in Lisbon

Lucky me, I am in Lisbon. It has rained every day so far but isn't cold. The streets are narrow and paved in pinkish terrazzo, which reminds me a bit of Fed Square in Melbourne. The buildings are pink and pale yellow. It struck me that they might draw their inspiration from fruit blossoms as they produce oranges and lemons, just as the bright blue and brilliant white of Greece seems to draw on the Aegean. I've made a pact to write a poem a day. By day 4 I have about 2 lines I can use! Still, it is fun to exercise the poetry muscles while away from my novels. As a writer I am sponging up as many new things as possible. My conference starts tomorrow which is in the area of fantasy and science fiction. My paper is on the importance of certain geographical features in the hero's journey. More interesting than it sounds!