Portugal - Our Latest ‘Conquest’

It takes awhile to get to Europe from Utah.  The details will be skipped, but the vacation started after getting to Lisbon (Portugal).  My very long life includes a lot about European history.  Portugal was a powerhouse country once upon a time four centuries ago.  Many world explorers of consequences came from Portugal and discovered routes to the west and east as well.  They were the first to sail around the world and the capes (most southern part) of Africa and South America.

In Lisbon there are many monuments to the past.  This one is for the freedom from dictatorship in 1974.  Sadly, a dictator was in charge for 40+ years, including during all the years of World War II.  

What is also interesting in the statue is the crumbling wall on the left side of the monument.  It symbolizes the near total destruction of the City in 1755 where almost the entire city crumbled due to an 8.7 to 9.0 earthquake with a loss of 75,000+ lives!  

If you are at a loss to know typical earthquake numbers, these are the biggest numbers ever lived through in the world.  An 8+ rating is the highest earthquake magnitude and a rating I’d not heard of until Lisbon and Portugal.

Magnitude	Earthquake Effects	Estimated Number Each Year
2.5 to 5.4	Often felt, but only causes minor damage.	500,000
5.5 to 6.0	Slight damage to buildings and other structures.	350
6.1 to 6.9	May cause a lot of damage in very populated areas.	100
7.0 to 7.9	Major earthquake. Serious damage.	10-15
8.0 or greater	Great earthquake. Can totally destroy communities near the epicenter.

At 8.7 to 9.0 there is a lot of shaking  going on and lots of deaths due to destruction from falling buildings, fires, and chasms where people disappeared into the earth.  Additionally, there was a tsunami estimated at 30 feet high which overwhelmed the lower lying areas and washed thousands of victims to sea.  The earthquake occurred on the morning of All Saints Day when much of the population was in church celebrating.  The churches were not spared, nor the worshippers. 

After the earthquake, a unique engineer designed earthquake resilient buildings.   Thank you Marquis of Pombal, the engineer and prime minister in 1755.  The Marquis used science to build a new city.  We have been assured that during our time in Portugal, we are safe from earthquakes (quote from one of our several Uber drivers).  The Marquis has a large statue and round-about attributed to him.

Even though rebuilt just 270 years ago, Lisbon has several features of the past.  Cobblestones are everywhere, including walkways and parks.  

Shari's body is not fond of imperfect surfaces.  I hold her hand often.  It’s good balance training for seniors!  I like the looks of the sidewalks and much larger patios of tiles.  The larger features remind me of Escher, the Dutch graphic artist whose work often shows bizarre optical effects.

Besides history, we are learning about Portuguese cuisine.  We have much to learn.  Our first venture out was to taste traditional salted cod, which is much talked about.  Cod is a fish from cold water, and for centuries the cod is salted for preservation and sent to Portugal.  We are both brave and try most everything.  We found out salted cod is very different from deep fried cod and will be eaten just once in our lifetimes! 

Good fun is coming in the days to come!