Coisas que não mudam #264

Rios que serpenteiam

Caprichos #317

Mini-rins... tão perfeitinhos!

Coisas que não mudam #263

Foggy mornings... the Tagus was so foggy this morning that you could not see the other margin, not even Bugio.

Caprichos #316

Another nameless flower

Espantos #399

Red Bull Cliff Diving in the Azores... more next year!

Caprichos #315

Comida italiana

Ditto #281

Electricity is actually made up of extremely tiny particles called electrons, that you cannot see with the naked eye unless you have been drinking.

-- Dave Barry

É urgente um barco no mar

Urgentemente!
Eugénio de Andrade

É urgente o amor.
É urgente um barco no mar.

É urgente destruir certas palavras,
Ódio, solidão e crueldade,
Alguns lamentos,
Muitas espadas.

É urgente inventar a alegria,
Multiplicar as searas,
É urgente descobrir rosas e rios
E manhãs claras.

Cai o silêncio nos ombros e a luz
Impura, até doer.
É urgente o amor, é urgente
Permanecer.

Foi neste dia #238 (1885)

Há 129 anos nasciam em Cabanas de Viriato, distrito de Viseu, César e Aristides de Sousa Mendes. César (à esquerda) nasceu poucos minutos antes da meia noite no dia 18 de Julho e Aristides (à direita) nasceu poucos minutos depois, já no dia 19. Ambos foram diplomatas, mas apenas um ficou na história pelo seu heróico, e para si trágico, acto de desobediência.
_________

César and Aristides de Sousa Mendes were born 129 years ago in Cabanas de Viriato, in the district of Viseu (central Portugal). César (left) was born a few minutes before midnight on July 18 while Aristides (right) was born a few minutes after already on the 19th. They both served as diplomats, but only one of them made history due to his heroic, and for him tragic, act of disobedience.

Foi neste dia #237 (1914)

On the first birthday that Nelson Mandela does not celebrate, let us recall how The Economist reported on his early activist days since the 1950s until his passing last December. We're left with his legacy and wise words:

On the long walk that is life
A man discovers who he is
Each step must be the search for purpose
Not regret
Many roads will present themselves
He must often take the one few others would follow
And though he may wish to rest
When he is asked to stand
He must stand taller than he ever thought possible
For when the long walk is over
A man must be able to look back and say
"I would not change a single footstep”

No primeiro aniversário que Nelson Mandela não celebra, vale a pena recordar como o The Economist o mostrou, desde os dias de activismo nos anos 50 até ao seu desaparecimento em Dezembro do ano passado. Deixou-nos o seu legado e sábias palavras:

Na longa caminhada da vida
Um homem descobre quem é
Cada passo deve procurar significado
Não remorso
Haverão muitas estradas

Muitas vezes deverá escolher aquela que poucos seguirão

E embora deseje descansar
Quando lhe pedirem contas
Ele deve ser mais digno do que jamais imaginou ser possível
Porque quando terminar a caminhada
Um homem tem de ser capaz de olhar para trás e dizer
"Não mudaria um único passo"

Espantos #398

Mais espantoso que um amolador, são dois amoladores no mesmo dia em menos de uma hora... só pode ser endógeno.

Espantos #397

E como se nada fosse ouvi a gaita ao longe, sinal que o amolador se aproximava... raro, mas ainda existe.

Pormenores #115

Violeta violeta e promessas de violeta violetas,

ou

violeta violeta e promessas de violetas violeta,

ou ainda talvez

violeta violeta e promessas de violeta violeta,

ou já agora

violeta violeta e promessas de violetas violetas?

Espantos #396

Lançada em 1997, a sonda espacial Cassini chegou há dez anos à órbita de Saturno e desde então tem vindo a captar imagens fantásticas. Esta, de 2 de Abril de 2014, mostra o hexágono (mais largo que dois planetas Terra) polar que se forma com a rotação do planeta, para além dos espantosos anéis, claro.
________

Launched in 1997, spacecraft Cassini arrived in Saturn's orbit ten years ago and it has captured fantastic images ever since. This one, from April 2nd 2014, shows the polar hexagon (wider than two Earths) that forms with the planet's rotation, and also the amazing rings, of course.

Coisas que não mudam #262

Para não repetir o ditado, coisas doces não amargam... a menos que venham acompanhadas de frutos silvestres. Ainda bem que a companhia deu conta deles!

Ditto #280

Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.

-- Dionysus the Elder

Espantos #395

No Parque Natural de Sintra as casas parecem saídas de contos de fadas,

o Chalet da Condessa d'Edla, não foge à regra.

A cortiça no exterior, os pormenores decorativos internos,

de escultura bucólica, ou pintados à mão no vestíbulo

ou no quarto de vestir da Condessa, 

conferem a todo o espaço um ambiente romântico à la século XIX.

Primavera #41

Cardo ou alcachofra em Sintra

Thistle or artichoke in Sintra

Sem título #38

Não sei o que é, mas parece bom para comer... ex: para fazer sopa ;-)

Palavras lidas #239

"How easy it would be," wrote Denis de Rougemnont about the refugee journeys through France and Spain, "to close off, at any point anywhere, this slender artery through which our old world is being little by little emptied of its elite at the same time as of its parasites." The Nazis, he went on to speculate, were keepign the artery open precisely to rid Europe of its unwanted population of "ex-ministers, ex-directors, ex-Austrians, ex-millionaires, ex-princes" who were, fittingly, leaving Lisbon on American ships bearing names beginning with Ex [for American EXport Lines]: Exeter, Excalibur, Excambion. By whim or policy, the Third Reich could at any instant pinch shut the tube of escape, leaving Europe at the mercy of its new master. (p. 32)

_____

To refugees who climbed to the fourth floor of the Hôtel Splendide, the presence in Marseille of the concerned American with a mission to save them and the money to do so seemed scarcely a believable gift. Hans Sahl, a German writer on the ERC [Emergency Rescue Committee] list, recalled (in the form of an autobiographical novel) the strong emotion of their first meeting in Fry's room.

Imagine the situation: the borders closed; you're caught in a trap, might be arrested again at any moment; life is as good as over---and suddenly a young American in shirt sleeves is stuffing your pocket full of money, putting his arm around your shoulders and whispering in a poor imitation of a conspirator's manner: "Oh, there are ways to get you out of here," while damn it all, the tears were streaming down my face, actual tears, big, round, and wet; and that pleasant fellow, a Harvard man incidentally, takes a silk handkerchief from his jacket and says: "Here, have this. Sorry it isn't cleaner." (p. 59)

_______

After weeks of waiting in Lisbon, the Manns and Werfels finally departed for New York on the Greek ship Nea Hellas. The leave-taking, as Heinrich Mann recorded it, was tinged with a sense of loss: "The view towards Lisbon presented the harbour---the last image as Europe faded. It seemed indescribably beautiful. A lost lover is not more beautiful. Everything life had given us had come from this continent . . . it was a parting of exceeding sadness." (p. 63)
______

After learning that bad weather was holding up Atlantic flights, Shirer tried the shipping office of American Export Lines, finding it

jammed with a mob of refugees---jittery, desperate, tragic victims of Hitler's fury---begging for a place---any place---on the next ship. But as one of the company officials explained to me, there are three thousand of them in Lisbon and the boats only carry one hundred and fifty passengers and there is only one boat a week. He promised me a place on the Excambion, sailing next Friday the 13th, though it may only be a mattress in the writing room.

The date was ominous but Shirer was anxious to move on. Aboard ship he joined a group of other American correspondents gathered in LIsbon---among them, James Reston of the New York Times and Whitelaw Reid of the New York Herald Tribune---and as it slid down the Tagus to the ocean he was entranced by a full moon above and "all the million lights of Lisbon and more across the broad river on the hills." Like others, though, who marveled at the wartime show of light, he questioned how long it could continue.

Beyond Lisbon over almost all of Europe lights were out. This little fringe on the southwest corner of the Continent kept them burning. Civilization, such as it was, had not yet been stamped out here by a Nazi boot. But next week? The month after? Would not Hitler's hordes take this too and extinguish the last lights? (p. 78)

______

His critically praised book about the experience, I Saw England, had ended with Robertson flying from England to Portugal, where he had booked a ship passage aboard the Exeter for America.

Here in Lisbon [he wrote in the book's closing paragraph] we had lights and butter and sugar. And in Lisbon we realized how little such things meant to us. In Lisbon we turned our thoughts back to the country that was fighting in darkness---to a great generation of British people who . . . had learned through suffering. They had learned, and I too had learned, by being with them through those months. In the depth of the English blackout I had seen the stars. (p. 92)

______

We never realized how miserable we had been in warring Italy, before as well as during internment, until we arrived in Lisbon, where the gaiety, plenty and brilliant lights made the somberness of blacked-out, half-starved Europe we had left seem all the more dismal by comparison.

---Reynolds and Eleanor Packard, Balcony Empire (p. 95)

Sem título #37

Ontem, a derrota do Brasil frente à Alemanha foi pesada. Simpatizo com os irmãos canarinhos porque, junto com eles, fizémos o feito inédito de levar para casa 11 golos da Alemanha num campeonato do mundo para os falantes de português. Eles ainda deram troco à Alemanha, nós nem isso.

Mas chega de fotos chorosas do David Luís. O que eu gostaria mesmo era de estar no Brasil hoje para aproveitar esta promoção da editora Lote 42 que está oferecendo 70% de desconto na sua loja online nas 24h que se seguem ao apito final do árbitro. Vamos ver se a procura de livros é elástica ou se a Lote 42 perde dinheiro.

__________

Brazil's defeat against Germany yesterday was a strong blow. I sympathize with the Brazilians because, with them, we were capable of the inauspicious feat of taking on 11 German goals for portuguese speakers on the world cup. They were still able to give Germany a little change, unlike us.

But enough of crying photos of David Luís. I'd really like to be in Brazil today to enjoy the sale of publisher Lote 42, who is offering 70% discount on its online store in the 24h that follow the final whistle of yesterday's match. Let's see if the demand for books is elastic or if Lote 42 loses money.

Pormenores #114

Não reparei se há três semanas já era assim, mas agora os copos da TAP mostram o pormenor da calçada portuguesa.

Numa sala perto de mim #274

Sunshine on Leith (2013) based on the musical of the same name, tells a charming story and affords wonderful views of Edinburgh all to the sound of music from The Proclaimers.

Caprichos #314

Eating well over the past few weeks,

both meals and snacks.

British food is so different from Spanish food... but it was delicious!

Here we have Scottish breakfast, haggis, blood sausage and all! 

And when in Britain you HAVE to eat indian food!

Back in Barcelona we went for Sirian food...

... a wonderful first experience for me.

Numa sala perto de mim #273

Paths of Glory (1957) tells the story of an impossible battle in World War I. Though everyone knows the battle can not be won, higher interests and promised promotions speak louder at the cost of many lives. The evaluation of the failed battle comes in martial trial where three surviving soldiers are tried on cowardice in face of the enemy so that high ranking officials keep their reputations regarding battle decisions. Superb acting by Kirk Douglas and directing by Stanley Kubrick.

Retirado do contexto #182

All you need is a little imagination / O que é preciso é imaginação

Numa sala perto de mim #272

Viva la libertà (2013) an excellent movie about politics, mediocre career politicians, and surprisingly brilliant chance politicians... perhaps more politicians should see it!

___________

È meglio esserci come se fossimo già spariti, o sparire del tutto per tornare a essere?

Is it better to behave as if one is already gone, or to disappear completely to behave properly again?

Caprichos #313

A week ago in Edinburgh I had the most unseasonal hot chocolate of my life, i.e. it was the latest hot chocolate I've ever had in the *cold* season... June 27th, gotta be a record!

Parece que estou a ouvir #182

Perdóname
Pablo Alborán y Carminho

Si alguna vez preguntas el por que 
No sabré decirte la razón 
Yo no la sé 
Por eso y más 
Perdóname

Ni una sola palabra más 
No más besos al alba 
Ni una sola caricia habrá 
Esto se acaba aquí 
No hay manera ni forma 
De decir que sí

Ni una sola palabra más 
No mas besos al alba 
Ni una sola caricia habrá 
Esto se acaba aquí 
No hay manera ni forma 
De decir que sí

Si alguna vez 
Creíste que por ti 
O por tu culpa me marché 
No fuiste tú 
Por eso y más 
Perdóname

Si alguna vez te hice sonreír 
Creístes poco a poco en mi 
Fui yo lo sé 
Por eso y más 
Perdóname

Ni una sola palabra más 
No más besos al alba 
Ni una sola caricia habrá 
Esto se acaba aquí 
No hay manera ni forma 
De decir que sí

Siento volverte loca 
Darte el veneno de mi boca 
Siento tener que irme así 
Sin decirte adiós

Siento volverte loca 
Darte el veneno de mi boca 
Siento tener que irme así 
Sin decirte adiós

Ni una sola palabra más 
No mas besos al alba 
Ni una sola caricia habrá 
Esto se acaba aquí 
No hay manera ni forma 
De decir que sí

Ni una sola palabra más 
No mas besos al alba 
Ni una sola caricia habrá 
Esto se acaba aquí 
No hay manera ni forma 
De decir que sí

Perdóname