SIL, you will show him that view that you claim Smithman would have had as he exited The Staff Quarters (SQ), wont you? The view all the way down Rua d'Escola, past the dog leg junction and down several flights of steps to the Dolphin Restaurant.
The view that you claim, in your blog, convinced you that Smithman was a bonafide father with his child, because you say that if he was a baddie, he wouldn't have started the walk down if he saw people coming up the road
BTW,
Did you factor into your thoughts that a baddie would have tried to keep in the dark rather than the light. To do that he had to slink along the front of the Staff quarters because of the street lamp approx 20 metres opposite. From the SQ itself he had absolutely no view down to see anyone coming up due to the next building jutting out
To have any chance of seeing down to the Dolphin as you claim, because of this and the dog leg in the roads, Smithman had to cross across to the lampost opposite the Staff Quarters. This was almost 20 metres in the wrong direction.
Now if Smithman was exiting the S.Q, and up to no good, would he head straight for the lamp, or would he slink down in the dark? Once started on his route he had the shock of seeing some old fogies coming up, but carried on, IMO, hoping that no-one would remember him.
Please remember that the positions that we all know that the groups of the Smith family were stationed, were not the positions that they were in at the start of Tannermans walk from the SQ. They were all moving and most probably both Martin and Aoifes group were out of sight on the steps when Tannerman set out.
This is just a theory and i have worked it out from GE.
Please check it out Rob.
Am in a rush. Not back today. Use GE and chew it over pls.
I presume you mean Smithman, not Tannerman, but I have left your quote unaltered.
I would be happy to show anyone the the view from Travessa das Escadinhas to Rua da Escola Primária and vice versa. I have already done one such check on a Luz Tour, trying hard to emulate the Smithman sighting.
I presume by staff quarters you mean Pedras Brancas.
If I have given the impression that one can see from Pedras Brancas to the foot of Travessa das Escadinhas, then desculpe. I have never checked that out. The gradient flattens out around Pedras Brancas, so the truth of the matter is that I suspect it is unlikely, but I just don't know.
I am of the opinion one can see from well before where Peter Smith passed Smithman, to the corner at Fernando´s/the Dolphin. Anne Guedes has commented on my blog that she has visited Luz and she thinks otherwise.
The crucial point for me is that Smithman could see the Smiths coming, had ample places to hide, yet chose to walk past the group.
Sadie, if you want to discuss the Smithman sighting further, please bump a Smithman thread, and I will be most happy to engage in further conversation. Otherwise, I fear we are diverting Robbity's thread.
