A Moveable Feast in September

                                                                                                                         September 2010

Day 2

We arrived in Lisbon nine hours after we left Seattle, although in theory, we lost a day. At eight-thirty in the morning, we found Aeroporto do Lisboa to be moderately busy but not chaotic.  As we exited, we felt the crisp air, a sample of its fine subtropical Mediterranean climate. The weather could have added to the excitement of being in another country, however because of the long flight and lack of sleep, I was alert just enough to appreciate the beautiful weather.

            We only had a carry-on luggage—a lesson we learned from our previous European trip. We took with us the minimum amount of luggage for ease in traveling. Because we did not have to go to the baggage-claim area, Ron and I exited the airport in no time. A few feet beyond the exit door, we spotted some of the tour members, who had already worn the tour company's stick-on nametags. Ron and I approached them and we introduced ourselves to each other.

            In a few minutes, a pretty, young woman with long dark hair and a beaming smile, holding a tour company flag, greeted us. She was going to be our tour director. Her exuberance and enthusiasm was refreshing and contagious because my tired body started to pick up energy. After some hand-shaking and welcoming words, she gave Ron and me our name tags and then directed all of us to the bus that would take us to our hotel. Ron wrote out his full name on the blank name tag and requested that he be addressed as Ronaldo. He figured that in the group, there could be other Rons. True enough, we later found two other Rons. He also said jokingly, that people would remember his name easily because of the soccer player well known in Portugal and Spain. Thus, he was Ronaldo throughout the trip.

            As we boarded the bus, we were introduced to our driver Jose (pronounced Zhosey in Portuguese.) Then our tour director greeted us in Portuguese. "Bom Dia", she said, after which time, she started to orient us to the Portuguese language. My research of the Portuguese language was interesting. It is a "Latin-descended Galician-Portuguese" spoken during the medieval times and that later, it took on some Arabic influence and borrowed some words from Africa.  The etymology of words and origin of languages had always fascinated me and I found this version of the evolution of the Portuguese language fascinating. While she elucidated on the Portuguese language, I struggled to recall the few Portuguese words I tried to commit to memory, however, I was not too worried about communicating with the locals because most Portuguese could speak English.

 

We lodged at Tiara Park Atlantic, across Tiara Park. As we entered the glass revolving door, I saw a baby grand piano in the lobby. I later found out that this hotel is a member of a classy chain, the "NH" hotels. Picking up the key from the receptionist, we proceeded to our room, with the hotel staff following us with our luggage. We opened the door to a nicely decorated room—a bud vase with fresh flower on the table and chocolates on the bed. The ambience conveyed a welcoming mood. The bathroom had a bidet common in European hotels. On one corner was a digital weighing scale—a convenience for weight-conscious customers. Bedding and towels were all white, a pleasing color to contrast to the mahogany-colored furniture. I judged the bedroom was perfect. We then rested as we waited for the tour director's welcoming-and-get-together with the tour group at five in the evening.

            At the gathering, forty tour members showed up. The expected number was forty-two. The two came a day later, having come from another tour. Each one of us introduced ourselves by giving a little speech. I recalled meeting a lawyer and his judge-wife, a husky elderly man who worked for the CIA and his retired police officer wife, and one who originally came from Ukraine and his radiologist wife. I was surprised to meet a couple from my state, Washington, who now retired in Arizona. There was a threesome of female retirees. They said they went to college together and became close friends throughout the years. A couple and their son originally came from Cuba. There was one from Hawaii with her friend. It was not easy to remember all their names but as we eventually grew to know each other better, we started to call each other by our names.

            The get-together proved to be pleasant, my apprehensions of being with people I didn't know gone, and I started to relax. In an hour or so, some members already showed friendliness and warmth.