SOL

Boa Noite from the Wandering Berkmans!

With a lull between visits, we dedicate this post to SOL, or as we like to call it "Slice Of Life". (Also a nod to Don's dad, Sol.  We think he would have found these amusing.  This one's for you, Solly.)

We've seen these exercise machines in many cities recently and they seem to be popular especially with seniors.  We enjoyed seeing this man getting in a workout in a suit.  

The sidewalks of Lisbon are so beautiful you want to walk looking down at the ground.  They are filled with designs of waves, flowers, ships, dogs, stars, you name it.  We caught a glimpse of workers in the moment, following a guide to make an abstract design.  They chip away at beige or black rocks to get them to size.  It's a painstaking art and the results are stunning. Here's a sampling--

   

Since there is no cement in between the stones, the sidewalks (and the cobblestone roads for that matter) undulate with the growth of tree roots and other changes to the land.  When work needs to be done under the sidewalk, the individual stones are removed and stored in these large industrial bags until the work is done and they can be reinstalled.

Almost every dog we see is this dog.  This scratchy-fur breed is everywhere!

Prosciutto flavored potato chips.  There you go.

When I saw this label I thought "Three snots??" (close spelling in Spanish.  Really too close). This very popular bar snack is actually the pickled seed of the lupine flower.  The tourist group next to us didn't have the benefit we had of locals telling us you don't eat the shell. Ouch.  An actually tasty snack.

I'm not a big fan of grafitti and there is a fair amount of it in Lisbon.  There is also a great amount of sanctioned public art, like this 25 ft cat made of recycled recycling bins.

A decidedly non-American (or at least non-Berkman) phenomena is the leaving over of drinks.  This one is a gross abuse of the concept but we have seen many a drink left over mostly full in cafes and restaurants.  Call us flummoxed.




 
These very odd looking, large geese/turkey/chickens  (gurkens?) live peacefully with roosters and pigeons in a nearby park.  We've witnessed many a mating ritual and have subsequently learned much of nature.  It is perplexing.

It's Carnaval time and we caught a group of costumed school kids on their way to the local park via police escort for a celebration with music and food.  Many Dalmatian costumes.

At a church fair, this group of ladies, all eating soup on a chilly morning, was thoroughly enjoying each other's company.  I love soup.  I anticipate this will be me one day.  

Also at the church fair was a woman transcribing romantic poetry from the 15th century from Portuguese to English.   She painstakingly worked on one for us, unasked.  It was remarkably saucy. We're taking this as a sign.

This statue near our place-- "Dr. Jose Tomas de Sousa Martins (1843-1897) was known for giving care to Lisbon's poor. He was educated as both a pharmacist and a physician and specialized in tuberculosis. He was poisoned and died at the age of 54. He has since been credited with miracles. This statue honoring Dr. Martins was erected in 1904.   It is believed that the doctor's spirit is able to help people in their times of need. The bottom of the monument is encircled with marble plates thanking him. " It's striking just how many marble plates completely surround this statue.  

 

File this under "It took us 3 weeks to find this gem"-- a small local park where people gather to talk, play guitars and watch the beautiful sunset.

And finally, sometimes a guy needs a haircut.  Renato took his time and care with Don--  a careful fade, hair tonic and brushes on the neck to make sure DB looks his Lisbon best.  And he does!

My sister Laura comes in on Wednesday and she will have nary a moment to rest..... but we think she wants to get in allllllll in.

Thanks for following along!

Don and Monica

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