Portugal

I spent the tail end of my trip abroad in the Geres National Forest of Northeast Portugal. It was pretty amazing. My host was Ricardo Pinheiro, a good friend I met at the IUGTA Conference in Austria last May. Ricardo was here with his wife, Paty, and their son, Leo, as well as his extended family and friends. This was their vacation, and they graciously let me crash four days of it. Nothing like the ugly American showing up just when you think you are safely ensconced in a fishing village high in the mountains of Portugal! We have our ways of finding you, and then eating your stuff.

I thought I would combine all of my thoughts into one LONG entry replete with photos. Let them tell you about this amazing experience.

These are grape vines at the Avioso Inn, where we stayed. The proprietors, Senior and Gloria Nevua, make their own wine!

This was my bed. I felt protected from the undead. My room was at the top of the Inn. You opened these little shutters over the window at night and the stars shown in. Yes, just like in Pinocchio!
The view from my bedroom. Every morning I was awakened by a rooster that shrieked "Cock-a-DOO-doo!" I can still hear him in my head. I hope I eat him.
The other view from the Inn. This is the Canicada Dam. We did much jet skiing, water skiing, and swimming. Also, there were dogs.
A delicious plate of cod at Dinner in Santa Maria do Bouro (Minho). Wow.
Some delicious pork interspersed with some not so delicious liver.
This is the Cathedral of Santa Maria do Bouro, and it's like a thousand years old. And it's also a hotel. It was beautiful, all lit up.
Interior of the cathedral slash hotel.
Outside the cathedral, with lime trees lit up.
Weird lighting effects and my crappy camera do little to affect the admirable attractiveness of the Pinheiro family.
Senior Nevua's wine casketry. This whole "wine" issue caused some awkward moments down the line for me. That story, however, is better in person.

The border of Portugal and Spain. I guess you can just come and go; and feel free to spray paint the name of your favorite soccer team!
Here is a group of us hiking in the early morning to some springs. The trails were dusty but the weather was fantastic and the wild flowers and grasses were so impressive.
This trail was actually created by Germans in World War II. A lot of work culminating in a big international spanking!
The springs - with incredibly clear water.

The second coldest water I've ever been in. Maybe third, counting the avuntos in Finland. The coldest water I've been in was a waterfall I swam in at Capitol Reef this past June. This was a season of cold water for me.

This is a natural hot spring in Fondevila, Spain. It was hot, but not that hot. I went in and swam around and put my head under the water. There were some Spanish swimmers there that acted like I was crazy. At one point this fat guy told me to basically get out. He was worried.
From the window of Ricardo's car.
Geres, Portugal. Windy roads, but how's that for a view?
Here I am, proudly waving my Portugese flag towel
Lunchtime at the Avioso!

Pedro and Ricardo on the jet ski. I drove that thing as well. I got it going about 90, and then I remembered all of my children and then slowed down.
Senor Nevua: Inn owner, Wine maker, Shepherd, Renaissance Man.
Everyone talked Portugese the whole time. Sometimes they would translate for me. I didn't mind - I would hate to constantly be translating for someone. They were really nice about it. Mostly I just watched their expressions and listened to their tones and I could sort of understand what they were talking about. But sometimes I thought they were fighting, and I asked Ricardo what they were fighting about. He laughed and said "We're not fighting. We're latin."
The Avioso Inn. Are you getting an idea of how awesome this place was?

Early the next morning we hiked into the mountains to locate, and turn, Senior Nevua's 50 plus cows. It's kind of a crap shoot, since you don't know where in the mountains the cows are going to be. You might find them in minutes, or it could take twelve hours. For us it took about four hours to find them, thanks to Senior Nevua making mysterious cow calls.
Wild horses...couldn't drag me away....
This is called a shepherd's oven. It's where the shepherd's crash - and the mountains are dotted with them. I actually snoozed in this one for about an hour.

Later, Senior Nevua and his brother-in-law, also named Senior Nevua, force-fed me veal that they were cooking over a fire. More veal than I have ever had in my life. More veal than any human being has ever eaten since, oh, Caligula or some other glutton. I was exhausted from eating veal. So I fell asleep right on the ground, nestled among cow pies. Ricardo's cousin Pedro took this picture.

Here they are! Cows.

We felt like conquering heroes, even though none of actually helped much. But hiking is a lot of work! And so is eating veal and telling scary stories about wolves. Pictured is Ricardo, Paty, and Pedro, in various states of excitement.
A final parting shot of Portugal. Such a beautiful country, and such warm and gracious people. I am so incredibly grateful to everyone who showed me such kindness during my four days there. I want to go back.

should old acquaintance be forgot

Here it is. Our last day for the program. I can never believe how quickly it comes. Suddenly time is up and you vaguely remember doing a million things but still somehow wonder how it all happened so quickly. Best not to dwell upon it. Nothing gold can stay, quoth Robert Frost. I'm actually headed to Portugal tomorrow for a few days with a good friend of mine. It's mostly R&R before I head home and start the school season. I'm looking forward to it. And I'm incredibly excited to see my family in a few days! I've missed them. But I will also miss the little family that I made over here. They have been a really fun group: energetic, gracious, and adventurous. Today on the streets of Edinburgh they gave me a thank you card and a really awesome vinyl Big Ben to put in my office. I started to cry. It was embarrassing. I just felt really touched by that.

Today was the final performance of Rappaccini's Daughter. The show was the best it's been. After the performance was over I heard a gentleman talking about how much he loved it, so I invited him to talk to the cast. He told them how much he loved the energy, the creativity, the sounds, and said it was "just magical." I was glad that they got to hear that. They've worked so hard on this show and deserved to get some praise.

We spent some time at the Edinburgh castle this afternoon. I always like taking the guided tours because the jokes are so so good. I can never remember them afterwards, which is great because then they are brand new to me every year. Our guide this year was Frank, who was so determined that there would be sunshine during our tour that he took off his jacket and threw it to the ground in a heap. Frank was mostly right. As we hit the cannon hill we saw a dark cloud moving over the North Sea and we knew we were in for it. It hit just as our tour ended at the top of castle hill. It was ominous to watch it coming. It was also really beautiful.

When we dried off a little I showed Daniel, Cherie, and Becca the Armstrong and Co thrift shop, which may be the most eclectic thrift shop in the entirety of the UK. It's full of everything you can think of, and then everything you would probably never think of. I've been promising Cherie and Becca for weeks that I would show them some thrifting. So I turned them loose in there, and then headed out for a bit on my own.

This afternoon I saw Keepers, a really interesting two man show about Welsh lightkeepers. They created a lighthouse out of a few chairs and a ladder; everything else was accomplished with sheer physicality and movement. I thought it was really fascinating to watch. To the side of the stage they had a DJ providing all the sound effects: rags on a window, roaring waves, sea gulls, as well as musical accompaniment. It was really creative and interesting, and the story was sad and funny and sweet. James and Colleen were there as well. We agreed that the physicality and the storytelling were amazing, but the sound effects stole the show.

I had one more meal at the Edinburgh City Restaurant, not just because the food is basically American, but because there's just so much of it. I had a 12" Hawaiian pizza and felt, for a few minutes, that I was back at Brick Oven. If Brick Oven were under a perpetual thundercloud, smelled remotely like cigarettes, and looked like Hogwarts.

Lastly, tonight was the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Pronounced "ta-TOO." This is my third time at the Tattoo, but I think tonight was my favorite. Not only did we have the money seats (Thanks, Grant!) on the front row dead center, but the bands were particularly great and the feats were exciting. Here's what I saw:

Lots of bagpipes. Seriously, if you don't like bagpipes you SHOULD NOT go to the Tattoo.
One super awesome mustache!
A group of motorcycle daredevils aged 14 and under. They did some amazing feats, and a little three year old in a sidecar squirted us with watergun.
I don't know who these guys are - some kind of military troupe in white shorts? - but they did some sweet trampoline stunts!

Afterwards we didn't want to go to bed yet - everyone is trying to stave off the inevitable plane rides home tomorrow - so we stopped at The Piemakers, which was open just late enough to make us a few more Apple Blackcurrent pies. Not sure if it was a fitting goodbye to Scotland, or if there even is a fitting goodbye to Great Britain, but it was nice to spend a few last minutes together before we all head our separate ways.

the fire of images

Today was the second performance of Rappaccini's Daughter. I am amazed at how hard the students are working to build an audience. It's not easy work, and it's certainly not something they are used to having to do. All the same, it's impressive to see them up on the Royal Mile, posing for pictures, handing out fliers, and doing their thing. It's fun to watch them in action.

I stopped for a bit this morning at Gladstone's Land. It's an original house from the 1500's that hasn't changed much in 500 years. The floorboards still creak, the stairs are uneven and narrow, and the ceilings are high and painted with flowers and fruit. I think houses like this are fascinating. I know it's hard to trust how accurate they really are, but I easily suspend my disbelief. I try to imagine people living and working in these rooms. I wonder if, in 500 years, people will be traipsing through my 1970's split-level in Edgemont. If so, I hope they let people take pictures. Also, I hope you will still be able to see Hugh's autograph on his bedroom door, a piece of in-house vandalism too cute to wipe off.

I also stopped by the Edinburgh writer's museum, but it was mostly to get out of the rain. This museum is free, which is always a bad sign. It was nice inside, and I liked the displays, but I wasn't overwhelmed by it. Edinbugh is famous for three writers: Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Burns, and Sir Walter Scott. They were amazing writers, and the people of Edinburgh are very proud of them.

This afternoon the students took a much needed break from their barking and we set off for Holyrood Castle. Holyrood is most famous for being the home of Mary Queen of Scots. Elizabeth, the one who is still on the throne, still uses this palace for Royal events. It's a pretty impressive place. My favorite room, of course, is the chamber where Mary's lover, David Rizzio, was stabbed 56 times to death in 1566. His blood stained the wooden floor, and it remains stained to this day! You can kind of see the redness of the blood in this picture:

Outside the castle is a medieval abbey. It was here that King James I was crowned. The English burned most of the abbey down, but these ruins remain. And they're pretty fantastic:

Tonight I ran into Daniel on the Royal Mile and we set out for dinner at Nando's. Nando's was about 20 minutes away from where we were, but crushed ice and refillable Coke Zero's are worth walking twice that far. Also, lemon and herb chicken. Neither of us regretted our decision. Following dinner we grabbed a cab and went to Leith for a performance of Tabu.

What can I say about Tabu? It basically blew my mind. Presented by the nofitstate performance company of Wales, Tabu is basically a postmodern circus. The audience is huddled under a big top, and the performers swing on trapezes and walk tightropes just feet above your head. A live band plays rock music, featuring various saxophones. The performers take turns on the vocals. They sing songs about buses being late. A plump young lady called out "lema-lema-lema-lema-lemonade!" and then shot people in the head with an origami bird. They spun fire wheels, they bounced on giant trampolines, and they performed death defying acts with such beauty and innovation; it was really one of the most inspiring things I've seen. Some of the pieces were honestly moving. Others were funny. But they were all incredibly difficult, yet polished. I was completely blown away. Are all circuses like this? I need to get out more.

auld reekie

Edinburgh is called "Auld Reekie" because it has a peculiar smell. People attribute it to soot and smoke from a century ago, and I can't confirm or deny that. But there's no mistaking the smell of Edinburgh. I always think it's pea soup. Every time I come here I immediately smell pea soup. Some of my students say it's pork and beans, and someone else said burnt popcorn. There is a reek. It's not unpleasant, but it's there.

This morning was a little hectic as it was the first performance of Rappaccini's Daughter. While the students set up camp in their new theatre space I maneuvered the backstreets of Edinburgh, making fliers and buying mandolin strings for the performance. It was, needless to say, raining, which made the streets slick and the sidewalks clogged with umbrellas. But I got it done. On my way to the venue I passed this on the wall:

It was great advice.

The first performance of the show, I am very pleased to say, went extremely well. While the space was even tighter than they had anticipated, the students adapted beautifully to their confines and delivered a performance that was clear, energetic, and full of passion. I was really proud of them. This piece was adapted by a student, directed by a student, and performed by a group of students. My involvement was incredibly limited. So to see what they have accomplished is inspiring to me; I sat in the audience and felt so grateful to associate with these young artists. There are incredible amounts of potential on that stage, and I look forward to seeing where these students eventually end up.

After the performance they had literally two minutes to vacate the theatre so the next performance could move in. So it goes at the Edinburgh Fringe. But they did it; tumbling out of the theatre in white make-up and carrying bags and trunks as quickly as they could. I left with James and Colleen Arrington for pizza up the street. We had a nice long visit, and James caught me up on all of the happenings in the UVU Theatre Department while I've been away. I'm amazed how many changes can happen in my career, my family, and my church in just a month. And the odd thing is that things probably change like this all the time, I just don't always get the chance to back away and marvel at it like I do when I'm here.

After lunch I went to a show called Naked Splendour, which received the rare and blessed 5 Star review from the official Fringe Newspaper. I can see why - it's very entertaining. It's a one man show in a little space. This guy was a professional artist's model, which is very interesting because he's huge. Very, very big. He talks about what it feels like to be a model: holding endless poses, being dissected and talked about by artists, meeting strange and quirky people. It was fascinating and funny, and occasionally touching. And the best part is that they gave you pads of paper and you could draw whatever you wanted while he spoke. I thought that Lisa, who can actually draw, would have loved it. I love watching people draw. I'm terrible at it.

Tonight I needed to have dinner and I walked around Edinburgh, looking for what sounded right. And do you know what sounded right? Yep, McDonalds! People are always annoyed by how much I eat at McDonalds over here, and I always feel a little guilty about it. They somehow want me to always be eating in cafes or hidden little European eateries. But after a month of eating in cafes I just need something fast, hot, and cheap. I don't want to sit for an hour, I don't want to worry about how to split the bill, I don't want to wait 30 minutes for my food. So I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE. While I scarfed my Big Mac I reflected on all the places, besides Edinburgh, I have eaten McDonalds this year:

1. High Street Kensington, London (TWICE)

2. The Louvre, Paris

3. Versailles, Paris

4. Convention, Paris

5. Hampstead Heath, London

6. Trafalgar Square, London (BUT THAT WAS ONLY A McFLURRY)

Tonight I switched things up and did the Edinburgh Film Festival. It's fun to see movies in Europe because the screens are so tiny! Actually, that's not that fun. But it's fun to see movies whenever I can. Tonight was a presentation of short films from all around the world. I liked most of them. Sometimes they were trying to be super arty, and man, that gets old fast. I like the shorts when they tell simple stories and have a clear point of view. I also like originality. I have a high tolerance for quirk and a low tolerance for redundancy or cliche. Regardless of what I thought, it was exciting to see what young filmmakers are doing all around the Globe.

Afterwards I went back to McDonalds for one more meal! Just kidding that's gross.

on the fringe

We left for Scotland this morning at 4:00 a.m.. I was dreading the travel, to be honest, because it requires a lot of steps to get to Scotland, and there are a lot of us taking these steps. I am happy to report that we made it to Edinburgh relatively smoothly, with some pros and cons:

PROS:

The bus to the airport, for the first time ever, actually picked us up where it was supposed to.

The bus lady let us get on fifteen minutes early!

I slept on that bus and don't remember any of it.

I slept on that plane and don't remember any of it.

Edinburgh is green and misty!

CONS:

The big taxi car apparently broke down, so we had to shuttle in groups.

Stansted airport is sometimes confusing.

I don't like repacking people's bags if they are over the weight limit.

I got frisked and it was personal.

The cabbies in Edinburgh do NOT like you to pay with a credit card.

And that was the first 6 hours of my day. I have to say it was our smoothest transition to Scotland yet. I'm proud of us. Us are awesome.

And how great to see James and Colleen Arrington who are also here for the week! They were waiting in the lobby of our hostel when we checked in, looking remarkably fresh and not jet-lagged.

Mid-day in Edinburgh the heavens opened and the rain hit and I confined myself to my hotel room. Fearing that this was an omen for the rest of the week, I lay in a travel-logged stupor on my bed and watched two episodes of The Weakest Link, a show that somehow continues in the UK. I answered questions out loud with what must have been the least interested tone possible until I fell asleep.

When I woke up the rain had abated and the city was lit with sun. Great time to go out! We met together as a group and, joined with our friend Mark Oram from Exeter, went to the Royal Mile for busking. Busking is where you perform snippets of your show in the middle of the street, pass out fliers, and annoy people until they promise to come to your performance. We are actually really good at it. Or my students were: they did all of the work. I played a mouth accordion thing while they did movement, alternating between two songs: Amelie and the theme from Harry Potter. The students did great - they barked and sold the show, performed intricate movement pieces and were very gracious and took pictures with 1,000 people. By the time we finished 90 minutes later there were 5-6 press photographers snapping pictures - so hopefully that will drum up business! Unless they were just creepy guys with super nice cameras.

We were not the only ones busking. We were joined by:

These four, who moved very slowly and made creepy faces.
This old lady who played the trumpet.

For the remainder of the evening we took a walk around Edinburgh Castle. Everything here is green and the flowers are in full bloom for the festival. We stopped to hear a really great brass band combo:The kid in the back with the red sweatshirt was really into his trumpet. Nick and Jessy got into the music, and soon took to the dance floor. It was our way of making up for missing Nigel's National Dance Day.
Then Borzin got into the act, waiving both a five pound note and his booty.


Finally, back in town, we crammed into the Edinburgh City Diner and had cheese fries, linguine, pizza, hamburgers, and basically everything on the menu. We played word games and put a lot of ketchup on everything.