Work, the Ambassador, Wine and of course, Basketball

This has been a fairly busy week.  While I have started teaching, it has been an abbreviated beginning.  Classes on Monday and Tuesday were cancelled for Carnival celebrations, and the US Ambassador was on the island until Thursday.  I met most of my students on Wednesday and simply had a chance to get to know them a little bit.  Class begins in earnest this week for me, but a Fulbright conference in Brussels will create another absence, or more accurately, delay.

I have an office; it is nice and I share it with Bernardo.  Along with many others at the University, he has been very gracious.  

The Ambassador's visit was educational and enlightening.  On Wednesday, Bernardo and I met him and his posse at Quinta Magnolia, the site of the American Culture Corner (Library) in Funchal.  We had a brief sit down with him and I learned that his high school age son plays club basketball in Lisbon.  I also learned that he is from North Carolina originally, so we had some regional points of interest to discuss.  Among his group were a number of very nice folks, including Edgar Potter, the American Consular agent on the Island.  He has lived here 32 years and he asked that we come to a cocktail party that night.

The gathering was at the top of this large rock, in the glassed area.  It is at the end of the long pier in the harbor and, as you would expect, it provides quite a view.  Walking there was rather interesting, and Farrar and I hesitated as we approached, fearing perhaps that we would be put to work on the docks if we got any closer.  Eventually a police officer told us we were in the right place and two elevator rides later we were up there, with the Consular agent, his staff, the Ambassador, his posse and the other 20 or so Americans in Madeira.

A couple of days later, we went by the Consular agent's office to "register" so they can include us in any events they might have.  Everyone there is helpful and friendly, and their office is on the marina, right above a Pizza Hut and McDonald's....of course.  We visited just before lunch and asked for a suggestion.  After we refused the options downstairs, they suggested a place across the street on the water.  They said it would be a good place for the kids, and all.

Despite the name, it was, in the end, a rather tame and scenic spot.  I guess I am learning that there aren't too many places that are not scenic here, well, except for my office, but you've seen that already.  It was cloudy that day, and we experienced our first rains in Madeira.

A meal at the Beer House can make you tired, or cansada, as I have recently learned.  But there is always one of these nearby, and always under a dollar.

After a relaxing coffee break, we stopped in a wine shop downtown to buy some Dry Sercial, upon the recommendation of our very good friend, Will Motley, proprietor of the Woodland Wine Merchant in Nashville.  The proprietor at this place was eager to have us try some samples and tell us all about the Madeiras.  

I learned that Sercial is a grape and all Sercial Madeiras are aged at least 10 years.  There are some Sercials that are 5 years old, but they have a percentage of another grape in them.  I think it was Tinta Negra.  At any rate, the name "Sercial" is soon going to be removed from all such "impure" bottles.  Some kind of wine law, I guess.  After this information, of course, we went for the real thing.

Oh yeah, I also found a Basketball game.  Jaime, who I'd met at the park a week or so ago, called and asked if I'd like to join him where he has started back playing, in his hometown of Canico, just east of Funchal.  Jaime is the guy next to me, and his wife, Rosa, is in one of my classes at University.  They are very nice and hospitable, like so many people we have met here.

While on the subject of basketball, I should mention that it occupied most of our Saturday.  Bishop finally had his first practice and he enjoyed it very much, despite the language barrier.  It was a fairly traditional practice with drills,

and a scrimmage at the end,

but best of all, teammates.

After practice we had lunch, and returned to the gym to watch the men play.  The home team, in red, won.  The women have a playoff game tomorrow, and you can rest assured we will be there. 

It's a good thing the whole family loves basketball...and dogs; we are becoming quite fond of this one, who lives a block away from the gym.