Viagem com Velez



= Voyage with Velez

Monday -- laundry day!  What?  How can that be???  I have to do laundry in a washing machine that I can't even read?  What are all those buttons?  Okay, I can do this!  Two loads down, one more to go.  What?  No drier?  Check this out...  My dear BSF sister, PD hangs her clothes out each week, I can do this...  Thank you PD, for your encouragement!  Our laundry hanging out to dry on the patio and on the clothes line outside the kitchen window (3 floors up!)   The upstairs neighbor's laundry hanging above ours...

Then off we go on an adventure with our friends, A & P!   Destination: Santarem and then Almeirim to have "stone soup" for lunch.  Sounds good...  Santarem overlooks the Tagus River, was important to Julius Ceasar as a bureaucratic center and to the Moors, a stronghold from all that was south in Portugal.  We walked up through the old city to what is left of the castle walls.  Inside these walls is now a garden overlooking the river and surrounding agricultural land.  As we walked up the narrow streets on "sidewalks" that were about 2 feet wide, the tiles on the buildings were fabulous!  (See picture below of store front with narrow "sidewalks" with "cobblestone" streets.  Eash piece is set in by hand.)

Okay, I admit, my biggest temptation happened today ...  It was a tough one!!!  As I mentioned, the tiles on the outer walls of the buildings lining the streets were incredible!  As we were passing by one builing I looked up and saw that several tiles had been taken off the wall.  Hmmm, I stopped and touched the tile right below the void of tiles above, and it was LOOSE!!!  Oh my, I wanted so badly to pull it off, but there I was, in broad daylight, in a foreign country, with my dear Christian husband and Godly friends... and back home I am a BSF leader... walk away, walk away...  I turned and did so.  But I couldn't resist, I turned back around and had to touch it once more just in case it was to fall on the ground as I stood there and I needed to catch it before it hit the ground and shattered into a million pieces!!!  It was STILL loose... walk away, walk away...  Yes, I walked away in a cold sweat, coveting that tile so badly.   It was at LEAST several hundred years old.  I recovered and did not walk that street again on the way back to the car.  The temptation was so great.  Pictures will have to do...



"Stone Soup"



We would now begin our hunt for the "best stone soup" in town...  As we arrived in Almeirim, A stops and asks several older Portuguese people for the best stone soup.  We found it!  And it was very tasty -- a bean-based soup with potatoes, sausages and meat!  But the portions of everything we eat here is enough to feed twice the number of people at the table.  Then, as always they bring the dessert menu... it is basically rude to not eat dessert.  Oh how could I eat more???  So a "bica" (an espresso coffee) will have to do.  I do have to tell you that the coffee here is amazing.  It is fresh, it is strong, it is roasted to perfection and oh so tasty! 



What a great way to spend a day! 



Narrow street in Santarem



Modern clothing store in OLD Santarem



 



Former Roman cathedral, now a museum (12th century)




Cathedral at the city center







Castle wall and surrounding city of Santarem



Monday -- Laundry day!





"God is my refuge and STRENGTH, an ever present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, ...

The Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our FORTRESS."  Psalm 46.1 & 7



One cannot walk near, through and around these incredible reminders that God is our refuge, strength, help and fortress!  Deus é minha ajuda e força!  What an amazing God Who loves us!!!