The Cincinnati Ballet is in Portugal — its first European trip — performing Peter Pan. That's 31 dancers as well as artistic and production teams that include artistic director Victoria Morgan, ballet mistress Johanna Bernstein Wilt and wardrobe mistress Diana Vandergriff. We asked Jay Goodlett, a company soloist and 1992 graduate of the School for Creative and Performing Arts, to keep a diary of the trip. Here is his account of their first few days in Lisbon, where they are performing in Cultural Center de Belem. The last of seven performances is today.

        By Jay Goodlett

        Monday: I woke up about 10 a.m. to a cool, sunny Monday. We were told to expect rain, so I figured the sun had to be retribution for my jet lag. Or maybe I wasn't supposed to sleep in, and the light was emphatically reminding me that I was 24 hours from home.

        Of course, I missed the free breakfast. It closed at 10. But by 11 I had found a pastry shop and spent hundreds and hundreds of escudos, which was about $1.50 American but tasted uniquely Portuguese.

        Most of the day I just wandered around, small shops, cool clothes, nice lingerie.

        Each block has a statue, each statue a square, a story and hundreds of people, countless shops and 20 opportunities to buy gold watches, jewelry. I say opportunity. What I really mean is that you have 20 near-misses, where street peddlers try to put their wares in your pockets and just take your wallet. But the difference of it all is just so much fun.

        I saw the bay, beautiful. (American! American! You buy watch . . . good price . . .) And the castle on a hill, and from that the whole city.

        It goes on past the eye, with no highway, no suburbs, only stucco houses, clay roads and a history seven times as old as the United States and commensurably more personality.

        Six hundred years ago, Portugal was a world power, and in the castle it was easy to pretend and believe we were defending the harbor anmd dodging canon fire.

        Tuesday: Theater — good. Break — great.

        The theater is new, tile (a Portuguese speciality) and gorgeous. My wife Jenny and I and (dancers) Anthony (Krutzkamp) and Dwayne (Holliday) and Tricia (Sundbeck) walked along the bay, played in the park on a pirate ship and ran a tech rehearsal. We were home by midnight, had a drink and went to bed.

        I wrote a lot less today, but it feels like a lot more happened.

        Tomorrow, we open.

        Oi Portugal.

        Wednesday: Portugal is awesome. I wish everyone from Cincinnati could be here with us. The weather is much like I am hearing it is in Cincinnati — warmish — in the 60s.

        The buildings and sightseeing places really transport you back in time. Everything is sooo old.

        We open tonight at the Cultural Center de Belem. It is about a 10-minute taxi ride from the hotel (Mundial). Too far to walk.

        The theater is a large, modern concrete structure that looks to be out of the '60s. Very modern.

        When we are out of the theater and hitting the streets, people give us mixed looks. Some people seem to love us, others — well you can tell they dislike Americans at times. Others are just tolerant.

        There are a lot of “African Portuguese” here, so in a way I fit in, being African-American. But I guess it is very apparent by the way we act and dress that we are Americans.

        Tricia Sundbeck was with me at breakfast. A man who sounded like he was British told her to quiet down. Tricia is shy, so this seemed a bit odd. I guess people just need to “chill” all over the world right now — and remember what really matters. After all, that's why we're here — to show how Americans can bring ballet and a great art experience to others.

        Thursday: Last night, Peter Pan opened to a warm audience. But we had some trauma — on and off stage. The floor is slippery, and dancers hate a slippery floor. Young student dancer Kyle Stevenson is performing the part of Michael Darling of the Darling Family. He pulled his shoulder out of its socket during the show. We are treating it with ice packs and love. His mom — who is here with us — wasn't too happy. But the show must go on.

        Also, some of our board members, traveling to join us, have arrived with no luggage. Seems it was lost in transit and no one — including the board president (Melody Sawyer Richardson) — has anything to wear. I guess they will have to go shopping.

        But executive director Alan Hills is checking up on the bags and the search is on.

        The food is great. No matter where we have found to eat — from small eatery to fancy restaurant, Portuguese food has been wonderful. Even McDonald's has it's own Portuguese twist. The hamburgers are thin and the life is pressed out of them — but they taste great.

        Last night, we were in an Irish pub in Lisbon. Very cool. It was the only place open after the show that we could get food, and it turned out to be excellent. Great beer.

        Today, we are touring some of the highlight locations before the show. This morning, we did some sightseeing at a botanical garden. The flowers and architecture are stunning. Throughout the villages and town of Lisbon, every little shop is quaint and unique. Maybe I am biased. I love history and this place certainly has it.

        Money exchange is unbelievable. Everything is cheap; 1,000 escudos is about $5 American. The hotel is $88 dollars a night. (Company member) Rene Micheo says he hasn't spent more than $100, and we are already three days into the tour. Three days for under $100 — to cover fun, food and transportation. Pretty good.

        All Saints Day was Nov. 1, and they celebrate this instead of Halloween. There are some places still displaying holiday decoration.

        (Dancers) Kristi Capps and Cheryl Sullivan lost their makeup and went to buy about $700 worth of makeup, only to find the missing bags the next day.

        Today, while taking a 45-minute walk around the block at the hotel, we were offered drugs seven times. It is not illegal to smoke marijuana, but it is illegal to buy or sell it. None of us here will get close to these dealers. It is a bit scary for some of the girls, but we move on and ignore them.

        Last night, the audience — though small compared to those at Music Hall or Aronoff Center — was very receptive to the performance. Septime Weber is here with us from Washington (D.C.) Ballet. Since it is his choreography, he must be enjoying this trip as well.

        Another performance tonight. And on with the show I go.

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