Trip to Lisbon Part2: Exploring the city

Exploring Lisbon
In the next morning, after breakfast, we (David, Linda and I) decided to explore the city of Lisbon. “ Where are we going today?” Linda asked me.
“Well, we have time…So” I was trying to suggest and then David interrupted, “ We go to watch bullfighting.”
“Yes, we go to Camp Pequeno.” I followed and David and I continued “ Linda, you missed a great thing last night. We should go there again with you.” We already told Linda that we went to Campo Pequeno to watch bullfighting the previous night and we continued to suggest bullfighting every time we discuss next activity. Anyway, we stopped teasing Linda for a while and we headed for the Baixa district. We visited Castelo de Sao Jorge (St Jorge Castle). The castle is located on the hill along the River Tejo. It is one of the best spot to overlook the city of Lisbon. When we got to Rosio Square, we walked up to the Castle. When we were walking along, Linda started to shoot some photos. As my camera started to refuse working, I could take a few photos. David left his camera at the table in his room. So, we were totally dependent on Linda. This time, she brought a bigger camera with a manual zoom lens, the type of a camera that I would never manage. When we got to the castle, David volunteered to queue at a ticketing office while Linda and I looked around some shops nearby. In fact, as a Spanish, he manages conversations with local people better to get more exact information. The view from the castle is magnificent and spectacular. This was my third visit. My last visit was in January 2002. The view was still impressive. From the castle, you can overlook the River Tejo on your left and on your right, you see Lisbon’s red roof building. This could be the best spot to spend a quiet afternoon and let time pass.





“Yasu, what do you suggest for tonight’s activity after we meet Athina?” David asked me.
“I was thinking we all go to a Fado restaurant together. I know one restaurant, which is quite reasonable in price.” I replied.
“Ah, sounds nice.” David agreed. Linda also agreed and she said “By the way, is anyone knows Athina’s mobile phone and what time she arrives? She said we do not have to go to the airport …”. “Well, me no.” David responded.
“ I asked Nuno but he does not know and let me see…” I quickly checked my note and there wasn’t her number. “Neither do I”
“We will see. She knows the address of our apartment.” We continued our tour around the Castle and in the end we got thirsty. So, we decided to drink something. About thirty minutes after our discussion, David’s phone rang and it was Athina. “OK. Athina is now at the airport and waiting her luggage. We will meet her on her way to the apartment.” David said.
“Good. We haven’t had lunch yet. So, why don’t you and Linda to go to meet her on our way back. I will go to Corte Ingles to buy something for preparing lunch at the apartment.” I suggested. I arrived at the apartment first and started to check if I have everything I need for cooking. After a while, Linda and David brought Athina to the apartment. I quickly exchanged greeting with her.
At Newcastle University, I had much less chance to know her than Nuno and Linda. In the beginning of the school year, Nuno and I met her and her Greek friends in an excursion to York. We went out with her group a few times. After I started to party with a Spanish group, a bucket of Sangria!, I went out less with others except ones at the Northterrace. But I remembered her with a red scarf. This trip was a good chance to know her better. Now, we, four of us, all arrived at our Gulbenkian Apartment and we are ready to attend our friend’s wedding, tomorrow. We are very unique group. All four come from different country with different background. I am a Japanese. I met Nuno on the first day in Newcastle. Finding another supporter of Luis Figo (Portuguese football star), we became friends and I became an unofficial residence of Northterrace. Linda comes from Taipei and she was an official resident of Northterrace. She studied Chinese-English translation at our university. David is a current colleague of Nuno. He also works for European Commission. He studied and worked in Madrid before going to Brussels. Our fourth member, Athina is a Greek. Her family live in Athens but she works about 2 hours away from there. Coming to Lisbon, she first went back to Athens and then took a flight to Milan. But the connecting flight to Lisbon delayed there and she finally arrived here now. She said she’s actually from the island of Crete, which she is proud of.
“ Crete is the biggest island in Greek and the most beautiful place!” she said proudly.
As Greece is the only country which I have never been, I wanted her to show me where Crete is in my little European map. I had marked all the places in Europe where I had ever been. People who see it, they are usually impressed how many places I have visited. “Oh, Yasu you have been to so many places ” her first reaction was right.
“Yes, you mostly travelled to Southern Europe: Portugal, Spain, Italy…” David added.
“Yeah, Yasu loves Italy” Linda added her comment
“ But not yet in Greece, you should visit Greece” Athina started say and then “ But there is no Crete in this map!”
“Oh, really, I am very sorry” I apologized to her. The map that I brought is designed by European Rail Network to show rail lines which passengers can travel with a special pass call “Eurail Pass”. As Crete is an island in the Mediterranean Sea without railways(?), this little map does not show
…


-My Euro Map-

-Crete is located below south of this map! Sorry... Athina.-


I prepared chicken with Teriyaki sauce, some salad with oil and vinegar. We had bread and mineral water. We started to fill our stomach and we continued our conversation and plan for this afternoon.
“So, what are we going to do this afternoon? Bullfighting?” David looked at Linda.
“ Good idea.” I added. We are still trying to convinced her “ Well, I think bullfighting is not such an evil thing. Better than McDonald!” I said.
“Why?”
“You see McDonald and other first food giants over-raise cows and bulls. Then they kill them. A lot of meadow and green yard becomes desert. They all over-use wrapping paper. Overuse of paper cause deforestation. In bullfighting, they just follow their tradition and they kill bulls. But not as many as McDonald. I am against McDonald but not bullfighting.” I commented in a little hint of joke.
“I have never heard a discussion about bullfighting comparing McDonald!” David laughed. I actually quit consuming beef since I stayed at an organic daily farm during the period when I wrote dissertation for graduating Newcastle University. I had stayed completely vegetarian for one month. I believe it is possible to obtain enough protein without slaughtering cows. As I said before, a large conventional farming cause deforestation.
“Well we may have to end our discussion here. Otherwise, we spend a whole afternoon discussing bullfighting and McDonald!” David said. We all agreed.

- Picture of us at our Lisbon apartment-


Fado Restaurant
David made a reservation at Dragon do Arfama, a Fado restaurant at eight pm. We spent time in Baixa Alto visiting a church which was half-destroyed by the earthquake in the eighteen’s century. When you visit Portugal, Fado is one of thing you should experience. Fado is a Portuguese traditional song. There are many restaurant which offer Fado performance in Lisbon. In my opinion, Fado is not so spectacular as Framenco in Spain. In Fado, there is no dance performance. Instead, Fado is more poetic and nostalgic. Fado means fate in Portuguese. In Fado, sad and nostalgic stories are written in song. Not many are song with happy endings. Streets in Alfama are narrow and winding. As I went to the restaurant with Nuno and his friends who knew the location, I barely remembered. So, David had to ask locals where is the restaurant. One of a local who is actually a waiter at the other Fado restaurant, said “It is here. My restaurant!” We laughed and ignored him.
After asking several people, we found the restaurant. David told a lady at the restaurant that he reserved a table for four persons. She firstly did not think there was a reservation and then she quickly directed us to a table. A piece of paper on the table said “ Spanish, 4 persons ” instead of his name.
“She did not get my name over the phone and she wrote “Spanish” David confessed.
“Well, if she did not understand David, there is no way for me to make a reservation in my “Portnhol”” I wondered.
We ordered some fish and pork and shared dishes. We had a bottle of Vinho Verde, a tipical Portuguese white wine. During our dinner, four Fadista (Fado singers), men and women made a turn to sing Fado. There are two other tables with customers. During performance, a group of young women come in. They are in their twenties. I thought that younger generations in Portugal do not seem to totally abandon traditional culture such as Fado and Bullfighing. “How many youngsters watch Kabuki in their life? I think almost never…” I wondered. After dinner, on the way back, we passed the restaurant of the waiter who suggested his restaurant.
“Did you find Dragon do Alfama? Now, you enjoy a dinner, here!” he said to David, something like that in Portuguese. We laughed and ignored him again.
“A bloody joke!” I thought.
Except this interruption, we enjoyed a walk till Rosio, the square in the centre and took subway ride to our apartment. “Tomorrow is Nuno’s wedding. We must not forget we are here for his wedding.”


Saturday: The day of wedding
This was the day of Nuno and Lu’s wedding. Nuno told us that it would not be possible for us to leave our formal clothes at the hotel where we will have dinner. So, we decided to put off sightseeing in Sintra till Monday and relax at our apartment before the wedding.
The wedding ceremony was scheduled to start at 16:30. The priests who attend their wedding is Nuno’s uncle. Nuno said that his uncle lives in an African country by following his religious duties and he came back to Lisbon for his nephew’s ceremony. Previously they worked many hours for preparing consents and doing rehearsal.
Nuno told me that it is his family tradition to get married at Igreja de Santa Maria since his parents and other relatives had married there. I found that in Roman Catholic, a wedding is more traditional and formal. They invite family and friends. On the other hand, in Japan few couples get married at temple in a very traditional way. Japanese tend to invite people from workplace and ceremony and dinner take place at the same place. It often becomes drunk or Karaoke party! In Portugal, wedding seems to be considered to be more family matter. Therefore, a few very close friends from workplace are invited. No bosses or secretaries. There is no a VIP table for company executive. So, there is no sign of Mr. Barroso at Nuno’s wedding. He must be excluded with courtesy! When we arrived at Santa Maria church. Nuno and his parents, Claudia and Sergio were already there. As a bridegroom, he was quite busy with greeting friends and relatives. Later, Lu arrived in a top-open French car. She was in a white wedding dress.
The ceremony lasted for one hour or so. Nuno’s uncle led the ceremony, some pray and consents. I have been to messa a few times when I stayed in Italy. I am not very religious (maybe not at all). It is not easy to describe but I feel different when I attend some religious ceremony at Catholic Church. Feeling of refreshing my soul…
The ceremony ended. Both Lu and Nuno read their consents well with no sign of high tension. After the ceremony, we were all led to Tivoli Hotel where we are having a wedding dinner.




The dinner began with a glass of Porto wine and various croquettes such pasteis de Bacalhau. Before the time to seat at a table, I enjoyed a chat with Sergio, Claudia’s boyfriend.
After my last visit in Lisbon, Nuno sent a copy of my mail, my first long writing on holiday overseas, to Sergio and his colleague who I had played football together. “He is a famous man in my office. My colleagues and I read his email. I said to them Yasu is coming to Portugal. They remember him very well.” Sergio said to the other man at the party. My conversation with Sergio usually starts with topic of football. Sergio buys seasonal tickets of Sporting games. He is a Sporting supporter. I would say I am also favour of Sporting. Because players from Sporting make a great difference to Portuguese national team. Namely, Luis Figo (retired), Cristiano Ronaldo (22), Quaresma (23), Nani (20) and Joan Moutinho (21). Currently, Benfica, the opposing club in Lisbon makes less influence in the national team. “I saw a highlight of Under-21 championship. 2-0 against Canada. Great goals by Bruno Gama.” I said Sergio. Bruno Gama is a rising star in a younger national team. He leads the team as a captain. Unlike other young stars whom I previously mentioned, he was trained in FC Porto. “Yes, Bruno Gama, he is a great player.” Sergio agreed. Conversation is normal and fun. The Benfica man who I previously mentioned, had ignored my point in the same topic and that men did not even care his national team.
“Maybe, it is wise for me to go against Benfica…” I thought.
The dinner consists of soup, rice, fish, meat and dessert. It was a lot but manageable volume for us. But what I was surprised was a volume of additional dessert, set in a separate room. After the meal, there was a plate of dessert. However, guests could still take some more dessert placed on a table in the room in the back. There were more than ten different desserts on the table waiting guests to tackle!


During the dinner Nuno and Lu made some speech and visited each table to entertain and thank guests. There was dance time. At the dinner, Lu was in a bright red China dress. I suddenly thought she was so beautiful. Of course, she was beautiful in her wedding dress but was not as impressed as she was in the China dress.
I thought it was good to mix some Chinese tradition in the dinner party. Because the ceremony was completely Catholic and Portuguese. When the bride and bridegroom visited each table, they gave Chinese cigar and a little gift. The dinner ended after twelve. Sergio voluntarily drove us back to our apartment in Lisbon. During and after the wedding, I wondered how Nuno and Lu’s life could be from now onward. Nuno is Portuguese and Lu is from China. They now live in Belgium, far away from their home and less contact to their culture and tradition. “I hope they won’t become Belgian, culturally insignificant people. This is my worry. What would I do if Lu cooks Belgian mussels saying it is her speciality instead of Chinese barbecue rib? What would I do if Nuno suddenly becomes indifferent in football, saying “Cristiano Ronaldo? Who? We don’t talk about him in Belgium! Yasu, you want some snack? Pasteis? No! Here you go, some waffles. It’s good for you! ” I imagined, “How horrifying!” “But one thing is sure, they will be happy together. Happily united. That won’t change.”