This morning was the All-Africa breakfast, which is one of the hidden secrets of the International Convention. Everyone shows up, because it is a lot of fun, with everyone from Africa in appropriate dress, and non-Africans who have worked in the continent all making a showing. This year there were very few people from 9125, the Nigerian District, however; there was a problem with visas.
Apparently the typical thing to do is to try to get the visas approved in a block. This year, however, the Portuguese embassy required all Nigerians to show up in person in Abuja or Lagos. Not only was this expensive and inconvenient for anyone who doesn’t live in Abuja or Lagos, but even then many visas were turned down. Some enterprising Nigerians got visas to Switzerland or Italy and just crossed the border after arriving in Europe, but obviously, all this meant expense and bother. The world is in a pretty bad condition when one country turns down the citizens of another country for what is, after all, a convention about working for international friendship and peace. Ah, well.
On to the plenary – it is Foundation day – and the debacle surrounding yesterday’s breakouts led me to change plans today. We didn’t even try for any of the breakouts; after the plenary we declared an afternoon of sightseeing. We traveled by commuter train out a few miles to Belem and the very famous statue to Henry the Navigator and all his followers, then walked along the quay to the castle that was once Lisbon’s fortification against the Moors. Then, and until the earthquake, it sat in the middle of the river; today it’s on the shoreline (the river bank changed course) and still pretty impressive. Home via street car (you can tell that Frank created this itinerary) and to do the laundry and catch up. Another beautiful day in Lisbon.
martyhelman 