Murals, Moves and Monuments
A big reason we moved up to Portland, Oregon when we retired was to be closer to the Shideler side of the family. An even bigger reason was that our nephews were helping to create absolutely beautiful great nieces which meant I was holding a newborn about once a year for the first few years of our moving north. Amazingly our oldest great niece, Rowan, is now eight years old, a fact that is a bit mind blowing to me, but of course just wonderful. Especially as she and I together explored the Castilla San Felipe del Morro yesterday morning.
To get to the forte that was originally built in the 1500’s, we strolled with Bill along a lovely wide and long pathway between an immense grassy field at the tip of the peninsula with the ocean on three sides. The constant trade winds made for perfect flight patterns and the sky was filled with kites of all shapes and sizes held by the many people hanging out on the grass. Rowan was incredibly patient walking at Bill’s pace and pausing at benches for breaks when needed. I was very impressed. But once we settled Bill in the shade of a thick archway inside the forte she and I explored every corner we could find. We tucked ourselves into turrets that overlooked the ocean and winded up and down hidden stairwells while we learned a little about the incredible history of protecting the island.
Puerto Rico was the first stop for many crossing the Atlantic, offering fresh water and food to hungry sailors which made it a coveted island. Spain took control in the 1500’s for quite some time and the history is fascinating. Bill could tell you more about it, I was having too much fun exploring with Rowan. Sadly my OLV (Old Lady Visor) took flight in the wind and is lost to an inaccessible corner of the forte forever. But it leaves me with an excuse to do a little shopping and there are some really cute stores here in Old San Juan.
Bill and I napped the afternoon away which was good because I volunteered to be with Rowan and her little sister, Freya (5), that evening. Alexi, our nephew and the girls Papa, and I all drove about a half an hour into the center of the city so that the three of them could participate in Copoeira classes. Copoeira is a Brazilian variation of martial arts that the girls, and their parents, study back in Oregon. It is a beautiful form of movement involving gymnastics, grace and flexibility to move with your partner in a form of combat without actually making contact. I was happy to sit back and watch the instructor work with the girls in stretching, warming up, specific moves and actual Copoeira at the end.
After the children’s session, which they lucked out in being the only participants, Alexi stayed on for the grown up class while the girls and I walked down to a restaurant the instructor recommended. While we waited for our meals we made paper airplanes and fortune tellers and I shared the skit my siblings and I would do as kids “You Must Pay the Rent.” It involves folding up a napkin in such a way that it turns into a hair bow, a mustache and a bow tie all at once and my acrying out all three characters.
Holding the napkin under my nose the mustachio’d man snarls “You must pay the rent!”
Holding the napkin up on the side of my head the fair lady with the bow in her hair cries “I can’t pay the rent!”
The mustachio’d man again snarls “You must pay the rent!”
The fair lady with the bow in her hair again cries “I can’t pay the rent!”
Then holding the napkin to my neck the dashing young man in bow tie comes to the rescue with “I’ll pay the rent!”
The fair lady fawns “My hero.”
While the mustachio’d villain deflates with “Curses, foiled again.”
And Cut!
The scene ends, I take a bow, and I break into giggles.
The girls were not as tickled as we used to be as kids, more perplexed with my performance, but it entertained them for a while bringing back wonderful childhood memories for me.
After the show we dined on delicious Puerto Rican dishes of chicken that pulled apart with the touch of a fork, Mahi Mahi smothered in a mango salsa, white rice and beans, flavored rice and chorizo, and a bright beautiful red cabbage salad. Alexi’s class was still going on when we made our way back to the cultural center where the class was held, so the girls and I finished off the evening with Limon, Mango and Oreo ice cream cones down the block while we waited. The neighborhood surprised me with murals and amazing art at almost every corner on almost every building. I wish we’d had more time in the daylight to explore as it really was fantastic.
The car ride back to our apartment was much quieter than on the way to class. With energy well expelled and bellies filled we all slept like babies last night.
