"É uma casa portuguesa, com certeza!"
They say that 'in a Portuguese home, there's bread and wine at the table'. Most importantly, there is family. I met many new family members that day, mostly on my grandma's side of the family. The ones from my grandpa's side we'd see in a few days, but these were from my grandma's side.
All these people were very important when my dad was growing up. They still are, they're just far away and we don't see them very often, but they all played a role in making my dad who he is today. Idalina - my grandma's sister - on the top right was my dad's teacher at one point. The white-bearded fellow on the left - her husband - was one of my dad's tutors. Their sons are my dad's cousins. They're a bit older than my dad but they all grew up together. My dad remembers playing 'ZX Spectrum' with them. It was my dad's first experience with computers, and now he's working on artificial intelligence.
All families have a story and a legacy, but this one is mine. My great-grandpa - Luis - and great-grandma - Carmita - are no longer alive, but they lived in Coimbra - City of Knowledge - where my grandma was born, and where both my grandpa and my dad went to college. It's home to one of Europe's oldest universities - over 700 years old! It's my dad's favorite city in all of Portugal!
My great-grandpa worked in a 'cervejaria' called 'Portugalia'. A beer bar where 'the people' used to gather. Him and others in our family back then proudly rebelled against the tyrannical government leading up to the April 25, 1974 revolution. This legacy still stands today, and permeated to my dad's days in college, in Coimbra... where he got to experience Coimbra's unique legacy, traditions and culture - enjoying the liberty that many before him didn't. Coimbra deserves it's own trip...
It was great meeting new members of my family! Others were still missing, but I'll see them next time... there's always next time!
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