Google

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Back.


We're back.

And I'm sick.

Honestly, one virus can be walking around the aisles of san airplane, and it would befriend me. That's because I'm special. Usually a pre-flight doze of Airborne takes care of that and puts an end to the flourishing friendship, but this time I was too lazy/tired/nauseous and decided to skip it.

So, while no jetlag was in stock for me, I'm imprisoned at home with a nasty cold for the last 5 days.

Portugal was charming, beautiful and unassuming, lovely people and incomprehensible language. And I absolutely fell in love with it all. I took lots and lots of photos, did quite a few sketches and came back with plenty of inspiration and a few extra kilos, as the food is so wonderful.

It might be blogged, probably some of it will show in my future paintings.


If I could come up with the ultimate photo that would represent this enchanting country, it would show a very narrow alley with steep stairs leading up to a red-roofed white washed house with blue-n-white tiles on one of its walls, where an old woman in black is looking out of a window under which a picturesque laundry line is waving in the wind, a street lamp nearby, a castle in the background as well as a cathedral, and intricate black and white mosaics on the cobbled-stoned pavement. Behind that woman, there will be a table with sardines and bachalau (cod fish) and pastries galore. near a cup of bica (the wonderfully strong Portuguese coffee) and a narrow glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Oh, and a loquat tree. And three old men sitting on a bench.

Clearly, this photo exists in my mind only, but it's quite a good one!

For now, from underneath heaps of cups of tea and Dayquil, and until I get back to a painting and blogging state, I'll leave you with a photo I took in one of my favorite places in Portugal: the truly impressive monolithic Discoveries Monument in Belém, Lisbon.



Oh, and if the bridge on the right looks familiar, that's because it's a cousin of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco (both constrcuted by the same company).

11 comments:

talk3talk4 said...

Thoroughly enjoyable rendition of your journey.

Robert.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back! Get well soon so we can see and hear more about your Portugal adventures.
PS - you're finger crossing worked!
FoodieP

Sandy Maudlin said...

Sounds like the journey was almost worth the lousy cold you got. Hope you're feeling better and have a good weekend. Portugal is on my 'must see' list, and with your imaginery photo in my head, I KNOW I want to go there. You need a hot cup of that strong coffee to make you all better.

RH Carpenter said...

Wow, you packed a lot in that photo in your mind, Nava :) Hope you are well again very soon and share some of your favorite sketches from the trip.

Holly Van Hart said...

Nava, hope you feel well soon. can't wait to see the paintings that follow this trip!! Holly

Valerie said...

Hi, You difinitely need a 'Poor Fuzzy Diddums'!! Never mind, the paintings will be simmering on the back burner of your mind........along with the virus - so soon they'll both be out, I bet!!

Valerie

Nava said...

Robert, welcome to my blog.

FoodieP, Glad my fingers worked - can I uncross them now?

Sandy, Oh, it was worth it big time. I hope to get to Portugal soon - it really is something different!

Rhonda, I actually may have dropped some things from this photo :-)

Holly, I also wonder how this trip will affect my brush.

Val, I hope this outing will happen soon. This cold is starting to be really annoying...

Anonymous said...

Welcome back.

What a wonderful endorsement for Portugal, and less so for flying.
You know you need chicken soup, don't you?

Not to make, but to eat.

I believe the new science suggests soup, hot tea with honey, and reading blogs in bed until well.

Can you do that?

Blueberry said...

That's an astonishing monument - beautiful, and I didn't know the Golden Gate had a cousin.

Hope you feel better, and that it's not the flu. :-(

http://www.onpainting.wordpress.com said...

Get well soon and do some paintings to illustrate your journey.

Nava said...

Bonnie, I loyally followed modern science: chicken soup (well, Thai coconut soup with chicken also counts), AND the tea with honey AND the blogs. It seems to have worked!

Blueberry, it is astonishing - I was truly impressed.

Bill, Thanks. And, illustration process has been launched, as you can see.