Day 54. Santarem
День 54. Сантарей Santarem is a strange city. Whether its inhabitants are out in the streets or in their houses, it always seems closed. There does not seem to be any link between the old town and the new neighborhoods: each of them is in its own place, turning its back on the other. Once again, the traveler admits this in his personal view, but the facts – or rather the lack of them – confirm that it’s true: nothing can happen in Santarem. It’s like another Sleeping Beauty castle, without the sleeping beauty. But Santarem has the Portas do Sol to open out the view. Or should have, the traveler reflects. Because to him, the wonderful panorama, the view over the river and the fields only serve to increase the feeling of isolation, of distance, almost of absence that Santarem conveys. (© J. Saramago "Journey to Portugal") "... the traveler comes face to face with the best that Santarem has to offer, and has laboriously restored: the convent of St Francis. Or to be more pr...