Ola pessoas!

more and more, includes me. I am not in the know. I am using my fledging Portuguese and every time I use it, they think I am trying to buy drugs or sell a carpet. Of course, one of those is true, to fund this trip I did take the hallway kilim but I know Martha will not miss it. But I digress. The trip over way totally uneventful and thankfully so as it was an airplane ride.

Dinner was more than adequate and soon I was in Amsterdam with little time to visit or purchase anything, if you know what I mean.

The taxi ride from the airport is much like Minneapolis, in that it is a city airport and quick to my destination. 

I was dropped off at the corner of my Airbnb and casually waited an hour or more for the guy to show up and let me in. The only saving grace was he had his ten-year-old daughter with him whom he had to pick up at school. 

One of the restaurants I was looking forward to visiting is literally beneath my apartment. We share the same wifi. 

Later for dinner I had sardines again and did my best.

But, on to class. I had been placed in a higher bracket than I think I deserved. The students in my class (about 10-12) were so advanced, they were talking in French. So, I’ve moved down a rung and finding it much more rewarding. When you enter the class, the more advanced students get to put you through a spanking machine, but it is what it is. Similar to Lord of the Flies.

You may not know this but there are 28 Michelin rated restaurants in Lisbon, alone. Prior to leaving the states (EstadosUnidos) I booked a reservation at O Frade, a one star about andhour and a half walk from my apartment. Needless to say, it was perfect. 

One final thought, is my unabated concern that I can carry this off. That I can learn—what I hear more and more—is one of the hardest languages on earth. But I’m hoping that if I can fly a plane, I can learn Portuguese. Oh, wait, I can’t fly a plane!

That is about it for now. More food photos to share and a relaxing weekend. FYI because of COVID, restaurants close at 3:30 on Saturday and Sunday. Thankfully there is a Jamie Oliver restaurant 70 feet from my door that does take-out.

More later, yip-, yip.