Portugal # 7

The following are observations of various things pertaining to Portugal. The stature of Jesus with arms out wide, mentioned in a previous post, stands on a huge edifice. The total height is approximately that of a 40 story building. On the highways there is a safety measure i have seen no where else. There are a series of V shaped arrows on the pavement at approx. 50 yard intervals. The sign on the side of the road says that to maintain only one interval is dangerous and two is safe. These are repeated every 20 kilometers or so. ( 5 miles = 8 kilometers) With few exceptions houses in Portugal do not have central heating. The only heat is supplied by portable electric room heaters, or on one occasion a small fireplace. While there have not been any temperatures below freezing there have been many days in the 40,s or 50,s F so I find myself wearing five layers of clothes. What they did before electricity i have no idea. Today I was with 2 brothers. We went into a very small antique shop, with 3 small tables and elderly chairs. They had coffee, a type of expresso in a tiny cup, and I had seltzer water. An unusual combination of cafe and store. The windows in the house in which i am staying are protected by a metal sheet with a few perforations. An apparatus with a type of strap is used to raise or lower this device. Every bathroom contains a bidet in addition to the toilet. I still have no idea of their purpose; perhaps i would not want to know.