Last Wednesday, Nov 7, the US election results came in. The American expat group here organized a mourning gathering at sundown that evening in a big park here in Vila Nova de Gaia, above the bank of the Douro river. We took the metro there but couldn't find the expats because there were hundreds of people there and a band playing. It was actually an uplifting experience to be among all those happy people and music.
There aren't as many restrictions on behavior in Portugal as in Washington. Alcoholic beverages are not so heavily taxed and reasonable public consumption is fine. There were people selling beer and wine out of coolers there at the park, and you could smell the legal cannabis in the air too. Everyone was relaxed and having a good time, and there was no sign of bad behavior. It was really kind of refreshing. We had brought a half bottle of wine and a couple glasses, and we stood next to a stone wall there sipping and having fun, people watching and talking.
We had the feeling that if you let people enjoy themselves without trying to be a finger-wagging nanny they generally act responsibly. More freedom does lead to more risk, but is it better to clamp down on everyone in order to eliminate every chance of harm? In Seattle the Kroger stores started demanding ID from EVERYONE purchasing any alcohol at all. It was quite ridiculous and annoying as sixty-somethings to be carded every single time we bought a bottle of beer. So much inconvenience, so much extra work for the clerks and customers, so little trust of anyone, and for what? So that we could be absolutely sure that no minor would ever purchase alcohol? As I recall, minors will find a way. Better to show them examples of responsible drinking.
Well, anyway, we had a great time there at the park with our wine. We met a nice young couple from Toronto there too, chatted about our lives, and left feeling better. We followed a narrow and dark cobblestone street along the park to get back to the metro, and Gerrit caught a toe and went down. He wasn't hurt, fortunately, and before he could even get up a young lady had rushed down the hill to help. She pulled him up, he thanked her kindly, she smiled and we went on our way. Life is full of kindness.
The following day, Thursday, we left first thing for a driving trip to Andorra to visit Gerrit's son and his family. We traveled through northern Spain, spending the first night in a lovely hotel in Logroño, and reached Andorra late the following afternoon. The final 100 km (62 mi) or so were through the Republic of Catalonia, one of the autonomous regions of Spain, and the Pyrenees mountains were jaw-droppingly spectacular.
|
|
 Pretty spectacular in the Pyrenees |
Andorra is a tiny country (only 18% the size of Rhode Island) nestled in the Pyrenees between Spain and France. They are technically not part of the European Union, but the border crossing is easy. It is a duty-free tax haven, so there is a lot of wealth there evidenced by fancy cars, stylish clothing, and upscale shops. Much of the main city of Andorra la Vella is beautiful and new. The geography is very rugged with little flat land, so much of la Vella consists of tall buildings clustered along the Valira River valley. |
 View from our hotel in La Vella
|
|
|
|
The following day was yesterday, Wednesday, and we had arranged to drive with our real estate agent Bernardo to a couple places of interest. One place, in Vila Verde, was intriguing enough to pursue further, so that's what we've been doing today.
(As usual, you can click on any photo to enlarge it, scroll through them all, and click in the black area outside a photo when you're done.)