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<\/p>\nAs I type this entry, I\u2019m listening to the sweet duet of Rachelle Ferrell and Will Downing crooning \u201cNothing Has Ever Felt Like This Before\u201d.\u00a0 Sublime music, Spain, Portugal, verdant landscape and Brazilian style food all in one day.\u00a0 Give thanks and praises to the Most High.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a dreamy type of day since rising early in Madrid and taking a pleasant 1-hour flight to Oporto.\u00a0 There is something about Portugal\u2019s landscape and waterways, including the magnificent Douro River, that resonates deep in my body.\u00a0 It would be an understatement to say that Oporto is a historical city\u2014one of the earliest houses built here was constructed in the first half of the 14th century.\u00a0 Okay, that\u2019s old by any standard.\u00a0 Amongst the monuments, dilapidated houses, impossibly unstructured medieval streets, ornate churches, and open plazas, I get the sense that there are restless spirits here too.<\/p>\n
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This evening, I watched the sunset from my 10th floor hotel room. The Cementerio de Agramonte (19th century) with its Byzantine style frescoes and elaborate crypts occupied the view too. Earlier today it drew me in, called me to visit the cemetery grounds twice.<\/p>\n
Last week, I described to a Portuguese woman who regularly travels to Oporto, a religious procession I\u2019d observed near the cemetery on my first visit to this city. I told her how awestruck I was to follow the procession for part of the route before turning off onto a cobble street that led me to an even more eye-catching sight\u2014Cementerio de Agramonte. Apparently the elaborate procession with musicians, altar boys, and decorated laity was in celebration of a Catholic saint. She laughed and replied, \u201cNo one does Catholicism like the Portuguese!\u201d Well, that may be true but there is definitely some other religious, spiritual, and psychic churnings here too.
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\nWhile waiting for my hotel check-in, I decided to pass the time by sitting in a nearby park and round about. At the center of the park is the very tall Monumento A Guerra Penisular. The violence depicted in this piece of work is beyond words. There are battle scenes covering the circumference of the monument\u2014even the horse took a hit in the heat of battle! The late afternoon sun prevented me from capturing the images sans glare, but I\u2019m here to tell you all I stared at that stature for a long time pondering Portugal\u2019s violent past.<\/p>\n
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My dreamy state and reflective mood were underscored by the sated feeling I experienced after dining at a fast food chain establishment called O Kilo<\/a>\u2014where yummy Brazillan style dishes are sold by the kilo. The food is consistently good. How consistent? It\u2019s been at least three years since I last visited Lisboa and even longer since I visited Oporto. I ordered the exact same combination on each visit and today it was as flavorful as the first time I\u2019d visited the place. I was happy, not only because of the tasty food, but I was pleased with the manner in which the fast food was served on real plates and accompanied by flatware.<\/p>\n The O Kilo I visited here in Oporto is in a shopping mall food court. Across the way I watched MacDonald\u2019s staff provide table service to customers! The thought did occur to me why would anyone opt for MacDonald\u2019s when there were so many other interesting food vendors. Nevertheless, I was happy and wasn\u2019t about to begrudge anyone their culinary pleasure.<\/p>\n I imagine there\u00a0are several good brands of socks\/hose that, used in combination with regular in-flight walks and exercise, will help reduce or eliminate swelling. I am partial to the Travel Sox<\/a> brand. Don\u2019t be vain\u2014go on and ask your local merchant for your support hose, sistah! Oh, okay, ask for compression socks if it makes you feel better.<\/p>\n Stay tuned for my impressions of Madrid\u2019s multi-ethnic enclave Lavapi\u00e9s.<\/p>\n BONUS LINK![\"dispatch53.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/www.kuma2.net\/skyeview\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/dispatch53.jpg\")
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\nI will end this dispatch with a travel health tip. If you suffer from swollen ankles during flights like myself, do consider wearing knee high support hose to reduce swelling and fatigue. Prior to my departure from the states, I was so intent on packing the night before that I inadvertently packed my hose in my luggage and did it again when I flew from Madrid to Oporto. As you can see below my ankles suffered for it.<\/p>\n![\"dispatch54.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/www.kuma2.net\/skyeview\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/dispatch54.jpg\")
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\nI am really feeling Cassandra Wilson’s music here in OPorto.\u00a0 I’d like Skyeview readers to catch her vibe too.\u00a0 Check out this video clip.<\/p>\n