The train was filled with locals celebrating Freedom Day as we headed an hour outside Lisbon. Most of them looked forward to the beach in Cascais, but we were stopping off in Belem to check out a couple of monuments. I believe you can learn a lot about a culture from the monuments they choose to celebrate and honour. My favourite is the Monument to the Discoveries. Recently erected (1960) it shows 32 characters that were significant in an age when the Portuguese held a reputation as worldwide explorers. I wonder what monuments we have around Perth County that demonstrate what we value.
Another thing Belem is famous for is Belém Pastries. These are the original egg tarts first made in 1837. Ray sweetly walked me to the train station to head off in search of the famous tarts. He left me with only my metro card—no money, no phone and no idea that the trains were about to go on strike. I had a moment of panic when I realized that I also didn’t know his European phone number! Then I thought—this is my Amazing Race moment. It is surprising how many people will help you when you tell them your husband has abandoned you with just a metro card to search out pastries. Seven people, several buses and two subway lines later, I was safely back in our guesthouse with a renewed belief in human kindness. Ray found his pastries, but after an adventure of his own only four of the half dozen tarts arrived uneaten😄 You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom Note: Freedom Day (25 April) is a national holiday, with state-sponsored and spontaneous commemorations of the civil liberties and political freedoms achieved after the revolution. It commemorates the 25 April 1974 revolution and Portugal's first free elections on that date the following year.
18 Comments
NPW Teacher
4/27/2023 04:22:29 pm
This post has many connections to our class. First, we have had a Day 5 Roundtable talk on the value of statues and should some be removed. Second, we are currently studying our history unit an considering the impact of colonialism. Part of what we have talked about is how those in power often abuse it, and with time people will rebel. Sounds like Freedom Day has some similar themes.
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Diane
4/28/2023 10:04:28 am
I appreciate these questions because they give me a chance to elaborate a bit more on the monument I chose. There are monuments here that celebrate Portuguese “victories”. I chose the Monument to Discoveries because I feel it celebrates what they learned from their voyages rather than the suppression of those they conquered. The figures represent navigators, cartographers, warriors, colonisers, missionaries, chroniclers and artists—the good and the bad.
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My npw
5/1/2023 10:17:35 am
How was the egg tarts i love them the are so good
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Diane
5/1/2023 11:54:12 am
Ray loved the ones from Belem. Out of six tarts he ate five. They are like a sweet custard.
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Makayla and Alexis
5/1/2023 10:20:55 am
Did you go swimming? If so was the water warm or cold
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Diane
5/1/2023 11:55:18 am
It is the Atlantic so it is very cold. But we do see surfers out in wet suits. I stuck my foot in.
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NPWAS7
5/1/2023 10:21:09 am
I’m happy to hear you got back safely, I would like to know how exactly the pastries tasted!
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Diane
5/1/2023 11:56:28 am
Ray says it tastes like custard in a flaky crust. But he was surprised he couldn’t taste very many extra spices.
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Autumn, Hailey W7
5/1/2023 10:23:50 am
Were there a lot of street performers in Portugal?
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Diane
5/1/2023 11:57:23 am
Yes, Lisbon and Porto have a lot of street performers, but not so much when you get out of the cities.
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Autumn and Hailey W7
5/1/2023 10:24:40 am
How many statues were there?
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Diane
5/1/2023 11:58:15 am
There are statues every 2 seconds in Europe. We visited two monuments that day.
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Molly, Kelsey, Brynlee
5/1/2023 10:26:09 am
How many people ( statues ) are there in the right photo?
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Diane
5/1/2023 11:59:09 am
32
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NpwS7JM
5/2/2023 07:26:59 am
It looks like there’s people at the top of the big structure in the photo on the right, did you and Ray climb to the top of it.
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Diane
5/2/2023 11:01:21 am
Good observation. You can take an elevator up, but we didnt. We had just been up the tower of Belém.
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Malachi
5/3/2023 10:58:00 am
What kind of pastry was he eating?
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Diane
5/4/2023 09:13:38 am
Check out the post for information.
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