Archive for September 2010
Portugal Trip Tidbit #7
.
Portugal labor facts:
Labor Force – by occupation
agriculture: 10%
industry: 30%
services: 60% (2007 est.)
Agriculture – products:
grain, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, dairy products; fish
Industries: textiles, clothing, footwear, wood and cork, paper, chemicals, auto-parts manufacturing, base metals, dairy products, wine and other foods, porcelain and ceramics, glassware, technology, telecommunications; ship construction and refurbishment; tourism
.
Tourism? Did someone say, “Tourism?” The end is drawing near for this (working) tourist and his spouse.
Live Update #3
I learn something new everyday here. When Ian and I were up cutting undergrowth to feed the horses, he pointed out an open mine shaft on the property where the original settlers were searching for water. He said there are 3 of them. None produced water.
My Portuguese is slowly expanding to allow folks to smile politely at my attempt to communicate. Cyndie is thriving in every capacity and surprised us all with an impromptu project of weaving a basket out of the eucalyptus bark that falls off the trees.
We are having the time of our lives! We are beginning to wonder how in the heck we will navigate returning to our former responsibilities.
Portugal Trip Tidbit #6
.
Disputes – international: Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz
.
I’m pretty sure we will be far from risk of any confusion over the border with Spain, but it’s an interesting tidbit to know.
Portugal Trip Tidbit #5
.
Portugal Population: 10,707,924 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
Languages: Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official – but locally used)
Portuguese. How hard can that be? (I have a secret… The husband and father, Ian, whom is hosting us, is originally from Britain.) I’ll be cheating with English more than I probably should.
.
Picturesque Interlude #3
.
Captured image of False Solomon’s Seal that grows wild in the woods up at our lake place in Wisconsin. I’ll be looking for similar images to capture in Portugal while I’m there.
.
Live update #2
You cannot believe how spectacular this adventure is for us. Today was a day of harvesting grapes and processing them for making wine. It is like living in a dreamland to be living with these horses and also having these cultural experiences and then being intimately involved in something like a grape harvest. We are having an incredibly great time here.
Portugal Trip Tidbit #4
.
.
.
Portugal Flag: two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the national coat of arms (armillary sphere and Portuguese shield) centered on the dividing line; explanations for the color meanings are ambiguous, but a popular interpretation has green symbolizing hope and red the blood of those defending the nation
.
.
.
.
Live Update
We are here, safe and sound and working on chores that are more fun than I imagined. Portugal is beautiful, the people have been wonderful to us and the experience, a world-class thrill of a life time. I look forward to getting home where I will have time to write all about it!
After cutting through bramble with a motorized brush cutter
Walking the horses down to graze in the bottom field
Portugal Trip Tidbit # 3
.
Following its heyday as a global maritime power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence of its wealthiest colony of Brazil in 1822.
Just in case you weren’t aware of that…
.
Relative Something 