19 december 1977

monday 19 december 1977

LISBOA

the train journey was quite an adventure. my amsterdam to bruxelles ended at bruxelles with a change to a local line to reach bruxelles central. the only station that really felt like a central. bruxelles had a nice comfortable sort of feeling to it. lively. but not crowded. the grande place with its magisterial houses bespeaking great substance. a natural setting for a high christmas tree and a crib.

the royal library. friendly helpful staff. all I wanted save one manuscript that was on exhibition. and even then a photograph of the vital page in an exhibition catalogue. and that catalogue to be sent to my australian address with an account payable on receipt. not in advance. and a delightful three pages that should be worth transcribing and translating. with illustrations of musical instruments.

later that night, as I waited at bruxelles nord for a connection, there was a mishap to a train from amsterdam causing a delay of some forty minutes.

bruxelles to paris. a good comfortable compartment. at the third attempt very reasonable sleep. except during a long halt when the heating faded to almost nothing.

the metro from nord to austerlitz. take it easy with the luggage. no hurry. plenty of time. but no correspondances with long tunnels to negotiate.

breakfast at austerlitz and already crowds around the sudexpress for lisboa.

a crowded train. but ample space for first class passengers. departure on time at 9 a.m.

and so without incident until a fairly long, and unexpected, pause outside hendaye.

irun. crowded. overcrowded. the customs passage almost unhindered but the platforms jammed to capacity. only second class accommodation on the espressa to lisboa. but a first class section of the sudexpress due sometime. no one could say when. it was eventually about an hour-and-a-half late. and crowded. with second class ticket-holders being dunned for excess fares due for the first class seats they were occupying.

dinner in a dining car out of somerset maugham with film set by orson welles. charming inlaid woodwork. obsolete bell pushes. only two tiny globes functioning in six ceiling light shades. excellent service. and a five course cubierto for 450 pesetas.

a minimum of frontier formalities. but two rubber stamp endorsements in the passport to evoke future memories.

a journey which got longer and longer despite interludes such as breakfast in the delectable dining car.

an extended halt at pampilhosa (which I now cannot find on a map).

eventual arrival at lisboa round about 3 o’clock local time and five-and-a-half hours late.

lisboa showery but decorated for christmas. back to a land where the prices are not ruinous to the temporary vagabond. the indulgence of a very comfortable hotel room to recover from two nights on the rails.

shopping. sightseeing. the old, once visigothic, quarter of the town. cristo rei a ferry ride away.

friendly helpful people.

a warm bath

relaxed tiredness

francis cameron, temporary vagabond

Posted via email from franciscameron's posterous