SAUDADE...

Saudade...

... A word that only exists in the Portuguese language and, therefore, does not have a direct translation ... Saudade is a noun that describes a feeling, a feeling of missing or longing for someone or something, a feeling I live with and have learned to cope with every single day of my life!! The word "saudade", loosely translated, denotes "longing, "melancholy" or "nostalgia".... In the context of Portuguese, however, the term connotes a meaning that is irrevocably lost in translation.

Saudade was once described as "the love that stays" after someone is gone. Saudade is the recollection of feelings, experiences, places or events that once brought excitement, pleasure, well-being, which now triggers the senses and makes one live again. It often carries a fatalist tone and a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might really never return....

A recent post from a sweet friend and fellow blogger (who shares my name and my origins) really touched home, she described a place I used to visit when I was little... She used to walk by my street on the way to the park... I wonder if we ever crossed paths not knowing we would "meet" again later...

I miss Portugal. I miss so many things I wouldn't be able to list them all... I find myself often on the phone with my mom whining about things I miss, asking her what they had for dinner, where they went, how's the weather, who's getting married, who won the soccer game... I have to admit that some of the most tangible things I miss are food related... Why is that? They say a way to a man's heart is through the stomach, I say a way to anybody's heart is through the stomach!! I was compelled to look through my pictures and find images that could illustrate my feelings, my feeling of longing and missing someone or something...

Saudade...

Familia ~ That is a given, I miss my family!! I miss the laughter, the food, the trips, the fun... Yes, every family has a disfunctional side, but I miss it all!!

Castanhas ~ Roasted chestnuts.... Yummmmmmmy!! Yes, occasionally I find chestnuts around Thanksgiving (and I devoure them!!), but there is nothing like a charcoal roasted chestnut purchased on the side of the road...

(from my Flickr favorites)


Mar ~ I grew up around the sea, looking at the sea, playing in the sea, smelling the sea, and eating the fruits of the sea... The sea is a part of me...

(from my Flickr favorites)


Caracois ~ Oh, how I miss eating snails... I know, it sound gross to many, but for me that is part of my heritage. If you walk or drive around in Portugal and see people hunched around bushes, chances are they are gathering snails. There is an art to cooking snails, you have to have the right combination of seasonings, which include oregano...

Retrosarias ~ There is a street in Lisbon just dedicated to haberdashery stores, where you will find buttons, lace, wedding dress fabric, millinery flowers, ribbon, etc! It is always a must go when I head home!

Marmelada ~ Marmelada is to us Portuguese what peanut butter is to American kids... Pao com marmelada is a staple! A thick jam made from quince fruit, marmelada has the sweetest taste, and is delicious with bread or crackers!!

(from my Flickr favorites)


Futebol ~ There are no words to describe the pride us Portuguese feel about our soccer... It is bigger than life! I plan my trips to Portugal around the European Cup schedule so I can be there for the finals...

(from my Flickr favorites)


Farturas ~ I have been told by my children that one of the biggest things they miss about Portugal are farturas, Portuguese fritters (like large churros) smothered in sugar and cinnamon... Watching them being made is almost as much fun as eating them!!

Musica portuguesa ~ For me, it was difficult to appreciate Fado until I was thousands and thousands of miles away, but I do miss the sounds of the Portuguese guitar emanating from small restaurants

in Bairro Alto... My sisters are pretty good about getting me CD's with newer Portuguese music so I can feel closer to home.

(from my Flickr favorites)


Tremocos ~ This is probably one of the foods I find myself craving almost every day... This is another of those Portuguese obsessions that are hard to explain...!! Tremocos are salt water soaked lupini beans, and are absolutely my favorite snack food!! Any street cafe in Portugal will bring you a beer and some tremocos (peel the skin with your teeth and eat!). Nothing better!!

(from my Flickr favorites)


Feira da Ladra ~ Attending street markets in Lisbon are one of my favorite activities when I go back home... Feira da Ladra (literally means Thieves' Fair, a reference to how it got started...) is a weekly market where you can find a variety of items... You can see more in a post I made about this fair a few months back, following my last trip to Portugal.

Electrico ~ The tram has always been my favorite way to travel arond Lisbon... Even more so now since busy people prefer the fast subway ...! For me, it is frozen time, something that never changes, continuity...

Baixa ~ Downtown Lisbon is a charming area full of wonderful shops, cafes and pastry shops... Even though a devastating fire destroyed a large portion of our Baixa (taking with it century old department stores) about twenty years ago, the rebuilt area still retains an incredible charm, with its cobblestone sidewalks and gorgeous buildings.

Casa da mae ~ My mom's house is "ground level" for me, a place where I go back to being a little girl... A place where the incredible food can never be reproduced no matter how hard I try, a place where tea at five is as certain as the sunset, a place where all the family gathers to catch up with each other, a place where I eat tremocos, caracois, farturas, castanhas, where I watch futebol, and the mar, where I share my finds from the Feira da Ladra, and the finds from the retrosarias in the Baixa, where I feel at home in the company of my familia...!!

Saudade...