Now we all love our home cities but my old mucker and guide Jose Madomis takes civic pride to a whole new level and we just know he’ll be flagging up his people’s part in Portugal’s Carnation Revolution.
Jose, as you’ll discover, as we did, on a first meeting will need no invitation to talk about his beloved Coimbra in Portugal Centro.
Which he rightly credits with being the birthplace of the Portugal Revolution fifty years ago this year…
And hence our indulgence here.
As our friends gathered again in our second home of Dublin to mark the April 25 uprising early (but who needs an excuse) we reflect on our Portuguese peregrinations…
From then until now.
Port in a storm
A pup back then I could still feel a tension around the house as we readied ourselves for what was still a very exciting trip.
Into the unknown to a Portugal which was bubbling with rebellion.
And we probably didn’t help ourselves when my brother smashed the skylight in the villa in which we were staying with a football.
It was probably as violent as Portugal got that year with the changeover of power.
From the Salazar Fado, Football and Fatima social catholicism autocracy to a modern society.
The Carnation nation
With the uprising christened the Carnation Revolution on account of the flowers a restaurateur gave to the soldiers which were then put in the muzzles of guns.
More than this, of course, as Jose informed us was the part Coimbra played in the events.
With the local football club Academica de Coimbra and its fans who had turned the 1969 Portuguese Cup final into a showpiece political protest against the regime.
Coimbra and Portugal Centro is as its name signifies the heartland of Portugal, south of the quirky and popular Porto, west of legendary Lisbon and north of the Algarve hotspots.
Raise a glass of Vinho Verde
All of which will be worth visiting and which we have enjoyed.
And who have hosted us as only the Portuguese can.
There will, of course, be celebrations across Portugal this year.
To mark the Carnation Revolution.
And the brave and radical students of Coimbra who have gone on to greater things, though we can’t imagine much greater than this, will proudly take their plaudits.
We’ll certainly be raising a glass of Vinho Verde to Portugal’s Carnation Revolution and all those who stood up to oppression.