VIAJE QUINTO DÍA

This morning we had some free time so we walked out to the beach. There were some people surfing but I felt I didn't have time and my plan right now is to go Tuesday when we have the whole day free. But it was nice to watch. There was also a soccer game going on on the sand and a busy boardwalk. It was very pleasant. Molly Juliet and I went for a walk and found feather earrings we now own and we bought fruit. This was very us but resulted in us being late for the bus, but now we have mango to eat at some point and matching feathers in our ear.

Now we're in Lisbon and just got back from a bus tour of different parts. We went into another cathedral and saw some monuments but the highlight for me was the half hour we had to stroll around in the flea market we found. It was very cool. I bought two bracelets from an african woman who has a daughter in Montreal - I don't speak portuguese she spoke only a little english - so she told me this in french and I said merci because that's almost the extent of what I remember from thirteen years of immersion now that a new language has entered the mix. Next I debated for a while but ended up buying a mermaid bottle opener. I'm now of drinking age and enjoy beer and I don't own a pocket knife. This mixed with the fact I am infatuated with mermaids won over the debate and I now have a golden mermaid in a blue box (it seems pretty legit) that will eventually open a bottle.

Then I got stuck at one kiosk. This guy from Senegal had paintings and fabric and drums and mancala games and one of the drums took my breath away when I looked at it. So I just stared knowing I shouldn't touch it since I have no room nor money for it. Then the guy started talking to us (Juliet Cristina and me) and our conversation took on three languages. He and I spoke a little french together and he pinned me for a Bob Marley fan and asked what I wanted. I pointed to the drum and he told me fifty euros - for me. Cristina bargained him down to forty in spanish and I went on to explain my situation and how I really can't buy a drum - especially one of that size. Then the darn guy had to play it. I melted it sounded so good. He tried playing the smaller, cheaper, easier to carry ones, but I had definitely put my eye on the best one.

How cool would it have been if I owned an african drum, that was carved wood and rabbit skin, still with the hair around the edge that I bought at a flea market in Portugal? Unfortunately not cool enough to spend the money to ship it home.