Lisboa- days of talking, nights of wine

Portugal

Happy December!

As always, the days are flying by and I've not posted in a while. This whole "blogging" thing is work!

Just thought I would do a little catch-up and post some pictures from recent events as well.

At the beginning of November, I went with a few colleagues to Lisboa, Portugal for a NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Conferences) training conference. Basically, it was to get certified as a visiting consultant in accreditation. Why? Because my school is planning on starting the accreditation process in the spring and it's good to know what NEASC is looking for. Also, this trip served as a mini- workshop/ professional development workshop to brainstorm on a bunch of policies and mission statements, etc. And it was a very WELCOME break from school.

Estoril Beach Resort

It seems my class is having a hard time dealing with our school rules. And the fact that I expect the rules to be observed. This first semester has been very hard and I'm dealing with a bunch of kids who think they are "above the law". And a few students who think it's OK to bully everyone else. We had several meetings with students, parents, administration. Things were very bad for a while. And so this break to Lisboa (I was gone from school for 4 days) was just what I needed.

A few fun facts about Lisboa:

View from my hotel room

• it is the capital city of Portugal with approx. 3 million people, including the surrounding area
• it is the western most European capital and the only one located on the Atlantic Ocean
• it is one of the oldest cities in the world; pre-dating London, Paris and Rome by hundreds of years
• it is located on the Iberian Peninsula on Atlantic Ocean and Tagus River
• pre-Celtic, Phoenician, Roman and Moorish influences can be found through-out the city
• the city has survived 2 major catastrophes: an large earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 1755 and a large fire in the Chiado district in 1988
• many early exploration expeditions left from the ports of Lisboa

We stayed in a suburb called Estoril, which is a beach resort and home to the oldest casino in Europe. Our hotel was right across from the beach- unfortunately, it was a bit too chilly to really enjoy it. The one day that was sunny and "warm" was the day we were in the conference :(

Vasco da Gama Bridge- looks like Golden Gate

Arco da Rua Augusta

Christ statue on Tagus River

Praca do Comercio

On our first day, we went on a bit of a walk around the city. Well, more like an epic hike!! We took the train in and started off at the Praca da Comercio. While the main attraction, the statue of King Jose 1, was under renovation, the rest of the square was gorgeous. Including the massive Arco da Rua Augusta that led from the square to the Baixa district. The square is built on the remains of the Ribeira Palace that was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. And it was the stage in 1908 for the assassination of King Carlos I. The arch opens up on Augusta Street which leads to the other main square in the center, the Rossio.

Many expeditions left from here

Praca do Comercio

Glory, Ingenuity, Valour

After passing under the arch, we strolled around the Baixa district, which has many shops, pastry shops, cafes, etc. It drizzled on and off until it became a steady rain; at that point we headed to a Starbucks to have a restorative caffeine fix and wait out the weather.

Arco da Rua Augusta

Having a bit of a rest, we headed upwards (of course!) to the Castelo de S. Jorge. Along the way, we passed the famous old yellow trams that zip up and down the hills of the city. Quite charming! Also, we passed some gorgeous churches and buildings.

Looking up towards Castelo de S. Jorge

Perched on top of one of the many hills in Lisboa, keeping watch over the Tagus River and the city, was Castelo de S. Jorge. This national monument is home to a medieval citadel, castle, remains of the royal palace and parts of an elite neighborhood. And, man, it was a very steep walk up to it.

*Sidenote: why is everything always built up a steep hill??? couldn't anyone build something hidden down in a valley?*

The citadel was built in the 11th century by the Moors. In 1147, after the first king of Portugal conquered Lisbon, the Royals took up residence here. Throughout the 12th, 13th, 14th, & 15th centuries the citadel was the scene of many festivities and coronations. Once Portugal became part of the Spanish Crown in 1580, the citadel became a military garrison. It remained an important military position until the earthquake of 1755. Renovation work has been going on since the earthquake.

The area is beautiful with a lovely park and views of the city. Walking on top of some of the fortification walls was a bit scary- narrow and slippery from rain- but it's a lovely area to explore. After a snack, we headed back down the hill towards the city center. Very slowly.

Basically, we just took every little side street and alley. We were rewarded with fantastic little nooks and crannies and amazing views. We found ourselves in the Alfama district, which is famous for the traditional Fado music. But more on Fado later.

Having walked all over the city, we had worked up quite the appetite. We found ourselves at the Hard Rock Cafe (I know, sooo touristy!) and enjoyed tasty beverages and ENORMOUS burgers!! Stuffed to the gills, we made our way back to Estoril.

The next day was the conference. It was very interesting and I learned a lot. Afterwards, we all met up to do some brainstorming and have a bit of a discussion about the direction of our school. Lots of ideas were flying around and it was great to really be able to speak my mind and listen to other's thoughts. After a reception at the venue, we went back to the hotel. We had missed a free wine tasting earlier in the evening, but the lovely bartender and concierge managed to find some bottles of the wine for us. And we proceeded to finish off quite a few of them while "talking shop".

On Friday, we were up early to work on some documents and do some more brainstorming. Seriously, we talked A LOT over the 4 days. I'm not sure we actually got much work done, but we discussed a lot of things. We're all teachers....that's what happens!