Faro - Lisbon

I head for the dining car on the morning train and meet Rosalia and Carlos, a couple on their way to Lisbon. We talk for a long time in English but she gives the interview in Portuguese, talking at great length, delighting the other passengers in the carriage. After I've finished recording and packed away, a heated discussion is underway, amongst many of those in the dining car, concerning the relative economic and social merits of various countries around the world, including China, England, India and Brazil. The cars are set up with seats and tables making them much more sociable. One couple, a German husband and Portuguese wife, say that in Germany trains are not as friendly. They wonder if perhaps it is because not only the culture but the language is more reserved. There's no doubt it must have an effect, something I may be able to get a feel for in conversations throughout the journey.