YOUR EDITOR has been away, visiting Portugal and Lisbon. Again. Having our generous family there, opening their homes for us, is an exceptional favour that make me experience this capitol like: From the inside. I have watched and listened and since we have been her for several weddings and birthday celebrations, a world exhibition and occations just for the kindness to save us from the miserable climate in Sweden now and then, I have had plenty of opportunities to learn about and like Portugal. And I am very grateful! But I still need the language.

The portuguese language curles the hairs at the back of my neck. ”Não sei”, ”muito obrigado” and ”Há correspondência com comboios suburbanos”. It’s softer and far more sensual than Spanish. I would love to learn it, but it isn’t quite easy for an old editor, with his ”interprete” mostly by his side.

Lisbon is an ancient city and a very modern society as well. In the center of one popular mall, there is an art exhibition, in a beautiful indoor art gallery, all built of Styropor® blocks! Portugal have architectual skills – and ideas. I have seen it before, lots of times.

Paula Rego, for whoms pictures this temporare ”plastic” tabernacle is raised, the well known and appreciated artist exposes series of lithographies and pastels that clearly shows that art can be illustrative and yet mysteriously narrative. It’s impossible not to be impressed and affected by her pictures.
There is more to explore about this artist in Casa das Histórias-PaulaRego, Cascais. (Próxima vez.)

It’s no doubt that Lisbon is a ”Romantic City”. Could it be otherwise? Of course the old, well known quarters downtown with Praça Figueira and Rua Augusta in center, Chiado, Mouraria and all those classic parts are very popular – touristic. But I think the portuguese ”nerve” is streching out to the new periferic suburbs of the city, developes and mellow that special infrastructure witch seems to be the minimum requirement for an ”acceptable” living: you have more or less all the public services you could ask for, wherever you are in Lisbon. In time the new suburbs will be very romantic too.

Your editor enjoys coming here. Of course! Not only that our hospitable family’s invitations offer us lasy weeks in the sun. But also because of the total relief from work and worries.
As soon as we arrived home again, yours truely and his wife got a nasty influenza. (Could that be a hint; some concealed advice for us?) However, this article is to be continued.