Monday, June 16, 2003

Steve pointed to the schedule of Empire State Building light shows. Another friend remarks on two mistakes in their June 6-June 8 entry. First, Portugal Day is June 10. Second, it's not "Portuguese Independence Day." On the contrary. It recognizes the death of the national poet Luís de Camões on June 10, 1580, the same year that Portugal lost its independence to Spain for 60 years. This loss of independence weighed heavily on Camões, who wrote then Enfim acabarei a vida e verão todos que fui tão afeiçoado à minha Pátria que não só me contentei de morrer nela, mas com ela (My pedestrian translation: Finally my life will end and all will see that I was so fond of my country that I not only died in it, but with it). 2:18:11 PM