A Picnic With The Poets

Part of the fun of living in a new place is discovering what’s around you.  It’s a process of gradually expanding the circle of familiar places venturing beyond the edge of your “known world”.  You’re getting acquainted with your surroundings and continually redrawing your mental map.  

Sometimes this is purposeful., like when you want to visit a particular shop or see a well-known landmark.  But some of the best experiences happen by accident.  It’s the old traveler’s trick of getting lost, off the beaten path, in order to discover something new. One minute you’re happily walking down a street.  Then you turn a corner and BAM!  – there’s something unexpected.

Or like when you’re on your way to do one thing and you stumble on another.

Making New Friends

That’s what happened to us on a recent Sunday when we visited the Parque dos Poetas – the Park of Poets in Oeiras.  We went there to join a picnic that was organized by the Lisbon Social and Cultural Club – a group of expats and immigrants who get together to socialize, attend concerts and other events, and dine out.  This was the first time we attended one of their gatherings.

 It was a short train ride, then a long uphill walk alongside rows of houses and apartment buildings. When we arrived at the park, it took a few minutes to get our bearings and navigate to the spot where the group was meeting.  They had posted a note about being near a quiosque – a kiosk.  We located it on the map and soon joined a small group sitting on a grassy bank a little ways beyond.  

As we walked through the park, we saw several interesting structures and some statues of poets.  But being focused on the destination (and being late to join), we didn’t stop to examine them.  “We’ll do that on the way out.”

The picnic was fun.  We met a lot of interesting people who had come from all over – Britain, France, Canada, the US, and even one woman from Vietnam – to settle in Portugal.  We spent a pleasant afternoon talking and getting acquainted.  We felt welcomed.  And when the group moved to the patio by the quiosque for drinks, we enjoyed continuing the conversations over a mid-afternoon glass of wine.  

It was only as we were leaving that we took time to closely examine our surroundings.  They were, in a word, stunning.

A Magical Place

The Parque dos Poetas is a 22 ½ hectare (56 acre) space nestled between the towns of Oeiras and Paço de Arcos.  On the map it looks like a long, narrow wedge of green.

It was conceived as a park honoring Portuguese poets.  The park was developed in three phases.  The first phase was opened in 2003.  It featured poets of the 20th century.  A second phase, opened in 2013 was dedicated to poets of the middle ages (the Trovadores – troubadours) through the Renaissance.  In 2015, the final phase was completed, featuring poets from Portuguese-speaking countries or territories.  

Throughout the park are small areas, shaped like petals, that have statues of the poets and other works of art related to their poetry.  There are 60 poets across the park – 50 are Portuguese, 10 are from other Portuguese-speaking countries.  45 different artists were engaged to make the statues and other art installations throughout the park. 

By itself, that would be an impressive accomplishment.  But the park also has a variety of other structures and installations, including a labyrinth, two amphitheaters, and several “cybernetic” fountains. At the top of one hill is the Templo da Poesia – the Temple of Poetry – a large glass building that resembles a lighthouse or a Greek temple. It houses work rooms, exhibition area, restaurant, auditorium, and a large balcony that overlooks the park and the ocean beyond.

In addition (“But wait, there’s more!”), the park also has a sports complex that includes a football pitch that seats 4,300 spectators.

All of this is set in a green space that rises up a hill.   The landscaping is simple and elegant.  There are open lawns, areas with flowers and other plants, and plenty of trees.  And near the top of the hill you get a spectacular view of the point where the Tagus River flows into the Atlantic Ocean.  

A Poetry Lesson

While we were walking out, we stopped to look at several of the poets’ petals. One was dedicated to Vasco Cabral.

Cabral was a writer and politician from Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. During his political career, he served as Minister of Economy and Finance, Minister of Justice, and Vice President of Guinea-Bissau. In 1953 he was arrested for his opposition to the Portuguese dictator António Salazar. His poetry reflects his political leanings, his love of life, and the struggle of his people.

Here is one of his poems – “Onde está a poesia?” – “Where’s the poetry?” On the left is the original Portuguese text. On the right is an English version I created with the help of a translation app.

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Source: https://www.triplov.com/guinea_bissau/vasco_cabral/poemas/index.htm

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The Parque dos Poetas is another of those places that won’t show up on any of the “36 hours in Lisbon” tour guides. But it’s a place we will return to. We want to go back for another picnic, another glass of wine on the patio. We’d like to hear a concert under the stars. And we want to learn more poetry.

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What surprising thing have you stumbled upon lately? Leave your epic poem in the comments below or with a note through the Contact Us form.

Until next week / Até a próxima semana

Mary and Mike

The Cook and The Writer

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