Yes, a strange title, that one. It'll make sense later, I hope.
Esperanto speakers have descended on Lisbon for the World Esperanto Congress this week. One of the things that they won't be able to avoid is an icon of Lisbon, the yellow trams:
They're so iconic that there are shops which seem to sell little other than models of them!
And you can find them on the fridge magnets which are on sale everywhere too:
There have been iconic Esperanto vehicles too. When the First World War broke out, the British Esperanto Association organised a collection to send an ambulance to the front line:
They quickly hit their target and the ambulance was immediately sent to help wounded soldiers:
The ambulance was, of course, named Esperanto:
In fact, so successful was the call to funds that the British Esperanto Association soon had enough money to send a second ambulance to the Belgian Red Cross!
So there you have it. Lisbon has its iconic trams but there have also been important vehicles in the Esperanto world too. I bet you weren't aware of that!