A Blustery P-day

I thought about all my painting buddies as we drove through the hills just fifteen minutes north of Olhao.  I really love the way they don't tear things down here they just see the beauty of it.  Like the freshly painted door in an old crumbling building.  I know they painted that door just for people like me to come and take a picture of it. 

Land's End

Where Portugal meets the Atlantic on the west and south coasts is a very spectacular stretch of coastline.  We were in awe of the giant waves breaking on red-ocher cliffs and turquoise water.  We could feel the spray of the waves from the top of the cliffs.  A perfect day.

The Road to Beja

Beja is a town about 90 miles north of us and it is in our district.  We visited the Elders and Sisters there and took them some treats.  We also had some business with the branch president.  Anyway, on the way we saw this castle from our car window in a town called Mertola.

The storks build their nests on the top of telephone poles.  This nest was one of several score of nests along the road to Beja.

Seems like every self-respecting town has a castle.  This is the one in Beja which we saw up close. Castles are cold and creepy and I pity the poor person who was locked up in this tower, if in fact there every was one.  Ron climbed to the top of the tower. On the inside there was a circular, steep, narrow tread stairway cut out of stone.  I had a migrane that day so was too wobbly to maneuver tiny stairs.

Galinha/Frango

A live chicken is called Galinha

A dead one is called Frango.  Not knowing what I was getting I went to the market and bought frango.  This frango came with head attached and legs conveniently placed in the package along with the chicken.  This was about the first meal that I had cooked and I looked in my drawer and realized that I had a very dull knife or a pair of scissors.  Which would you choose?  I chose the knife.  Poor frango.

Olhao Farmer's Market

The Farmer"s Market in Olhao is a feast for the eyes.  There are two large buildings each about 80 yards long; one with produce and the other with freshly caught sea food and meat.  I don't have a picture of the laranja honey which is very light gold and mild in flavor, so good and reasonably priced.  Almonds are grown locally and are delicious.  

Outside of these 2 huge buildings are vendors also with produce.  It is mind boggling.  Each vendor's food looks better than the last and finally I just have to plunge in and start buying.  

We live in Olhao.  It is located almost center of our District.  We are so lucky.

First Impressions of Lisboa

It has been a month since I have posted because we just got our internet connection at our home in Olhao.  So here goes a month's worth of pictures starting with the Mission Home in Lisboa.

Seating area in the Living Room 

Living room from the opposite direction.

Dining Room

                  The last picture is of the large kitchen where a ton of food prep goes on.
Sr. Fluckiger is a wonderful hostess.  When missionaries come and go she and her cook make many, many pans of lasagna, bread and brownies among many other great things.  In the picture you can see Paula Rose, Bro. Henry and the back of Sr. Fluckiger's head.



More sights of Lisboa.  The Romans came first and built their magnificent aquaducts.  The freeway goes right underneath this one.

                       This is a fort at the entry to the Lisbon harbor.  Its twin is across the river.

This sidewalk is made of individual tiles.  Every city and town in the country has sidewalks of different design.  They are painstakingly laid each piece at a time by some men who are on their knees all day long.  I really appreciate the work and beauty of the sidewalks of Portugal.

This huge monument is dedicated to the Portuguese explorers and sailors and principally Henry the Navigator who's story is told in the book 1423.

 (or maybe it was 1421, I get them mixed up)

The large cathedral is a backdrop for this city scene with more beautiful sidewalks.  This sidewalk is cut granite and shows the travels of the Portuguese explorers to lands then unknown.