The festivities started early today - and when I say early I mean really early. 0300, to be exact. My first reaction to all the noise in the room was that it was time to get up and someone had come to get Lucía. Then I thought maybe they were just getting back and Lucía had had too many to drink and someone had to bring her to bed. Then there were people on my bed and on top of me and someone taking pictures with a really bright flash. By the time I was coherent enough to know what was going on they were all singing. It turned out to be two people I barely know and two that I'd never met, which made it even weirder, plus Lucía and one other girl I kind of know hiding in the back. I guess I made a few new friends, if nothing else. It actually really made my day; the fact that four strange and slightly drunk people came in in the middle of the night and woke me up just to tell me Happy Birthday just made me feel really special. Then they all wanted me to come out to a club with them and have a drink. In my sleep-inebriated state I actually believed them and said I would go, but then one of them was like "Honey go back to sleep" and they all hugged me and left.
I got up early to get breakfast and catch up my writing, but I didn't get much writing done. The number of people who somehow knew it was my birthday when I had only told a select few... yikes. Gabriel and I exchanged congratulations (it was Mexico's Independence Day) and of course the public announcement brought down a rain of shouts and hugs. It was all in all a fantastic start to the day.
The rest of the day was not quite as exciting; more museums and churches and tours. I like our tour guide, though - she has so much to share and she's so knowledgeable about the history of Portugal and how it is portrayed and recorded in its art. Today we were studying Baroque architecture, which was interesting to me because of my studies of Baroque music, and the two of course go right alongside one another.
The museum we were starting at didn't open until ten so we shopped for a few minutes in a little market on the street to kill time. I bought a new shoulder bag - apparently it's difficult to take wood and leather into Australia for whatever reason so I figured it would be better to have a second bag than to get mine confiscated. I found out later that Vanessa and Gabriel were spying on me to figure out what I liked so that they could buy it for me for my birthday, but then the only thing I showed any real interest in I bought for myself.
We went to see the official house of the President of Portugal, the equivalent of the White House in the States. Apparently the President actually lives in an apartment in the city and drives to the official house every day. This palace was also guarded, this time by slightly older soldiers in much more elaborate uniforms. These were overseen by an officer of some kind and were much more professional-looking. Christina explained that on some Sundays, once every fortnight, there was a spectacular parade in front of the palace to change the guards stationed inside the walls. Unfortunately, she said, she didn't think there would be a parade while we were here in Lisbon, but apparently it is a sight to see. She said the Portuguese army travels and competes in drill and formation and whatnot - apparently they're very famous for their ability to play music...on horseback... galloping.
The museum was cool but not necessarily entrancing; it was a coach museum, a collection of royal coaches from the 14th century until they stopped using them in the 1950s. The coaches were beautiful and fun to look at - I couldn't take any pictures because flash wasn't allowed and there wasn't enough light otherwise - and I learned a lot about them from listening to Christina, who was our guide again that day. One of the coaches had the twelve zodiac symbols around the back wheels; another - built for the clergy to ride in - had half-nude statuettes of women on each corner of the coach, one for each season of the year. The detail and symbolism in the coaches amazed me. There were three of a five-part set commissioned by King Henry XIII that had huge bronze sculptures on the fronts that symbolized the wealth of the king and his lands. These coaches were only used once, to impress the Pope. Once, while Christina was telling some elaborate story about one of the coaches, Gabriel pulled me aside and sang Mexico's happy birthday song to me. It's not the same song in Spanish, it's quite another song entirely and personally I think it's much more interesting than ours. Of course I didn't understand very many of the words, but it didn't matter. It was almost more special that way, for him to share that with me.
When the museum part was over and we left, we hadn't gone but a few steps out of the museum when we heard marching band music and someone shouting orders. Christina caved without much pressure and gave us ten minutes to watch the parade. There was indeed a parade, and a spectacular one at that. When we got there and positioned ourselves on top of a park bench for a better view, we could see the marching band coming down the street straight towards us. It was mostly drum and bugle, but there were a few clarinets in there as well. These musicians weren't riding horses, but we were optimistic in waiting for the cavalry. We watched as the guard was changed and more music played. Then we heard music coming from the other direction and, sure enough, the horses came down the street bearing both riders and their instruments. No galloping, unfortunately, but all in all quite an impressive performance. Those had to have been some very well-trained horses. We didn't last long after that; it had already been more than ten minutes and we had to hurry to catch the next church before Mass.
Two of the girls in our group didn't come to the bus after the parade; we waited almost 20 minutes and then had to leave Mariam there to find them and get them to the church to meet us. The church was beautiful; we didn't have time to really look around but what Christina wanted us to see was a special Nativity in a room by itself at the back of the church. It was incredible and very Baroque; elaborate to the point of extravagance and leaving nothing lacking as far as detail or symbolism. It was huge, with probably 100 figures or more, both in the standard Nativity that we know and in many miniature vignettes all around it. It really was amazing.
But more amazing, and probably the most exciting point of the day, was coming out of that back room and hearing the organ music playing. I had seen the organ on the way in but couldn't stay to look because we were in a hurry to see the Nativity, but when we came out someone was playing it and parts of the choir was gathered around it practicing. As secular as I am, spiritual music is really some of the most beautiful there is. I was really sad to leave, especially once the music started playing.
After that we sat in a park across the street and had box lunches again; exactly the same thing as the day before. But the park and the company were wonderful and it was a really enjoyable lunch. I watched a little girl learning to ride a two-wheel bike with her dad holding on to the back and a group of boys kicking a soccer ball around. Of course I thought of my dad and wanted to call home right then but there was no phone around and not enough time. It was a perfect place to eat and watch the current local culture rather than study the ancient culture. I wish we could have had more time there.
The afternoon was another church, Catholic of course. The only really exciting thing about this church were some pieces of art that looked like paintings that were not paintings at all, but mosaics made entirely with semi-precious stones. I'll post a picture - you'll swear they look like paintings too. They are really amazing. Gabriel tried to show me what to do with the Holy Water (he went to Catholic school but didn't stay Catholic) but I'm clearly hopeless at the whole religious ceremony thing. I'm just thankful I didn't bring the wrath of god down upon the whole group.
We had some free time after that but Christina wanted us to have that time in a certain place. We were on our way there when we heard violin music and the whole group turned and headed right toward it. Christina adjusted and gave us a new meeting place and time so that we could make it to the bus at the scheduled time. The music turned out to be a classical string quartet, playing all music that I know and love and doing a darn good job of it. It was a group that should be in a concert hall, not out on the street. It made me think that maybe they really liked street busking and though that their music should be more public. They had a violin case open in front with pictures of babies and kids taped inside the top cover; I could only assume they were pictures of their children. I took lots of pictures and gave them what was left of my change. I took a video too, but somehow it got erased. I'm really bummed about that; I was really excited to post that!
We met up at the scheduled time, met the bus, and headed back. We had a short meeting back on the ship about our feelings and impressions, which of course turned into a lengthy discussion about our frustrations with the narrow vision of the program and the limited opportunities it presented. All of our feedback was taken down and presented to the board that night (there just happened to be a meeting) and Mariam said she'd bring back whatever was decided at the meeting for us the next morning. The meeting left me really frustrated and when I went back to my room I realized that I'd either sleep through dinner or lie there and cry, so I went downstairs to a room they've set up as a "contemplation space" or spiritual room and just sat there for a while, stretching and working on some mime stuff. It was a really good release and some refreshing "me" time. I definitely need to make a habit of that.
At dinner, there were two of us at the table with the same birthday (his name was Gabriel too, actually) and the whole cafeteria sang to us over dinner. I asked him what time he was born and if he was older than me, but then we couldn't figure out the time zones so we never actually determined who was really older. Dinner was great; many more birthday wishes and the third song of the day topped off a good night. My friend Caitlin said the day would steadily improve from this point on, and of course she was right.
After that Vanessa had a plan, but wouldn't tell me what it was. I was a little worried, but it turned out to simply be some good friends and music and dancing and a drink or two. Apparently she and Gabriel had spent the last two days looking for a cake but couldn't find one, and Gabriel had wanted to get flowers but they would just wilt and plants are not allowed on the ship anyway. So Vanessa gave me this huge gigantic bar of Cadbury chocolate (and I'm told in Australia it tastes different so I can't really say I've had it before) which I promptly broke open. Then we went out to a bar that was close by to find some music to dance to and a good atmosphere for a drink. The waiter came by for our order before we'd even seen a menu, and everybody ordered a beer so I figured what the heck. I soon decided that beer is one of those things you try every year just to see if maybe it's gotten better since the last time but you don't keep your hopes for that too high. We sat for a long time and finally Vanessa got us all up and inside, but it was so loud we had to leave again. We walked up and down the pier a couple times, and then went back to the club to try the dancing one more time when we couldn't find anything else even remotely exciting. It's tough on a Sunday night I guess. Gabriel left early to go to bed, but the rest of us went in and danced for a while. The music was nothing special and way too loud, so we just stayed for a few songs and then headed back.
I sent everyone on ahead of me so they didn't have to wait while I was on the phone and called my parents to check in. I knew they would call me if they could have so since they couldn't I called them instead. I wished I could have talked longer, but my phone card ran out of minutes just as we were starting to wrap up the conversation and I had to cut it off early. I think I'm going to buy a cheap Portugal phone card just to use for the next two days and call a couple other people before I fall off the edge of the earth into the Atlantic ocean for the next two weeks.
Well anyway that was my birthday. Not bad for being so far from home and friends - clearly I've made some pretty good ones here already! Oh and thanks everybody for your facebook messages - you really made my day! I think I had like 40 birthday wishes on facebook. You guys are the best.
Much love!
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