April 18th
My friend Mikko Ojanperä is turning 75 today. Happy birthday, Mikko! You’ve carried the mantle of the elder brother wonderfully! I met you at Kanneljärvi Folk High School in the summer of 1970. Since then, we’ve been involved in all sorts of events together. I raised a toast to you today in Porto, Portugal.
This morning, a friendly old light-furred dog, presumably representing the hosts of the RV parking, came to greet me when I went to take a shower. A very cheerful dog indeed, as we didn’t manage to meet any of the hosts. Nevertheless, we had access to all the amenities of the place. Clean restroom facilities and an excellent shower were at our disposal. The environment was quiet and peaceful, with a couple of chickens and a duck in an enclosure next to our car.
For breakfast, we had the traditional coffee, fresh juice, a few slices of bread with cold cuts and tomatoes. Eva had her online meeting from eight in the morning, and we were able to set off towards Porto after ten. Before leaving, we left my business card for the hosts, informing them that we didn’t get a chance to pay for the services we used. Perhaps they’ll contact us about it later.
Initially, we chose the toll-free route, which we later changed to a toll road closer to the city. The roads became winding with numerous stops at traffic lights. At first, the highways traversed mountainous terrain. The gas pedal had mainly two positions: full throttle for uphill climbs and mostly braking for downhill descents. The steepness of the hills varied between 5% and 8%. Overall, it was spectacular scenery to behold. As we approached Porto, our toll-free route led us onto small winding two-lane roads.
When the navigator informed us that the last 50 kilometers would take 1.5 hours, we decided to switch to the highway. However, entering it didn’t go exactly as planned. We forgot to take the entry ticket, resulting in a cost of €51. These things happen when traveling, so we took it as a lesson learned. For the rest of the journey, we were able to maintain a speed of mostly 120 km/h. The trip went smoothly, and we arrived slightly ahead of schedule at our destination.
Pekka Mesimäki’s spouse Maria was waiting for us here in Porto. We followed her instructions to park Tellu in her house’s parking area and settled in.
Maria had also arranged for us to attend a lunch event for a local special youth support project. We were welcomed into a wonderful warm gathering, where we enjoyed an excellent meal, wine, and company. It was a splendid opportunity, and afterwards, we got to familiarize ourselves with the project’s premises and pedagogy under the guidance of the local educators. Thank you, Maria, for such an impressive event.
Viktor, Maria’s friend, brought us to Tellu, which is parked under his office window. Before getting into the car, we took a short city stroll to buy fruits, cold cuts, oat milk, and strawberries. As I’m writing this, it’s delightful to nibble on grapes and strawberries. Just a moment ago, the house security guard brought us a bottle of wine to aid in our writing. The wine is still unopened! Nonetheless, it was a kind gesture from someone with whom we don’t share a common language!
In Portugal, people speak English quite well. Not everyone, but in most places, English will suffice. It’s noteworthy how helpful and friendly people are. We Finns seem to have a quite good reputation here. That’s good to hear! I’m starting to fall in love with this country and its people.