Portugal day

A few nights ago, while waiting for a table at a crowded seafood place here in Lisbon, we began to chat with two women in line behind us. They spoke English, and like my mom and me, our fellow diners were also of Portuguese descent. And although they looked and sounded perfectly normal, they were Canadian. Shocking, I know. But Canadians are all right. Seriously. Soon we were sharing all sorts of information (did you know there is a big Portuguese community in Toronto? My mom mentioned Fall River Massachusetts. Neither party had heard of the others' huge enclave! Before long we were listing all the Portuguese surnames we knew (Sousa, Paiva, Mello, Raposa...) and any other Portuguese connection. "Did you know 'It's Not Easy Being Green' was written by Joe Raposo?" How about White House photographer Pete Sousa?

It occurred to me that I've poked fun at a friend of mine for engaging in the Jewish version of this dialogue. It made me realize that people just want to belong and feel connected. It was pretty cool connecting with our fellow diners. I even asked them about the Canadian healthcare system, and of course, they thought it was great.

Today was Portugal Day, celebrated in Portuguese communities all over, so that's my story.

Gulbenkian Museum

The Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon hosts a truly amazing art collection - prized specimens from a wide range of periods, places and styles. All housed in a fairly compact museum that has both the charm and uptightness of the Norton Simon.

Belém, Portugal

We had a great time in Belém today, and not just because we made two visits to the shrine of Portuguese pastry, and the home of "natas", Pasteis de Belém.

After some European-style transport woes, we headed straight for the natas, an egg custard pastry which is ubiquitous here. These were still warm, and made us all happy.

Next, we visited several key landmarks, most notably the Tower of Belém, a really amazing fortress built in early 16th century. We also visited the sensational Maritime Museum, a testament to Portugal's seafaring tradition, especially their amazing advances in navigation. The Portuguese were true explorers!

ps. And they really love pastry too.

Castelo de Sao Jorge

Enjoying perfect weather here in Lisbon. Today we walked in the oldest part of the city, the Alfama district. We keep getting lost in the maze of tiny twisted streets. I think we tend to forget how close places are, and we overshoot our destinations. Sometimes by quite a bit. Still, the exploring is all good.

While relaxing inside this castle we heard some beautiful live music from guitar and guitarra, the latter being a mandolin-like instrument peculiar to Portuguese culture. We also heard a fado singer join in, a melancholy and soulful musical style which is especially celebrated here in Alfama.

Mom is happy

My mom is deliriously happy to be here in Lisbon.

On our way

All good. Waiting for our flight to Philly.

visiting Modern Family

Thanks to my friend Eric Stonestreet, I visited a Modern Family location shoot yesterday.  Here are just a few pictures.   I thought it was very nice of Eric and co-stars to pose for photos with me.  These people are geniunely nice, and yes, I was paid to write that, but it's still true. 

Here's Eric, looking dapper. 

Modern Family's kitchen includes a seemingly endless supply of Ricola cough drops.

Here's Reid Ewing, who plays Dylan. We were heading in two different directions, but still, he stopped and posed for this picture, which enraged me. 

Here's Eric's other half on the show, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who is simply hilarious as Mitchell, and often insists on photos that feature antenna.  For the record, Eric is also hilarious as Cam.  Seriously, Stonestreet. 

This is not the chair I sat in, but I did sit in one like this.  This one is reserved for heads of state, such as Vladimir Putin.

Since the shoot was inside a tiny restaurant, I was able to watch a live rehearsal, but then retreated to a shaded video coccoon where I was able to see this multi-camera view and listen remotely to the scene using at headset at any volume I desired.   It was very cool to just be a fly on the wall next to Executive Producer Steve Levitan and writer Jeff Richmond  (until someone swatted me.*)  But even that was done very nicely.  
(*It was the assistant in charge of the Ricola - apparently it is a finite supply).

And of course it was a thrill to meet Nathan Lane, and to watch him work.  These guys make wearing lavender look easy. 

I also met star of the show Ed O'Neill and he was very kind to pose for a photo too, but for some reason the shot didn't come out (but I'm not blaming anyone, okay).  I just look forward to a future opportunity to visit the set of Modern Family.