Life in the Praça

WORDS Robert Spalding

Sitting on the balcony overlooking the square, warmed by the sun yet cooled by sea breezes, with a morning coffee or a good Portuguese wine to hand, one can see all the activity in the praça.

The dogs are let out. Excited to be released from their internment in small apartments, they run and yip for their freedom, chasing a ball, chasing each other, romping and wrestling. Black ones, white ones and in-between colours, short-legged and long, furry or flat coats, there is no discrimination amongst canine friends. 

An emergency vehicle flies down the avenida, its siren wailing, and the dogs all howl in harmony. They do “their business” politely and the owners pick it up dutifully. Children come out in full football uniforms and kick a ball, the would-be Ronaldos scoring the winning goal of the World Cup for their country. The younger ones are carried or wheeled in pushchairs by their fathers, the former wishing they were old enough to play. The fathers remember when they played, and stop to kick an errant ball. Old men sit on the benches and talk about the good old days, grumbling about the hustle and bustle of all the tourists.

Visitors arrive from the rail and bus stations with suitcases rattling on the calçadas, their skin pale from living in cooler climes, gazing anxiously at Google Maps to find their accommodation.  Others head in the opposite direction, their skin tanned and smiles bright from a pleasant holiday in Lagos, yet inwardly saddened by the return to their home country, their jobs and the daily hum-drum of life.  

The street cleaner wheels her barrow, sweeping and raking the calçadas. The trees, which offer a pleasant backdrop for everyone else, and are home to multiple chirping birds, present a chore for the worker. Depending on the time of year, they shed leaves, blossom  or seed pods , which each day need to be swept in the never-ending task of keeping Lagos clean and tidy. 

The café owners drag out their tables and chairs, scraping the ground noisily, getting ready to serve their hungry, thirsty customers, and placing their menus for all to peruse. Visitors in their summer clothes, exposing lots of skin, stop to read, like what they see and are tempted by the fragrant smell of cooking food. They sit ready to eat, drink a caneca or glass of wine, and chat amicably. Delivery riders roll up on their scooters and go inside to fill their backpacks with orders.

Then there are the characters. The knife sharpener, his grindstone mounted on his bicycle, playing the pan-flute to call people to bring out their blades. The man striding along, beer and cigarette in hand, asking anyone he sees, “Give me money to buy food.” Some do, some don’t, but he strides on not bothering them further. The woman who wanders in circles, with multiple bags on her arms, and in her own world, not bothering anyone. A man wheeling his bicycle towing a makeshift shopping cart with all his possessions on board, his faithful old dog trotting behind. Another pedalling along, weaving in and out of pedestrians playing music from his mounted boom box. Older couples out for their daily constitutional. They are all there and should one or the other not appear on a given day, people would worry for their wellbeing.

Life in the praça is better than any reality television programme: a fellow can relax, and wish his neighbours a “bom dia” before going inside to refill his glass.

About the Author

Even as a boy growing up in a Suffolk village in England, Robert Spalding liked to tell stories. He perfected the craft over time as a member of Toastmasters, achieving the level of gold. Robert was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Bury St. Edmunds. He began his career as a salesman in Suffolk before spending six years in the Middle East as a management consultant. He travelled to the US, where he earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, before working as president of Venosan North America, a Swiss-owned medical products company, and as an adjunct professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship in the School of Business at High Point University in North Carolina. Robert now enjoys life in Portugal with his wife, Diane, making new stories together.

His new book Muck N Roses is a chance to step back in time to the idyllic Suffolk village of Hamford in the mid-20th century, where community bonds ran deep, and life unfolded with charming simplicity. The author transports you to a world where everyone knew each other’s quirks, and the heart of social life revolved around village pubs, the church, and Saturday night dances. In an era when fresh produce was a seasonal delight, and neighbours rallied to care for the sick, this collection of nostalgic stories captures the essence of a bygone era. Join Robert in savouring a time when rural Suffolk’s rich fields and close-knit community made life truly special.

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