Re-enchanted April

For decades Easter meant only one thing in the Turpie household - a mad dash south. Since the moment one chilly February day in 1992 when Gill discovered that  a two week Easter break in the Med in a mobile home cost a fraction of the price in high season we have spent every Pâques' bar four somewhere far to the south. In the process we forgot about the realities of early spring in England. Two of these 'Med free' Easters have been in the last two years. In 2017 we were too preoccupied with clearing Gill's Dad's house and sorting probate to think about getting away. It was a sad and difficult time, however I don't remember it being cold and miserable. We tried to lift our spirits by taking walks along the beautiful cliffs and coves between the Tyne and the Wear, I recall it as mainly sunny and mild. This year, having just returned from New Zealand and the Far East in mid March, we figured we needed a few weeks to sort out the house and garden, see the kids, and get to grips with fixing-up the new van for long term touring. Consequently we had no trips planned in April. Unhappily, this coincided with one of the coldest, wettest and winteriest Spring in living memory.

Springtime in the Peak District.

Fortunately when we headed up to Yorkshire to have the refillable gas cylinder fitted there was was a rare sunny interval. To save driving there and back in one day we parked overnight in the Lamb Inn at Rainton. The rain may have stopped but the verges were very soft. After squeezing past a mega-tractor on one of the narrow lanes our pristine new possession looked as if it had just completed the Paris to Dakar rally.

There were compensations, the Vale of York was definitely looking more spring-like than the Peak District. Despite any icy breeze the blue sky and spring flowers were uplifting, a sign that winter would end eventually.

Next trip London, this time by car to move our youngest, Laura. from a flat in Honiton to another flat in Old Ford. Both were ex-council; the former, a grim looking brick built 5 storey block from the 50s, the latter, a classic late 60s tower block. Her new abode is on the 12th floor of a 20 storey block. The new one is a slight improvement on the Honiton place; the immediate environs does not wholly conform the the stereotype of a gangland 'The Wire' style neighbouhood. Indeed, we know the area around Victoria Park quite well as Sarah and Rob lived hereabouts for a few years before they escaped to Lisbon.

Whatever the charms of the new neighbourhood and the delights of gentrified East London, the cost of one room in a shabby flat share is an eye-watering £500 per month. Shocking.

Back home - a brief spring-like interlude, a few sunny days got us out-and-about, van cleaned, grass-cut and our first BBQ of the year. Then fog and cold returned.

Did the return of the big chill depress us?  Did we care? No, because we were off to see Sarah in Lisbon to celebrate her birthday. Sssssh, it's a big one - three oh.  - not just a big birthday celebration, but also hello to Ralfi - the newest family member. Three months old and chewing everything - with a particular penchant for human toes.

Sarah and Rob have a lovely spacious flat with a view of the Tagus. Both of are freelance now, doing the same work as they did in London, but remotely. They can sit in the sunshine on their terrace instead of heading into the office each day. It has to be a healthier existence.

This is our third visit to Lisbon so we felt less pressure to sightsee. We simply fitted in with Sarah and Rob and mooched about like locals. Ralfi ensured progress was slow and rarely in a straightline. Too many intruiging smells and interesting grubby corners to explore. Aside friom the fact that he has yet to develop any sense of how to walk along on a lead, getting anywhere was difficult because he is so cute passersby constantly stop to take pictures of him.

Looking back at the pictures we to took it looks like we spent the whole time buying food,  cooking it. or deciding where to eat out.  In general Portugal is hardly a gastronomic powerhouse; it has not really developed foodie tourism like Spain and Italy. In most places the food is wholesome, made with fresh ingredients, but not necessarily delicious or stylish. However Lisbon is the exception. It is a multicultural city, so has dozens of great restaurants. In the few days we were there we ate in an excellent Iranian place, an Italian restaurant whose Pasta Norma rivalled anything we had in Sicily, revisited the excellent vegan restaurant in Cascais - the oddly named 'Galeria, House of Wonders'. Lisbon's food culture is not all imported, there are places that are trying to raise local dishes beyond traditional fare. One is the Bairro do Avillez , others can be found among the the stands in the the refurbished 'Time Out' market.

When we first visited Lisbon in 2016 I was somewhat dismissive of the place, commenting,  "The food was good, in the main local and cooked to order, served with style, and the vibe was young and energetic. Nevertheless, the sense that the entire place was 'curated', an invention of marketing gobbledygook, felt like Disneyfication updated for the Facebook generation. Do we really need a multinational brand to "enable people to discover, book, live and share their experiences".  Though I would not entirely recant on my rant, I do accept, despite it's overt tourist pitch, the food is good and the annexe selling fresh produce does provide a place in the heart of the city where you can buy fresh good quality vegetables, meat and fish.

Eye catching and delicious small plates at 'Cafe Tehran'

Portuguese cooking with a contemporary twist at Bairro do Avillez

There are dozens of good Italian restaurants scattered through the city. It was a bit of a hike to Sarah and Rob's favourite, but worth it.

Great cooking at the Italian place whose name scapes me!

We did occasionally venture out without going for a meal - a visit to the MAAT, the recently completed modern art museum by the river.

Once again we joined the ritual sunset watch at the Miradouro de Santa Caterina, the oldest people there. Lisbon is an alluring city with a positive energy and an air of youthful optimism. It's only when you are out of the UK that you realise how the present self-destructive, toxic national mood has affected your own state of mind. It felt like a release just being here.

One trip out of the city - to Cascais, Lisbon's up-scale resort just to the north of the river mouth. We walked a couple of kilometres to a famous rock formation called 'Boca do Inferno'. It took forever as we were walking at Ralfi speed. The light here was stunning, a beautiful April day, pleasantly warm - Lisbon mixes the glittering silvery light of the Atlantic with the vivid colours you get in the Mediterranean - it feels joyous.