So, I was keen to learn more of the country that more than half a millennia ago conquered Malacca (my hometown, though in truth my ancestors were still in Dabu then or perhaps even in northern China yet to migrate). Indeed they had conquered the most important ports of the world from Brazil to Africa to India and even Nagasaki in Japan. They are world’s first global empire, for gold, glory and God - in the words of my History teacher.
Of course, this was never the job of one person but Portugal in the 15th century had the right ingredients: a megalomaniac leader, an astute planner that not just master planned the conquest but also raised funds for it, a fearless navigator who nearly circumnavigated the world and a ruthless military commander who subjugated the colonies easily. But that was over 500 years ago.
The Portugal today is less about the 3Gs but the 3Fs: Fado, Fatima and Football. I guess the God part is still important, though Fatima today is as much a tourist attraction as it is a pilgrimage destination.
The football part is obvious. Christiano Ronaldo (yes, who blossomed in Man U under Sir Alex Ferguson) is a phenomenal athlete, a generational talent in the world of sports. They are rightly proud of him and he has put the country on the highest echelons of achievements.
The part that truly tells the story of Portugal is Fado, their version of blues, where singers often without microphones belt out their tunes of longing accompanied by the multi-string Fado Guitar. Soldade is the local word for it and it’s perhaps best understood from the perspective of a nation that once ruled the world and is now just a lagging European state.
I also started reading again on this trip, thanks to the lack of inflight entertainment on our flight from Zurich to Lisbon. And its apt that there is another F in Portugal: Fernando Pessoa, a prolific writer who carried the soul of soldade in his words and expressed through his characters… whom our guide describe as cages of our lives. It is a wonderfully game changing perspective to have, to help us reframe what we could be: even towards a master planner, an explorer, a conqueror or a shepherd perhaps.
We started this trip with a double treat, a birthday gift for D and pampering on board from SQ. She must be inspired because her wordsmithing skills took on a level of precision: correcting me for mistaking a pontoon for a jetty or a shrub for a bush. In such company, not forgetting the innate navigation skills, D is the perfect companion to be in Portugal with.
Speaking of navigation, over 7 days, we stopped at 7+ places: lovely Lisbon, faithful Fatima, cheerful Obidos, natural Nazare, canal Aveido, colourful Nova Costa, vintage Duoro and playful Porto. We traversed northwards on the well built A1 and the no speed limit (enforcement, that is) A8!
A week into her 55th year, we visited Fatima. We are there to pray and hopefully not be preyed upon by some tourist traps. At its peak (on May 13th - the anniversary of the first apparition of Mother Mary to the three children), there can be up to 2 or 3 million pilgrims. There were far less when we were there and it added to the serenity of the place.
Fatima has such a special feel to it, I must say. Maybe it’s the cool morning air that is full of calm. It is not just about being serene, Fatima demands serenity from the visitors. Even a group of Catholics from China were not their usual boisterous selves. So peaceful indeed that D was overcome with emotions. We were just chatting with our guide H a couple of days ago about how humans have gone too far with outward explorations (as a Portuguese he would know that well) and it’s time, in the philosophy of Carl Jung, for inner explorations.
I learnt about Nuno Alvares Pereira: the Constable, founder of the House of Bragança, excellent general, blessed monk, who during his life on earth so ardently desired the Kingdom of Heaven that after his death, he merited the eternal company of the Saints. His worldly honors were countless, but he turned his back on them. He was a great Prince, but he made himself a humble monk. Saint Nuno (yes, he was beatified) even founded, built and endowed a church, the Carmo Convent, in which his body rests.
The Portuguese has that rile model to look forward to... far more than Henry, Vasco ot Alfonso. For the rest of the world, in fact, the loss of religiosity in humankind also coincided with the rise of wars and mental health issues. We need purpose in our lives. I said to him, the more we look for purpose, the more we find it. That’s so true in the case of D. What a blessing indeed.
As for me, I did feel the call to be at peace (inside) but did not feel the release of anxieties and the faith of hope as D did. I explained to her that it may be because I still feel the responsibility to provide for the family. It reminded me of what J once told me as he firmed up his decision to study Environment in Duke when my preference was for him to do Finance in Chicago U. His response was profound, “dad, you did what you had to do because you needed the economic security. That security has now allowed us to do what we want to do!”. I guess in my next act, having now provided responsibly, I would like to also to do some inner exploration and find my peace.
And so, on my 58th birthday, I first went on to find spirits of a different kind, the sort that wine lovers would approve: we visited valley vineyards, the valley being Duoro, a place as scenic as Fatima is spiritual. Its wines are bold, in the style of the elixir that provided liquid courage to the sailors 500 years ago when they asked for blessings at the Church of Santa Maria and sailed out from the mouth of Rio Tagus.
