Traveling Minds | YŪGEN’s book and movie tips - Part I

Fri, 03/27/2020 - 13:27 - 
Iris

Has your holiday been postponed? Are you traveling with us later this year? Or do you just want to learn more about other parts of the world? Then let your mind travel in times our bodies can’t. Below you find several stories with a YŪGEN destination as a background setting.

In part I we start with Portugal and the Azores. Lovers of Costa Rican rainforest, fauna and flora, lush exotic jungles, Quackers and adventure trips will find more to their liking in part II of our blog Traveling Minds, which will be published soon.

1. Journey to Portugal | José Saramango | Portugal | an atypical travel guide

When you think of Portuguese literature, Nobelprice winner José Saramango cannot be ignored! Several of his books have been translated, such as Blindness, Seeing, The history of the Siege of Lisbon and many others. If you are interested in Portugal, Journey to Portugal - In persuit of Portugal's History and Culture or the original Viagem a Portugal is your most obvious choice.
In this book José travels through his country from North to South, not only describing the changing landscapes and many historical buildings but also his encounters with locals and their many traditions. This book is not your average travel guide, it is an inside story of the real Portugal which will make you want to go and make a tour all over Portugal too.

Another nice option is The Elephant's Journey, written by the same writer. A funny story with a touch of irony, about an elephant's journey from Portugal to Vienna. The Indian elephant is a gift of King Dom Joao III for his nephew in Austria.

The Jouney of the Elephant

2. Cork Boat | John Pollack | Northern Portugal | nonfiction

A true story of the unlikeliest boat ever built! This is an inspiring book about a successful political speechwriter who quits his job to pursue his childhood dream: building a boat out of wine corks and sailing down a river with it. During the building process he is offered a job as a speechwriter for president Clinton.

Many of us used to have dreams as a kid, few actually make them come true and even less succeed in convincing the White House to save wine and champagne corks for it. Eventually, after overcoming many obstacles, the boat will float down the Douro river in Portugal from the Spanish border to the city of Porto. Cork boat is a story about camaraderie, determination and the power of imagination. The description of the journey on the Douro river is very realistic and perfect to get a mental glimpse of this region.

3. Lisbon - What a tourist should see | Fernando Pessoa | Lisbon | History and culture

Fernando Pessoa is one of the most important poem writers of the 20th century in Portuguese literature. His writings for the book Lisboa were only discovered after his death and take you along most of the historical and cultural attractions of his beloved Lisbon. His explanations are clearly influenced by his own convictions, which should be interpreted in the light of his time (1888 - 1935). 

Although he has a nationalistic attitude and a lot of beautiful words and superlatives for Portugal's history, this book is an interesting work for those who like to know more about Portuguese history as well as about some of the most important monuments of the city.

4. Stormy Isles - An Azorean tale | Vitorino Nemésio | The Azores | Novel

Vitorio Nemésio  originally wrote Mau tempo no Canal, literally translated 'Bad weather in the Canal'. The most recent translation of this novel has been titled Stormy Isles by Francisco Cota Fagundes. 

The setting of this story is, mainly, Faial island in the years 1917-1919. Margarida, daughter of a rich island-family is revolting against a life of beautiful dresses, balls and being expected to marry a son of another rich family. Faial was at this time a crossroad for international traders and travelers from all over the world, a place where even Flemish people met with Americans, Canadians, Germans and English. Some stayed to live on the islands and created the lovely international port of Horta.

Do you prefer to watch a movie?

April’s Captains is about a group of captains, and 1 major, who form a movement. During the night of April 24-25th 1974 they commit a military 'coup d'état', bringing the colonial war and the authoritarian regime in Portugal to an end.

Amalia is about Amalia Rodrigues, the Queen of Fado

In the movie Porto an American and a Frenchwoman meet. Later in life they reflect back on the intense moments they experienced together in the city of Porto.

Lisbon Story shows you all corners of this magnificent city.

Fados is a combination of movie, song and the typical Portuguese saudade.

And finally Blindness, a film adaptation of the like named book of José Saramango, may not be an inspiring travel story but it does have a modern approach all of the sudden: a worldwide pandemic causes everyone to go blind.

 I hope most of these books and movies will let you mentally escape the inside of your house and have you dreaming about better times in which you will be able to travel to, wander around in, experience, taste and discover those amazing places.

Share your smile, keep dreaming & stay safe,

Iris

 

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