The Coral Gables Times

A Short Time In Portugal

To Lisbon—Miss Kimbrough is afraid of height, but she flew and enjoyed it with the help of three highly therapeutic vodka martinis. Historic Portugal—Miss Kimbrough and four friends hired—and drove—a bus of their own to tour the country in the wonderfully beautiful month of May. The hills terrified her. Sintra—Here they visitea Pena Castle, built on the site of an ancient monastery and commanding a breath-taking view of the surrounding countryside. (below) Here is a glimpse of the celebrated traveller's forthcoming book BY EMILY KIMBROUGH AUTHOR OF "OUR HEARTS WERE YOUNG AND GAY" I have never been in a country in which the landscape changed so frequently and so abruptly from plains to mountains with barren, rocky sides to vine covered hills to lush pastures, to stark, ominous cliffs, to softly rounded coves, and sandy beaches... There were waterfalls of purple bougainvillea, carpets of geraniums, splatters of blue plumbago through dark ferns, mimosa like shimmering sunlight... I had tasted port before. I think my impression of the drink, as much from English novels as from my own experience, was that it is a heavy wine. It is nothing of the kind in Portugal. As a matter of fact, it is very nearly everything in texture, bouquet, taste, and color. Each place we visited had its own favorites and served them exclusively. We never found a port we did not like... There is no library in the world so beautiful as the library at Coimbra. It holds only three rooms. They are large and high, separated by a high and wide marble arch. Slender pillars along the side, patterned and embossed in gold, support stacks in a gallery above. As we came from the building and stood on the steps a moment, Sophy said, "After what we've seen, the sun looks vulgar." Excerpted from "Pleasure by the Busload," to be published by Harper and Brothers. Copyright © 1961 by Emily Kimbrough Suburbia Today, October 1961 ILLUSTRATIONS BY VASILIU