Astronomy and Coffee

Trip, first part!

Trip to Spain and Portugal with Miguel for Xmas and NY

22/12/06 (from 17 to 22 hehehehe)

Since I haven't gone back home this Xmas, my Friend Miguel and I decided to go to Spain, to spend the season with some friends there. Going to Spain, why not go to Portugal and search for my family's documents!!

Sunday (17th) a normal train + flight stuff to Madrid, got thecar we've rent and stayed at Carlos' parents'. Monday a small trip to Escorial, Avila and Segovia, very beautiful places and at night a bit of Madrid with all the friends.

Tuesday the saga begins! A 650 km trip to Lisbon, where I started to search for the documents of my grand father. Lisbon came out to be the "traffic jam city" hehehehehe

The first government agency to search for the documents had moved to another part of the town and the church where my grand father was baptized said documents were not there that they were sent to the "Torre do Tombo" the national archive. Anyway I was suppose to come back the next day. Found the registration agency new address, got there and they were too busy to help, I should come back in the afternoon.

Afternoon, got there, they helped me, very kindly, but didn't find any trace of my grand father, even though his bothers and sisters papers are there ... tooooooo weird. The searched from 1905 (official birth year of my grand father and first year they still have register there - older than that is also at the "Torre do Tombo") until 1911. The problem is that they search an index, not the actual books, anyway ...

Next step, the church again. The person in charge there searched it all and they only have papers after 1911 ...

Since my grand father required a visa to go to Brazil, the Brazilian consulate could have some information. Got there with all the information, since I have my grand father's passport, but the consulate is always too full and busy that I had to write a letter explaining what I need in details and they will contact me whenever they find something.

The search got pointed towards finding some form where I can find informations like book number and page of my grand father's birth certificate.

Last chance, the passport emission agency. Got there and received the usual look people give me when I say I'm searching for information between 1905 and1940 ... too long ago. Explained the case and they told me all this paperwork was already sent to the "Torre do Tombo".
What's is the point here (I'm writing that part while I wait for some books). I had the information that the "Torre do Tombo"was at O Porto, so that I had already planned a trip there between Xmas and NY. Talking to this agent at the passport emission he suggested me to look there and I commented "I was already planing a trip to O Porto" and he look at me with the most scarred face and says ... "WHAT????" "Why are you going to O Porto if the 'Torre do Tombo' is here in Lisbon" and I said "WHAT????" hehehehehehe

So he showed me on the map and I started to rush there and try to find it and to find the things I needed. Got there had access to the boxes where my grand father's passport requisition was suppose to be ... after 3 hours checking10 boxes (I started writing this text while I was waiting the boxes) I found out that anything between december 1939 andmay 1940 is missing. Obviously I need december 1939 orJanuary 1940 ... bummer!!!

Searched other requirement and the actual requisition book,where I found the name of my grand father, but no further information.

The info I'd get from this would be, maybe a copy, transcription or book and page of his birth certificate, but surely his ID number, which could lead me to the birth certificate.

There was no time to check the baptism papers, which I already checked that they are suppose to be there ... that means ... that means ... that means ... I have to come back there next week ... yep, exactly, but better there and coming back later specially for that!

The other point of coming back there is the suggestion of the person I spoke to in the last government agency of requesting a search at all the 11 registration agencies (they are in the same building now in Lisbon) since it's not 100% sure thathe was registered at the one I've already searched ... soon more thing to the new visit to Lisbon.

Is like the campaing the Brazilian government help, a couple of years ago using Ronaldo and his knee and his strugling to come back to soccer as model. The campaing to the "Brazilian pride" had a slogan "I'm Brazilian, I heve give up" (Sou Brasileiro, eu nunca desisto). I never give up, I'll get those documents!!!!

After the searching we left Lisbon heading to Sevilla, buttoo far to reach in one late departure, so not we're at Faro, south Portugal, heading tomorrow to Granada ... late, late, late, but for a good reason.

29/12/06 (23 to 29, again a long shot).

So, after leaving Portugal we headed to Granada, skipping Sevilla for time reasons. Got on Granada at the end of the day, visit the traditional arabic neighborhood at night (which I can remember the name right now) and got a couple of "Cubatas" (rumwith cola). Next morning we visited the Alhambra (one of the most beautiful places in the world), unfortunately too fast to enjoy it properly, but with time enough to see the important things. After all it was Dec 24th and we had to be at Murcia on time for the Christmas celebration at Dori's family's and Murcia is about 300 km from Granada and there was snow in the night ... hehehehe Snow in the south of Spain still sounds very weird for me.

The Christmas celebration at Dori's was great, large and loud family, just like mine, I really felt like home! :-) After thatwe met here friends and went around the town in a veeeeeeeeery long night!!!

Next day, 25th, we had lunch with her family and went to the city (she lives in a town beside Murcia) and met Josu and Ines for dinner. Nice night with good friends! I like that hehehehe
Next day we had to go to Teruel to meet Ruth and the next dayI'd have to go to Madrid to get a train to Lisbon again.

Lunch the 26th at Dori's Grandmother's and a long 350 km shot until Teruel. We got there and called Ruth to know where herfamily lives and found out it is 50 km after the city, so a bit more of road and we got to Ruth's. Another very nice family.I really don't get surprised to see that our nice friends have very nice families.

Next day (27th) a small visit to a castle, lunch at Ruth's and I got the road again, leaving behind my friend and GPS Miguel (who should still be totally drunk from the last nights). Got to Chamartin station in Madrid, left the car in the parking lot, got the ticket to the night train to Lisbon. What an uncomfortable trip ... and it was a bed and not a sitting place ...

Got to Lisbon (28th), headed to the hotel to confirm my reservation (Lisbon was completely full this week), and got the government registration agency to request a full search on my grandfather's papers. 11 registration places, all with waiting lines ... explain why you need it, why it's not where it was supposed to be (nice answer to that one: "I HAVE NO IDEA"), but I managed to get answers or promises for the next day from all of them.

From there to the Torre do Tombo again. Got there and checked the duplicated baptism books from the supposed church. There the surprises started!! Found him!!!! But ... (there's always a but) the register has only the first name of my grandfather (as it is in Portugal) but also only the first name of his father ... and no mother name!!! And you think "damm'it". Checked the whole book and nothing, the birth date and the father name match, so it's him. Searched for his bother, and the same, only his father's first name and no mother!! In his case there was a note about his marriage.

My grandfather's document should be asked at the government registration, since I checked a duplicated book. Got theretoday (29th), gave the book, page and number and it was found (the problem was in the index for the book as I thought before). Also found some notes to other documents there, which I requested also. It will take some days to have this, they'll send it home to me. Also requested his brother's marriage certificate which has his father's full name.
Back to the Torre do Tombo, my grandfather's brother's birth certificate (this I'm already taking with me) and now I'll have his birth certificate and some documents linking this document to his full name, which appears in all the other documents.

Also tried the identification card agency, which doesn't have any systematic record before the 50's and the army archive, which is closed on fridays. But at the end I guess I have everything I came for.

Now I'm at the Torre do Tombo writing and resting a bit! I had to come back to pick up the document I requested here. From here downtown to eat something, try to send this part to the blog (so if anyone is reading this posted before Jan 3rd is because I managed) and going to the train station to get the nightmare bed train back to Madrid. Still don't know what we'll be doing from now on, don't even know when is Miguel going there, anyway. The only fixed thing is to come back to Goettingen Jan, 3rd :-)))

I'll need vacations after those vacations hehehehe

posted by Cris Da Rocha @ 9:06 PM