Paralelepípedos

Met these two workers from the village of Luz, putting back the cobbles on the road up to the castle; a channel is being dug to take water from the castle to a new 4-star hotel being built down by the Lake, incredible. Such a skillful and backbreaking work that not many young folk want to acquire, not sure what will happen to Portugal's cobbles when no-one knows how to lay them anymore...

Learnt two new words: the stones are called paralelos, and the gravelly sand used is called saibro; I already knew that a cobbled road is called a pavimento de  paralelepípedo, a fun word to say.


Cobbled roads can last thousands of years, are far more ecological as they let the water drain through, and cooler in the heat of summer than tarmac. If the bumpiness annoys you, drive more slowly!