Danger...Danger...
The Sidewalks of Portugal
I will admit, when we were discussing moving to Portugal I had a nagging concern. Would I be able to navigate uneven sidewalks and cobblestone streets?
For the readers that aren’t family and friends, I will explain. I had a bilateral total knee replacement 6 years ago. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons…some self-induced, there were complications and I had to have subsequent revision surgeries. So while I am ambulatory, I am very much aware that these are not my knees. And as my foot occasionally drops unexpectedly…uneven surfaces can be a challenge.
What Does it Say?
However, I am very willing to trip every once in a while to enjoy the sidewalks of Portugal. I ask you, “What does it say about a country that they take the time to decorate their sidewalks?”
And it is not like these are a hundred years old and when they need to tear them up, they replace them with cement. No, when they tear them up to get to pipes below, they gather them in huge sacks. Men on bent knee, using a small pick-ax, create a depression, place each stone, tap it in place and go on to the next.
And the variety is astounding. Waves…fish…train station names…intricate border patterns kiss the corners of buildings.
Unexpected Danger
So yes I occasionally trip. And of course, they are slippery when it rains. I expected these things. But there is another danger.
One I did not anticipate.
Frankly, one I don’t understand.
Resolving the problem will not require dipping into the already lean government coffers. It doesn’t require the passing of any law or unwinding some Portuguese bureaucratic lunacy.
So topping the list of things I would change about Portugal…people not picking up dog poop from the sidewalk. I don’t get it! Even in the cities, there are plenty of parks. If you don’t want to buy bags…use the ones you put your veggies in at the grocery store. Grab some extra…I don’t mind. And can someone please tell me why I seem to always happen upon the droppings of a Great Dane? Geez…
Okay, I’m calm now. Enough of my complaining. I have decided to take tomorrow, and all Saturday’s off from now on. So for the foreseeable future expect me on Monday through Friday with informational (occasionally humorous) posts and then a photo on Sunday. Of course, I will only be there if you subscribe. Go on, hit the button.
If you tire of me, it doesn’t take long to get rid of me.
Just found your blog and making my way from post 1 all the way up. I enjoy your candidness based on your perspective. I have a couple of suggestions regarding this post. 1) There are simple, unobtrusive braces to assist with intermittent drop foot ( I am a Physio). 2) The poop. I am going to recommend you look into the story about how author David Sedaris ended up with a garbage truck named after him in his expat hometown in England. Off to read more of your posts!
I find sidewalks endlessly fascinating whether it's the artisinal sidewalks of Portugal or the way that roses grow in the tiniest crack between sidewalk and building in Bergen, Norway. By the way, I found the issue of dog poop on sidewalks to be worse in Paris than here in Cascais.