July 29. The Music & Arts Scene

This morning we ran off into multiple directions: Irina and kids braved huge crowds to get on the tram to Belem, Dan went to his usual venue, and I, to the mall. After lunch we went Gulbekian museum. We are very glad we went.

Gulbekian had incredible taste and collected “only the best” and it is very clear in every piece that was presented. They are not only rare, “excellent example of such and such school” but also very beautiful. Sometimes it does not look like museums care so much for the last one. In addition, there were some pictures of these items displayed in his residence and it added an interesting perspective to experience. There isn’t too many items on the exhibition for it to get overwhelming. Even kids, mostly Georgia, were good all throughout.

Afterwards we walked a few blocks over to Court Ingles for dinner. Even though area where museum is located seems almost feels a bit like area around the Central Park, there are still abandoned buildings around which is very sad.

At the mall kids and Irina had some pizza. Dan and I had Japanese. They make enormous salmon handrolls with Tabasco sauce at the sushi place.

In the evening Dan and I strolled around enjoying different performances taking place around. There is large Asian orchestra performing beautiful music on Asian string instruments in the public performance space downstairs. I think the group is Chinese but I am not sure. At moments it sounds Russian or Indian. By Baixa station there is the repeat night of Latin group with their lovely dancer stirring up the crowd. Further down, there was a group young musicians playing on four string instruments: two violins, cello and double bass, and an accordion. They were playing something Romantic, Medieval like. I never realized you can play these kind of music on an accordion. Very awesome. As we got closer to Calcada Saltana, there were many more mini performances taking place in front of various restaurants. Incidentally we discovered Calcada Saltana is it livelier that Rua Augusta. And there was just one hash guy.

They have veggie stores here too.

Speaking of those. We already can tell which one sell drugs even though they rotate. They are very typical looking sturdy young guys, dark Mediterranean looking. They aggregate around the same corner strategically standing so that it would be easy to flee in multiple directions. One only offers, the other has the stuff, and, I assume, the third takes the money. I cannot figure out why police cannot close them down. The good thing is that they only hang out there and Chiado has our lazy beggars who renewed their “Money for Wine,” “Money for Whisky” signs and look shiny and new.  

More on another local specialty - the highways. As I wrote before they are impeccable and very expensive. The other thing they got right was the sign with gas prices displayed two km before the actual gas stations. Needless to say all the prices were the same. But it is nice and informative.