We went back to several places in Braga more than once, including Taberna do Felix, Silva, and [the easter place]. We’ll probably want to eat at these places when we visit again, just to see how they’ve changed or how our perceptions were out of whack. We also ate several times at Cafe Dianna, which overlooks the fountain in the central area. The town is quite active there, so sitting at the outside tables and watching the local part of the world go by was entertaining. The fountain runs on some schedule we never deduced. Pigeons drink from it when it’s not spraying.

By far, our most-frequented place was RotivMinho. Pat called this “the faculty lounge,” because the special education faculty routinely goes there for lunch. It’s a bustling spot at the back of a small shopping center near the institute. It probably seats 60, squeezed very closely together. Three men serve the meals, and they are all very kind and friendly. The kitchen cranks out food in a hurry. It helps, of course, that the house offers two quick specials each day (one fish, one meat), but permits one to order from the full menu; if you have one of the platos du dia, you can get your lunch in minutes. However, regardless of what they eat, perhaps half of lunch patrons take a bit longer, have a half-bottle of wine or a beer with their meal, and discuss whatever it is they were discussing in Portuguese. Lunch in Portugal is a very civilized event.

Pat probably had sopa du legumes at least once a day while we were in Portugal. It’s a potato-based soup that’s thick and yummy. It varies from place to place and can include Portuguese kale, cabbage, or other vegetables. With a piece of bread and a salada mista, it makes a good meal.

We also had many variations on Portugal’s national fish, cod. It was served in a minimum of three different ways in each establishment where we dined. Each has bacalhau (bo ka loa?)—dried cod rejuvenated and mixed with potatos, often scalloped, and cream sauce—prepared in it’s own style (“do casa”). I suppose I ordered this close to a half-dozen different times. It’s good, but there were other dishes that I preferred.

Portuguese cooks routinely serve grilled fish, and I enjoyed them often. I say
“them” rather than “it,” because the fish is usually a small, ocean denizen with a light flesh. One is called rebolo, another blah, and so forth. All are served whole, permiting one to practice his fileting skills while having lunch. The classic, of course, is the sardine; this is not like the sardines familiar to US supermarket shoppers, the tiny, briny, oily slivers bought in a rolltop can. Instead, these are 12-15 centimeter specimens that are grilled, brushed with olive oil, and server steaming hot. They’re available seasonally (opposite of oysters).

My favorite was the lulus grehaldo or grilled squid. Squid is a common dish and the Portuguese know how to cook it. On can get it served as a breaded, deep-fried apetizer, but it’s way better hot off the grilled, sliced, and served on a platter with boiled potatos and sliced tomatos. Yumm.

I have to admit that I had too few chances to sample another dish, arroz du mer. It’s a dish concocted of shellfish and rice that I really enjoyed in Alpunia.

The breads are usually quite good. There are honest, simple white rolls and dense, dark, intense breads that are served as two to four pieces, each piece about 1.5 bites.

Pastries galore. Plenty of fresh fruit.

View of area

We went to see what puts the port in Portugal. The famous wine comes from the Douro River valley, a few score kilometers upstream from the port city of Porto, PT. True to the opportunity, tour companies offer riverboat trips from Porto to the wine region. We took one.

We took a morning commuter train from Braga to Porto, a wild cab ride down steep-and-narrow streets from the Sao Bento station and across the Douro to a chais from which the tour boats depart, and a 5-hour boat ride up river with 200 of our closest friends. Then we spent the night in a marvelous posada and took trains back to Porto and then Braga.

The river trip took us through gorgeous countryside. The river is wide and calm, making it possible to eat at a table without spilling the morning coffee or the noontime wine. Our stay in the posade near Regua was superb; located above a bend in the river and providing marvelous views, it was once the home of a wealthy local but is now a 27-room bed and breakfast.

Running in the neighborhood of the posada was a challenge. Well, on the downhills, I felt like my toes were going to burst through the fronts of my shoes. The uphills…? That was more like power-walking than running.

I’m working on a set of photos—selecting from the ~150 we shot—

to show the sights. There are many things worth seeing; we stayed too briefly.

Links: The cruise company, Douro Azul and the posada, Solar de Rede.

There is a difference between the official exchange rate and the rate that some tourist gets; one buys euros at the rate of the “cambio” or change shop, which rate is lower than the international markets (but better than banks). (For traveler’s checks, there is also a fee; cash is exchanged directly at the shop’s rate.) I have to guess that the difference is pretty constant, though.

Of course, one can use the ubiquitous bank machines (Multibanco). Because I have not been able to negotiate them, I do not know what they charge. Given that they are affiliated with the banks, probably their rates are not as good as the change shops.

We have consistently used the same cambio service, and it provides a record of each transaction. So, I went back through our records and recovered the data shown here. The accompanying table shows how much I got (before the commission) per dollar on the dates when I made an exchange. (Example: If I’d exchanged $100 on 18 April, I’d've gotten €79.3; from that, I’d pay a fee, if my $100 had been in the form of a traveler’s check.)

So, the dollar’s value has dropped about 3¢ while we’ve been here. As a percentage of value, that’s more like 4+%. Ouch!

Two folk dancers

There were musicians, singers, dancers, and hangers-on–perhaps 40 in all. They ranged in age from about 3-4 years to 20 times that. They were all decked out in the costuming one can see on these two. Pat says she thinks she say the statue of Pope Pius XII tapping its foot.

I hope to post some pictures from the scene.

Problems? Let me know, please.

Identificação dos Alunos com Dificuldades de Aprendizagem Específicas John Wills Lloyd, Ph.D. University of Virginia & Division for Learning Disabilities

* LD in the US
Recognized in early 1960s, got legal status in 1970s.
Provides services to children with most severe academic problems.
Includes about 5+% of all children 6-18 years of age (total special education ≈11+%).

* How U.S. LD Went Astray: Overview
Focusing on process disorders;
Emphasizing ability- achievement discrepancy;
Calculating formuli for identification; and
Accepting students who are casualties of faulty instruction.

* Context
LD arose because parents sought help for children who had severe achievement problems but did not have other disabilities (especially MR) or cultural or instructional deprivation.

* Processes
LD went astray by
Proposing academic deficits were related to problems in basic psychological processes,
Creating tests for assessing processes, and
Requiring that students have process problems to qualify as LD.

* Discrepancy
LD went astray by
Over-emphasizing discrepancy between ability and achievement,
Requiring that students have process problems to qualify as LD, and
Allowing measurement experts to turn discrepancy between ability and achievement into a measurable characteristic.

* Formuli
LD went astray by
Allowing policy makers to create formuli for identification and
Removing expert human judgment from identification.

* Instructional Casualties
LD went astray by allowing general education to recommend students whose problem was dyspedagogia.
Still given effective instruction, some students will need special education.

* How to Avoid Going Astray
Maximize effectiveness in general education.
Avoid relying on fancy tests for identification.
Use a simple, logic-based system of identification.

On 1 May, as we drove from the Algarve back to Braga (more precisely: Paula drove and we rode), we took a quick detour through Lisboa. One of the primary purposes of this sidetrip of this sidetrip south was to sample pastries about which we’d been told, Pasteis de Belém. The place was jamming; that’s Pat’s light blue shirt in the doorway and inside people were standing 2-4 deep at the counter to order.

Part of the reason for the brisk business was because 1 May is holiday, of course, but we understand it’s regularly a happening place. The interior of the building, which is a catacomb of many connected rooms, was packed.

Each of the little pastries served at Pasteis de Belém is a soft-crusted custard cup. The recipe is a secret passed down many generations from the nearby monastery. There are others similar products, but these are reknowned. We ate two each in a nearby park while mirating the monuments to Columbus.

I hope to write more about the return trip: cork trees, the countryside, and a stop at Fatima….

We arrived Saturday and, after a bit of wandering, left the compound and went to the city center, which is like a lot of tourist bazaar spots, with people selling flashing necklaces on the street, musicians of many-a-stripe (how about accordian and tambourine!) along the walkways, and lots of shops. After dinner we caught a cab back to the hotel. It was probably 10 PM, but the town seemed to be coming alive about then. Things are on a different schedule here. We are definitely early birds by these standards, though we probably are by most folks’ standands.

Today, we spent a long time after a huge and delicious buffet breakfast, sitting beside a pool watching people (lots of families). I slathered on lots of sun block and stayed in the shade of an umbrella. I was within 3 meters of N37°05.341′, W008°12.763′, for those who want to look it up. I took the photo from about 50 meters south of that spot at about 10:40 AM (GMT).