Em Abril, águas mil

Or, April showers

Yesterday in the office Sarah and I taught Marta the saying 'March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers' - because, after about a week of the temperature being 25-30ºC, suddenly there was a thunderstorm in the afternoon. I'm already waiting until I hear someone Portuguese complaining they have a cold because of the change in the weather; it's only a matter of hours...

Lisbon looking photogenic

Since I last wrote a diary entry here, I've had a few days of work, and a few days of play. Good Friday is a feriado (national holiday), and my office gave us Thursday afternoon off as well, although I had to go back to work for Easter Monday, which surprised some people at home.

So, starting from last Monday, what's been going on? Apart from visiting lots of gardens (more on that later) it's been much the same as usual. Various bits of translation and research at work, Monday after work I went rowing, Tuesday after work I went to Indonesian class with Sarah, Wednesday evening I went rowing... 

Blue sky, good views

Thursday was more interesting - although things didn't pan out quite as expected. Poor Carly was suffering from having spent too long in the extreme heat on Wednesday, so after I'd finished work I took her some lunch and we had a relaxed afternoon chatting, napping and reading. Then we went to the Scottish church (St Andrew's, of course) for an ecumenical Maundy Thursday service with St George's (the Anglican church I normally go to) and the German Evangelical Church. It was really fun to be part of it, and there was even dinner afterwards.

Inside St Andrew's

Carly on the way to church

On Friday morning we were back in church - we had been planning to go to St Paul's in Estoril, but the trains were on strike, so we realised we couldn't get there. Carly was keen to experience a Good Friday service anyway, so we went to St George's. It was a small congregation but still a good atmosphere, with our new locum Robert, who used to live in Canterbury (small world - I went to school there). 

Lunch at Rodas - NB my excellent arroz de mariscos (seafood with rice)

Carly, Feyikemi and I then had lunch at our new favourite restaurant, Rodas, near Rato, which was excellent. Then Carly and I went on a walk via the Corredor Verde - a network of paths that connects Parque Eduardo VII with Monsanto, the Parque Florestal (forest park). I was pleasantly surprised by Monsanto, which was very green and peaceful. We spend a couple of hours there then wandered back into Lisbon and cooked and ate dinner at Carly's flat.

Starting the walk to Monsanto

Part of the Corredor Verde looking towards Monsanto

Looking towards the Amoreiras

A view along the aqueduct which, until the 1960s, took water into central Lisbon

I had a really strange feeling on Saturday morning, because it felt like I'd already had a whole weekend, but there I was, getting the bus to rowing just like normal. Surreal! It was a perfect morning for rowing, maybe slightly on the warm side, but the water conditions were great. The rest of the day was very relaxing - I had lunch with Carly, then went book-shopping, and spent about four hours reading a novel in the Jardim de Estrela. Perfection. I cooked dinner with Carly again (she was still a bit ill so not up to spending all day out) then we made Easter nests to take to church in the morning. For me, it was an attempt to carry on a family tradition.

Easter nests, complete with sugar almond 'eggs'

Church on Sunday was lovely - the building was packed (okay, slight exaggeration - it was much busier than normal!) and I was even reminded (thanks to Carly) that I was reading the lesson about five minutes before the service began which could have caused some angst. There was a baptism too! It was all go. After having a coffee and passing round the Easter nests, Carly and Feyikemi and I went for lunch at the same restaurant - I think we must be their new favourite customers. Carly and I went to wander round the Jardim Botânico for a while, which I enjoyed, although parts of the garden felt slightly unloved. Then we went to Fnac, as I was picking up yet more books (and therefore behaving like Christmas had come early...). While we were in Chiado we went to see the Nutella café (Nut'Chiado) that opened there recently - but it was closed. Shame - we'll have to go back another time.

Toadstool sculpture in the Jardim Botânico

More of the Jardim Botânico

At the nutella café

Sunday evening and Monday evening were both very relaxed - lots of time on skype and preparing a few things for the blog. It's hard to believe I have so little time left in Lisbon, only just over a week. I'm sure there'll be more posts, though, even once I've left.

As ever, thanks for reading!