imported. From the bus
we often see the wind turbines.
Most
of the time it is very green in Portugal.
It is warm and dry in summer and winter rainfall is abundant. The common trees are pine including the round
top umbrella pines, eucalyptis trees, and cork trees.
The
eucalyptus is used for lumber because it grows much faster than pine, and the
leaves make the oil we buy. The cork is
used for wine bottles, but also processed and used for making shoes and purses
and even jewelry and hats. Eucalyptus
burns fast, so forest fires are a problem and very hard to stop once they gain
a foothold.
The
cork bark is peeled. As our former guide
explained, this makes the tree live longer, but it can only be done every 9
years. A cork tree will live for three of four hundred years if the cork is not harvested, but taking it extends the life of the tree indefinitely.
We
passed the Fatima Shrine where the three young girls had the repeating vision
on the 13th of the month. It
ended on my birthday, but long before I was born, 1917.
In 1920-21 the chapel was built.
Two of the children died fairly young, one from tuberculosis and one
from Spanish Flu, but the third became a nun and lasted until she was 97 years
old.
HISTORY
First came the Celts. Then
the Romans beat them down and developed roads and aqueducts and bridges. Technology does help when one group wants to
conquer another.
With
the 15th century falling of the Empire came the pressure of the Barbarians from
the North, the Visigoths. The Visigoths
did blend well with the Romans.
In
711 the Moors arrived and beat out the Visigoths except for the mountainous
area of Asturias. The Moors brought in
the crop of rice which has been popular ever since. And the Arabic language blended in as well.
CRUSADES
- The Moors were attacked and eventually
defeated. This is the time of
Reconquista.
Henry
of Burgandy. Here is the guy who sets
off the development of Portugal.
His
son Prince Alfonso finishes the job.
Alfonse the I creates the capital in Coimbra. Now the job is less war and more development
of farming and of fishing so that the country can be prosperous.
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