Praia and Cidade Velha, Cape Verde - the 17th of September

We headed towards the Children's Emergency Centre in Achada de Santo Antonio fairly early in the morning carrying the boys' T-shirts, shorts and trousers I had promised I would bring, last time I was there. With those I decided to bring a whole amount of children's books, activity building kits, toys, dolls and other little things I considered to be important for the children who are staying there until their future is decided either by the court houses or the social workers who provide information on the families they have been taken away from.

All of the second-hand clothes were gathered by Isabel Mègre and Celeste, whom I will forever be grateful. Everything else was bought with Mr. Breitenstein's and my own money.

The director took us around the premises, which Marie Hélène hadn't visited yet. The fact that it was made clear to us they are struggling to provide these children the best possible support they deserve with limited financial support themselves prompted us to promise her we would be their regular supporters from then on, with the little we may help them with. I promised her as well that next time I would be around I'd carry out a one day artistic workshop for the children residents.





We then strolled along the quiet streets of Achada up to the Parliament, where we caught a taxi down to Terra Branca, where we caught a public transport to the "Old City" I felt Marie Hélène ought to visit. 

I feel I have a rather special "connection" with Cidade Velha because no matter how often I visit it I always find it an enchanting little village, irrespective of the events that shaped its "history".

We visited the iconic square with the pillory, the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Rosario, the thatched house-lined streets and the ruins of the Cathedral, though we stopped by the little restaurant by the sea and the souvenir shop that sells some of the genuine arts and crafts of Cape Verde.

When we reached Praia we still had time to stroll around Plateau and take a few pictures before we headed back to the pension in time to get ready for the night out "tocatina" at Quintal da Musica.

View over Gamboa beach

Though it was a fairly physically tiring day I felt that part of the pressure I had felt in the previous days had almost gone ... and that certainly made a difference ...