Lisbon: Best Destination 2010!!!

Lisbon: Best Destination 2010!!!

Congrats Lisbon!!

A video about Lisbon... in english ;-)



Carlos do Carmo, Lisboa Menina e Moca



Enjoy!!!

Unexpected treasures

"Unexpected treasures...are often the ones I cherish the most...For instance..to find...kind,sweet and caring people..the ones who not only live their life but really LIVE it."

The Dutchess

Para ti, minha querida, um dos mais belos poemas portugueses...direi mesmo, do mundo...
To you, my dear, one of the most beautiful portuguese poems of ever...also of the world, I believe so...

Trovante, Perdidamente



Ser Poeta

Ser poeta é ser mais alto, é ser maior
Do que os homens! Morder como quem beija!
É ser mendigo e dar como quem seja
Rei do Reino de Áquem e de Além Dor!

É ter de mil desejos o esplendor
E não saber sequer que se deseja!
É ter cá dentro um astro que flameja,
É ter garras e asas de condor!

É ter fome, é ter sede de Infinito!
Por elmo, as manhãs de oiro e de cetim...
É condensar o mundo num só grito!

E é amar-te, assim, perdidamente...
É seres alma, e sangue, e vida em mim
E dizê-lo cantando a toda a gente!

Florbela Espanca

Time to Spring Cleaning!!!

Time to Spring Cleaning!!!

Clothes to give...done ;-)

From Coisas Minhas

Furniture and lamps to give...done!!

From Coisas Minhas

Cleaning the garden... done ;-)

From Lente 2010

There will be more work this weekend...of course...

Have you already started your Spring Cleaning?

Have a nice evening!

Pedro Abrunhosa, Lua

Um momento para relaxar

Pedro Abrunhosa, Eu nao sei quem te perdeu



Quando veio,
Mostrou-me as maos vazias,
As maos como os meus dias,
Tao leves e banais.
E pediu-me
Que lhe levasse o medo,
Eu disse-lhe um segredo:
Nao partas nunca mais

E dancou,
Rodou no chao molhado,
Num beijo apertado
De barco contra o cais.

E uma asa voa
A cada beijo teu,
Esta noite
Sou dono do ceu,
E eu nao sei quem te perdeu.

Abracou-me
Como se abraca o tempo,
A vida num momento
Em gestos nunca iguais.
E parou,
Cantou contra o meu peito,
Num beijo imperfeito
Roubado nos umbrais.

E partiu,
Sem me dizer o nome,
Levando-me o perfume
De tantas noites mais.

E uma asa voa
A cada beijo teu,
Esta noite
Sou dono do ceu,
E eu nao sei quem te perdeu.

No Reino dos Descontos/ In the Discount Kingdom

Os neerlandeses gostam de cupoes, promocoes e descontos ;-)

The Dutch like vouchers, promotions and discounts ;-)

Ha para todas as epocas...

You have them for all seasons...

por exemplo, para a Primavera (de lente)...

for example, for Spring (de lente)...

neste caso, e uma perfumaria-drogaria (parfumerie- drogisterij)...

In this case, it's a Perfumery-Drugstore (parfumerie- drogisterij)...

Ha descontos de 10, 15 e 20% por um artigo a escolha (op een artikel naar keuze)...dai o lema da campanha...keuzekorting...keuze significa escolha....

There are 10, 15 and 20% discounts for any article of your choice (op een artikel naar keuze)... hence the campaign slogan... keuzekorting...keuze means to choose....

From Coisas Minhas

esta campanha e valida de 25 a 27 de Marco, quer dizer, " van 25 T/M 27 maart 2010"...

this campaign is valid from the 25th to the 27th of March, meaning, " van 25 T/M 27 maart 2010"...

Este e um caderno de cheques para o City Mall 036... este City Mall e o centro comercial ao ar livre da cidade...036 e o indicativo telefonico da cidade de Almere...

This is a discount checkbook for the City Mall 036... this is the open air shopping mall of the city... 036 is the phone number prefix for Almere...

From Coisas Minhas

Este caderno de cheques abrange um conjunto de 120 lojas (winkels), cultura (cultuur), Horeca (Hoteis, Restaurantes e Cafes) e facil parqueamento (gemakkelijk parkeren)...

This checkbook can be used at a total of 120 stores (winkels), culture (cultuur), Horeca (Hotels, Restaurants e Cafes) and easy parking (gemakkelijk parkeren)...

From Coisas Minhas

Mas atencao, nos Paises Baixos, os centros comerciais tem regras diferentes, como por exemplo, em relacao ao horario de funcionamento (openingstijden), muito diferente do nosso.

But beware, in the Netherlands, shopping malls follow a different set of rules, as for example regarding the working hours (openingstijden), it's quite different from our country.

A segunda-feira (maandag), so abre a partir (vanaf) das 11 horas;
A quinta-feira (donderdag), esta aberto ate as 21 horas (noite de compras/koopavond);
Ao domingo, esta aberto entre as 12 e as 17 horas.

Monday (maandag), only opens after (vanaf) 11 o'clock;
Thursday (donderdag), keeps open until 9 PM (shopping evening/koopavond);
Sunday, is open between 12 PM and 5 PM.

No meu caso, quero aproveitar os seguintes descontos:

As for me, I want to go for the following promotions:

os 15% durante um almoco (tijdens de lunch) entre as 11h e as 15.30, numa sexta-feira (vrijdag) no Cafe Jordaaan, uma vez que tenho coisas a fazer no centro da cidade. Este desconto e valido ate 30 de Abril (april);
outro a nao falhar e um High Tea Gratis sob reserva (per reservering) na Granny's e que e valido ate 31 de Agosto de 2010.

15% during lunch time (tijdens de lunch) between 11 AM and 3 PM and a half, on a friday (vrijdag) in Cafe Jordaaan, since I have things to do at the center. This discount is valid until the 30th of April (april);
Another unmissalbe one is a Free High Tea subject to reservation (per reservering) in Granny's which is valid until the 31st of August of 2010.

Nesta epoca, em que vamos pagar os impostos e e necessaria alguma contencao de despesas (sobre isto, falarei noutra altura), estes descontos vem mesmo a calhar :-)

During this time, when we have taxes to pay and we need to be a bit carefull with expenses (on this subject I will write another time), these promotions come in quite handy :-)

Na minha loja favorita de lingerie, Hunkemoller, parece que o terceiro soutien e gratis...:-)
Campanha a decorrer ate 11 de Abril. Algo me diz que vou aproveitar ;-)

In my favorite lingerie store, Hunkemoller, it seems that the third bra is free...:-)
This campaign is running until the 11th of April. Something tells me I'm gonna take it ;-)

N.B.: "BH" e o nome utilizado aqui para "soutien", sendo que o "H" se pronuncia "a" aberto, expirado.

N.B.: "BH" is the local name for "bra", "H" being pronounced as an open, sighed a (as in ha).

From Coisas Minhas

Num proximo post, falarei dos cartoes de cliente e outras formas de poupar neste pais, tao amante dos descontos e das promocoes ;-) Compreensivel, tendo em conta o preco habitual de certas coisas por aqui...

In a next post, I will talk about store cards (or customer cards) and other ways of saving in this country where everybody loves discounts and promotions ;-) Reasonable, when you considerer the prices of some of the things around here....

Boa Semana!

Have a good week!

No Voortuin

21 de Marco 2010: A Primavera chegou!!! Spring is here!

E porque hoje e o Dia Mundial da Poesia...:-) Today is World's Poetry Day...

GLÓRIA

Depois do Inverno, morte figurada,
A primavera, uma assunção de flores.
A vida
Renascida
E celebrada
Num festival de pétalas e cores.

From Lente 2010

GLORY

After the winter, death figuratively,
The spring, an assumption of flowers.
Life
Reborn
And celebrated
A festival of petals and colors.

Miguel Torga


Porque o meu professor de Saude costumava dizer, quando comecavamos a ficar mais aluados nesta altura, que era a Primavera...;-))

Rui Veloso, Primeiro Beijo




Duas borboletas a namorar ;-)

From Lente 2010

Joaninhas por todo o lado...:-) Va la, consegui fotografar esta...

From Lente 2010

...no tempo de limpar o jardim da frente... :-) Spring cleaning time!

From Lente 2010

From Lente 2010

From Lente 2010

Mais umas palavrinhas em Neerlandes : -)

Primavera- de lente
Borboleta- de vlinder
Joaninha- het lieveheersbeestje
Jardim da Frente- de voortuin

Solta-se o Beijo

Nos Paises Baixos, cumprimentamos um amigo com 3 beijinhos, em vez de 2 como em Portugal.
No entanto, o cumprimento mais usual e o aperto de maos.

Ainda ontem uma menina de 13 anos ao abrir-me a porta e antes de eu entrar, me cumprimentou com um aperto de maos. Devo dizer que sinto muita falta daquele a-vontade portugues de dar dois beijinhos, de fazer uma festa no cabelo ou no rosto. Eu sei que a menina entendeu a sua propria atitude como sendo simpatica e educada. E o costume aqui e respeito isso. Mas sinto falta do "nosso toque".
Esta foi a segunda vez que a menina me viu e limitou-se a agir comigo como faz com toda a gente.
Gosto muito da mae dela, com quem me dou muito bem, e sei que se lhe disser que prefiro cumprimentar a menina com 3 beijinhos, sera bem aceite.

Entre colegas de estudo e vizinhos, mesmo quando sou apresentada a mulheres da minha idade ou mais novas, apertamos as maos e nao se dao dois beijinhos.
Eu procuro respeitar o costume neerlandes e adaptar-me, mas como sou muito afectuosa e gosto de tocar (to touch), sinto falta dos nossos cumprimentos com dois beijinhos :-)

Bom fim-de-semana! :-)

Ala dos Namorados e Sara Tavares, Solta-se o Beijo



Espreito por uma porta encostada
Sigo as pegadas de luz
Peco ao gato "xiu" para nao me denunciar
Toca o relógio sem cuco
Da horas à cusquice das vizinhas e eu,
Confesso as paredes de quem gosto
Elas conhecem-te bem

Aconchego-me nesta cumplicidade, deixo-me ir
Nos trilhos tracados pela saudade de te encontrar
Ainda onde te deixei

Trago-te o beijo prometido
Sei o teu cheiro, mergulho no teu tocar
Abracas a guitarra e voas para além da lua

Amarro o beijo que se quer soltar
Espero que me sintas para me entregar
A cadeira, as costas, o cabelo e a cigarrilha
A danca do teu ombro...

E, nesse instante em que o silencio
É o bater do coracao
Fecha-se a porta
Para o relógio
As vizinhas recolhem
Tu olhas-me...

Tu olhas-me...

Trago-te o beijo prometido
Sei o teu cheiro, mergulho no teu tocar
Abracas a guitarra e voas para além da lua

Amarro o beijo que se quer soltar
Espero que me sintas para me entregar
A cadeira, as costas, o cabelo e a cigarrilha
A danca do teu ombro...

E, nesse instante em que o silencio
É o bater do coracao
Fecha-se a porta
Para o relógio
As vizinhas recolhem

Tu olhas-me...
Tu olhas-me...

Espreito por uma porta encostada
Sigo as pegadas de luz
Peco ao gato "xiu" para nao me denunciar

The Crossing...with the help of my new daily planner ;-)

Living as an expat reminds me always these wise words of our great poet, Fernando Pessoa...

" Há um tempo em que é preciso abandonar as roupas usadas, que já têm a forma do nosso corpo, e esquecer os nossos caminhos, que nos levam sempre aos mesmos lugares. É o tempo da travessia: e, se não ousarmos fazê-la, teremos ficado, para sempre, à margem de nós mesmos."

" There is a time when it's necessary to abandon the used clothes that already have the shape of our body, and forget our paths that always take us to the same places. It's the time of the crossing: because, if we don't dare to, we shall have stayed, forever, at the edge of ourselves."
...

Mihaela chose this daily planner for me when we were at the American Book Center...:-)

I needed one, I like cats and the colours are beautiful ;-)

From Coisas Minhas

A charming Paper Blanks to help me with this crossing...;-)

Have a nice week ;-)

Hannah Goslar's story

Mihaela has told me about Martisor when we went to American Book Center in Amsterdam to pick up this book.

Gold, Alison Leslie, Memories of Anne Frank-Reflections of a Childhood Friend, Polaris

From Coisas Minhas

I had ordered it at the American Book Center in Den Haag and after 4 weeks they sent it to Amsterdam because it would be easier for me to pick it up. Very nice service!

Remember Hannah Goslar? Hannah and Anne Frank were friends since childhood and later they met in Bergen-Belsen.



"Hannah 'Hanneli' Elisabeth Goslar (born 12 November 1928) is best known for her friendship with diarist Anne Frank. Both Hannah and Anne attended the Sixth Public Montessori School (now the Anne Frank School) in Amsterdam and then the Jewish Lyceum. Hannah was deported to Westerbork transit camp in June 1943 and then to the exchange camp of Alballalager in Bergen-Belsen on February 15, 1944. While there she met Anne, who had been transferred to Belsen from Auschwitz, shortly before her (Anne's) death. Hannah and her little sister Gabi survived the concentration camps and later emigrated to Israel in 1947. She married Dr. Walter Pinchas and has three children and ten grandchildren." (Wikipedia)

To read more about it, please click here.

Reading the book, I found a brave and courageous girl, focused on her own survival and her family's.

Some examples...

When the Germans arrived at her house...

" Hannah's rucksack had been packed and ready for months. She'd packed it herself, because she had no mother now,..." (p. 44)



When Hannah and her family arrived at the camp of Westerbork...

" Very quickly Hannah figured out where the men's barracks was in relation to the orphanage. When she learned that she would be given a work assignment, she volunteerde to clean the toilets. (...) The reason was that Hannah knew the washroom and toilets were close to the fence that separated them from men's barracks. She hoped that she could catch a glimpse of her father while she worked." ( p.49)

I could give you more examples, but I think it is better to read the book! ;-)

A brave girl! A great story!

Martisor: a gift of a Romanian friend

My dear romanian friend Mihaela gave me a beautiful Martisor in the beginning of March.

This is a romanian tradition between girls and women in the beginning of the Spring.

An ancient tradition to celebrate Spring and nowadays, also friendship!

Thank you, dear Mihaela for this so lovely gift! :-)

From Coisas Minhas

"Mărţişor is a traditional celebration of the beginning of Spring, on the 1st of March. It is a tradition in Romania, Moldova, and all territories inhabited by Romanians, or Daco-Romanians, and also Aromanians. Almost the same custom can be found in Bulgaria (see Martenitsa) and simmilar ones in Albania and Italy.

The name Mărţişor is the diminutive of the name for March (Martie, in Romanian), and thus literally means "little" or "dear March". It is also the folk name for this month.

Mărţişor, marţ and mărţiguş are all names for the red and white (or black and white, also blue and white) string, from which usually a small decoration is tied, and which is offered by people on the 1st day of March. Giving this Talisman to other people is an old custom, and it is believed that the one who wears the red and white string will be powerful and healthy for the year to come. It is also a symbol of the coming spring. Usually, women wear it pinned to their blouses for the first 12 days of this month, until other certain spring celebrations, or until the bloom of certain fruit-trees. In some regions, a gold or silver coin is hanged from the string, which they wear it around the neck. After wearing it for a certain period of time, they buy red wine and sweet cheese with the coin, according to the belief that their faces would remain beautiful and white as cheese, and rubicund as the red wine, for the entire year.

In modern times, the Mărţişor lost most of its talisman properties and became more of a symbol of friendship and love, appreciation and respect. The black threads were replaced with red, but the delicate wool ropes are still a ‘cottage industry’ among the country people. They still comb out the wool, dye the floss, and twist it into thousands of tassels. In certain areas the amulets are still made with black and white ropes, for warding off evil." (Wikipedia)

To read more about it, please click here.

Thank you also Netherland for this cross culture experience! ;-)

Spandau Ballet, Uma noite inesquecível

"Spandau Ballet is a British band formed in London in the late 1970s. Initially inspired by the New Romantic fashion, their music has featured a mixture of funk, jazz, soul and synthpop. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s, achieving ten Top Ten singles and four Top Ten albums in the UK between 1980 and 1990. The band split acrimoniously in 1990 but announced their reunion in March 2009, complete with a tour that began in October 2009." (Wikipedia)

The Reformation Tour 2009

Amesterdão, Heineken Music Hall, 09 de Março de 2010

Uma noite absolutamente memorável! Dancei, cantei, aplaudi, emocionei-me! A great, great evening!!!


Mr Martin Kemp






Mr Steve Norman








Mr John Keeble



Mr. Tony Hadley


Mr Gary Kemp



Spandau Ballet




Uma noite que fechou muito bem com Fight For Ourselves e Gold!!!

Spandau Ballet em Lisboa ( a Ponte 25 de Abril ao fundo...:-)

Neste conjunto de imagens antigas, da década de oitenta, vê-se também o PADRÃO DOS DESCOBRIMENTOS em Lisboa. A surpresa, e sobretudo, o contentamento foram tais, que já não houve tempo para a fotografia!


Meninas e meninos da minha idade, à volta dos 39 anitos - ou melhor, para todos aqueles que gostam dos Spandau Ballet, já sabem...

Pavilhao Atlântico, 14 de Março de 2010
Espera-vos uma noite inesquecível!!! APROVEITEM!!! So vos digo: eles estão au point!!!

Your favourites in Presepio...

Dear Anita and Dear Arwa,

Your favourite: Portugal...

This is Portugal





Dear Margarida and Dear Lopa,

Your favourite:Efteling,Netherlands

From Efteling

From Efteling

From Efteling

From Efteling

Thank you for your participation! It was fun to remember with you what you liked the most!

Have a nice week ;-)

Presepio 2 Years!!!

Presepio is 2 years (3 March 2008)!!!

Chose your favourite photo, music or poem posted in Presepio...

Tell me also...

what was your favourite post of all...
what was your favourite travel ...
what was your favourite "going dutch" post...

I will publish your favourite ones next sunday around 20.30!

The photo that you liked the most, the music that you have saved, the poem you have chosen...and of course, the ranking of your chosen posts!

A big THANK YOU/MUITO OBRIGADA!!! to the 57 known followers, the 72 subscribers of Google Reader and all the others who put the link of Presepio on their blogs!

THANK YOU for your visits and comments!

LET'S CELEBRATE!!!!

Trovante, Xacara das Bruxas Dancando

Restaurant Week

This week is the Restaurant Week in the Netherlands ;-)

You have two more days to enjoy a diner in a special restaurant only for 25 euros ;-)

Click here to chose the province, the city and the restaurant where you want to go.

Here you can find the restaurants in the region of Utrecht and the Gooi.

I had no time to see all the options and I made a very quick choice: De Graf van Brederode.

Vianen is the city where you can find this cosy, friendly and good restaurant :-)

" Vianen received city rights in 1337. Vianen thrived under the counts of Brederode, who acquired its lordship through marriage early in the 15th century. It formed a self-proclaimed sovereign seignory till 1795, including Vianen, Lexmond, Hei- en Boeicop and Meerkerk. During the Middle Ages, as a "free city," Vianen could be a haven for felons and escaped serfs. Of the three castles built during the town's history, Castle Batestein was said to be one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands. Its only remnants are a 17th century brick gate and water-pump. Remnants of the old city wall are visible girdling parts of the old downtown.
Vianen celebrates its city rights every year in October with a horse-market. Besides the horses there are also other activities on this day, such as a fair and market and traditional Dutch games."

(From Wikipedia)

Have you already made your reservations for the Restaurant Week?
Have you a special recommendation? What is your favourite one?

Have a great weekend! ;-)

Pedro Abrunhosa,

Momento

De lente (Primavera)

"A primavera chegará, mesmo que ninguém mais saiba seu nome, nem acredite no calendário, nem possua jardim para recebê-la."

Cecilia Meireles

From Coisas Minhas

From Coisas Minhas

From Coisas Minhas

Rui Veloso, Porto Covo

My first spring flowers

Because today I saw my first spring flowers...:-)

Vivaldi, As Quatro Estacoes (Primavera)