I love being in Cape Verde's capital city (for no particular reason) ... and staying at Plateau, which I have for the last few years allows me to just stroll around the parallel streets and avenues on that tableland of rock, which "perspires" some sort of undisputable attractiveness, ... and breathe in the "African- Mediterranean" atmosphere.
I stayed at a small pension (Pensão Paraiso) in the northern tip of the Plateau, which is not particularly interesting, as its name suggests (Paradise pension) but served the objective of being close to almost everything. The High School square just across from it is precisely where I started my "walking trip".
Street vendors outside the High School
I decided to visit the Museum (for the first time), which though being fairly small was well laid out in a restored 18th century building right in the heart of Plateau, in what has now become a pedestrian Avenue. I took particular interest in the various artifacts, most of which dating from the nineties. It was like having been given images to the descriptions I had read in many of the Cape Verdian books.
A small collection of old rag dolls did catch my attention, particularly because I do have quite a few from the various Cape Verdian islands, one of which very similar to these ones.
On the way out I couldn't help but notice a board with some children's written compositions expressing their opinions on the visit to the Museum and how important or not they considered that visit had been ... and just wondered what "my" children in Calheta might have written, had they had the chance to visit it ...
I then headed to the market and wandered about ... letting the multiple colours ... mixed smells and even the noise get imbedded in me ...
I love markets ... there is something very peculiar about them ... particularly the African ones ... there is almost a contagious energy that one cannot ignore ... let alone avoid ...
(to be continued)
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