MORE VIRGINS THAN ONE CAN COUNT
"Our Lady of Fatima" is the title given to the apparition of the Virgin Mary that appeared to three shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting in May. Since then the location has become an attraction for pilgrims and the devout. There is something that makes Fatima unique, though. While in Catholicism it is a custom to burn a candle for your loved ones, in Fatima, not only are normal candles burnt, but also candles in the shape of body parts. For instance, one burns a candle in the shape of a leg to pray for one's mother who just had her leg broken. While the devout are going about this (and the tourists are hitting the abundant souvenir shops featuring the Virgin Mary in every incarnation imaginable), I snap a few photos and then head for another Internet cafe.
That night we arrive in Lisbon. I head out with a leggy blonde from Nebraska and a middle-aged Brit into the heart of the city via the Metro. After several wrong turns we end up in a part of town filled with hippies, transients, and prostitutes. I get in a few assorted photos while also trying to keep an eye on my belongings. Eventually we come across trolley tracks and follow them back to civilization.
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