When the American Bridge Company finished building the first bridge across the River Tejo in Lisbon, so the joke went, the company president sent a cable to the Portuguese government saying:
"What name shall we put on the inauguration plaque?"
"Why, the name of the most famous Portuguese of all!" the dictator's representative cabled back.
"Do you spell Eusébio with an 's' or a 'z'?" the Americans responded.
The bridge, of course, was inaugurated on 6th August 1966 with the name Ponte Salazar, which it kept until the Carnation Revolution of 1974. Now it is known as the Ponte 25 de Abril to commemorate Portugal's peaceful liberation from dictatorship.
Wouldn't it have been wonderful if the joke had become reality, though; if that iconic footballer, the first black African to become a really international football star, had been commemorated instead?
I think the Ponte Eusébio da Silva Ferreira would have sounded great.
Rest in Peace Eusébio!
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Living the dream: it's what most of us plan to do at some time in our lives, isn't it? That is, we tell ourselves we'll do it when we retire or if and when we can afford it without disadvantaging the family or... well you get the drift. Actually putting the theory into practice, though, takes real dedication and lots of us chicken out. We make excuses about being too old – "My knees are not what they were..."; no longer having the energy- "Just look at those young folk! How I envy them their get up and go!" Or just needing to be sure we can access healthcare.... and so on.
Above you can see someone who, along with her husband, has had the courage of her convictions and taken the plunge. To see more of L and R's adventure and to investigate what the locals do during the grape harvest in the Minho, click here.
We first visited the Paço de Giela more than ten years ago. In spite of its status as a national monument this modest cross between a castle and a manor house was then crumbling into decay and we were, as far as we could tell, among its few visitors.
To find out how the Paço de Giela received a second lease of life and the renactment of Portugal's early history, click here.
That title is an odd mixture of words, phrases and ideas, isn't it? Have a look at this photo of a dragon outside a house on the way to the Peneda Geres National Park and see if you can tell why I've used it.
The dragon has its tail wrapped round a ball and seems to be giving a V for Victory sign. Don't you think that is unusual? So, what is going on? It has nothing to do with the boy wizard of children's literature nor with the bloody struggles for supremacy in mythical kingdoms so recently a TV hit. Nothing indeed like that. Think about famous institutions in northern Portugal and see if you can divine why the dragon is there.
To find out – if you haven't already guessed – why this family has chosen dragons to tell the world what matters to them, click here.
Let's suppose that you don't have a swimming pool – after all most people don't, do they? Nor do the majority of hotels and AirBnBs. So, when it is hot in the Minho, what do you do?
"Ah but..." I hear you cry before I have a chance to explain, "We're talking about the north of Portugal. Surely it doesn't get hot there?"
Well, you'd be surprised. Despite the mistrustful opinions of prominent climate deniers, global warming seems to be affecting the north of Portugal just as much as elsewhere and it can get pretty hot. So, when the temperature is in the high 30s and you are sweltering, where can you go to cool down? Clearly from my picture you can hope it's a cloudy day in Vila Praia de Âncora and go there!
To find out more about this seaside town, and to see a more encouraging picture, click here.
To read more about the Serra da Estrela, its inhabitants and their traditional woolen material, burel, click here.
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