A small blue notebook

The 1998 European educational exchange had ended.  I chose to stay alone in Lisbon for a few extra days.  It was an opportunity and project to share and develop pedagogical knowledge and delivery to children (i.e. teaching and learning) and to build and benefit professional and personal development. It was for adults, as well as for children, and some colleagues missed the point!

My small, blue notebook recorded a memory of overcoming internal fears into joy as a personal educational experience.  It wasn’t every day that I had the opportunity to be in Portugal with flights pre-paid. I hadn't been corrupt. The flight booked was just several days later and meanwhile I paid for my accommodation, travel and food.  Travelling really does broaden the mind. It was a lesson in how to be better organised - an ongoing challenge of my life! It was a lesson in overcoming fears. I needed to keep calm and not think the worst.  Rising panic attacks wanted to destroy the sense of adventure. Being unable to understand Portuguese and frustrated to be understood created desperation in the first 48 hours!  It was a lesson in how to learn to be positive.  It became a lesson of appreciation of how lucky I was.  Then,  there was a friend who loved me.  We spoke on the 'phone. He guided me on how to approach living in a place where language was a barrier.  In my small blue notebook I wrote that I was respectful of his patience, kindness and care.  I tried to be more open towards the general friendliness of unspeaking travellers.

On the train out of Lisboa, I congratulated myself for purchasing a train ticket. I had used gestures and written the destination on paper. I gave a large note and accepted whatever the change was. It was escudos.  That morning at breakfast a television advertisement re-enforced my friend’s verbal support. This made me more confident, encouraged and hopeful that I could master solo travel.

The message was that: “The world is full of opportunity and risk. If you can take away the risk you can do anything!”  It was also “Carpe Diem - Seize the day for tomorrow may never come.”

After the hubbub of Lisbon, the landscape transformed as we exited a dark tunnel. Here was Sintra with its beautiful Palace. Once there were two different castles. There was the now ruined Islamic Castle of the Moors overlooking the village.  In the lower castle, dating from 10^th century, where Moorish regional rulers once lived, there is a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance and Moorish styles.

There was the most wonderful wood-panelled flooring with furniture made from many woods: walnut, rosewood, ebony, oak, chestnut.  In a 15th/16^th chapel repeated patterns of doves holding an olive branch were painted on the walls.  In one room 104 magpies were painted on the ceiling holding 'HONOUR' in their beaks. 

In another room 27 swans were painted on the ceiling. Windows and doors were surrounded by green and white rhombus shaped tiles. Above each were different mosaic patterned castles. I noticed tureens from 17^th/18^th centuries depicting boar, cows, swans, and chickens!

I ate bacalhau – dried and salted codfish with creamy mashed potatoes topped with grilled parmesan, served with a mixed salad and more than one glass of red wine before I climbed to the upper castle in hot sunshine!  I felt contented and wished my friend was with me.  Back in Lisbao, I discovered an indulgement of Portuguese custard tarts. Sitting outside the castle I could hear a noisy city.  Trams clank, aeroplanes roar to soar, pigeons coo, birds in cages sing, others cheep in freedom, builders hammer tools, people chatter, cars rush, ships hoot, horns honk, sirens wail and people played guitars as I looked at the sculptural art in the courtyard.  I loved the monastery, the castle, the wide promenades, the ocean, the ambience, the architecture and particularly the Purple Jacaranda trees, beneath which, I heard the music of Madredeus.  

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Weather Days:
Monday was hot, hot, hot for February.  My carpenter and I sat in the garden for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea!  I think it was a Yellow Brimstone that fluttered by and I think a Red Admiral.  In mid January I had to help a Red Admiral wake up when it was about to get damaged in the log shed!  But I heard on the radio this Wednesday morning that butterflies in England have woken up from their Winter Pause too early and there isn't enough nectar to supply them with energy.
Tuesday was more overcast with some sun breaking through in the afternoon.