tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65317822810551554052024-03-13T06:41:28.196+00:00From the River Avon to the River AppleRandom ramblings about life and times in the hills of Sintra.Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-19437293404769635882016-07-26T15:32:00.000+01:002016-07-26T15:32:12.909+01:00O Pomarinha da Vázea, Colares - the best local shop <div style="text-align: justify;">
I have raved before about my local shop both on here and on Facebook but decided it was time I introduced it to you so you can see why I love it so much.</div>
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When we first moved to the Colares area I found this shop on my first weekend and fell in love with the traditional chaotic interior and got to know the owners, Senor Manuel and Dona Fernanda along with Pedro Vale who, at that time spent all his spare time working in the shop in-between his studies at the local college, but now he has moved on to full-time position in hospitality. Still miss his cheery smile - he interviewed both of us as one of his projects for college on why we loved shopping locally. Think it might be on Youtube somewhere!!!</div>
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Sadly, since those early days, the village has lost a butcher, two small grocery shops, and a lovely drogaria - all missed - the recession bit hard on small businesses. However O Pomarinho or 'Poms' as we lovingly call it, has gone from strength to strength.</div>
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From the exterior, the shop looks deceptively small. Once inside it opens up to reveal an extremely well-stocked grocery and deli along with wines, spirits, bakery and coffee bar. I have been known to take my coffee with me as I roam the shelves discovering new delights that appear every week.<br />
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It's much bigger than it looks!</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">A good selection of vegetables - in season - greets you. Always nice to eat seasonable. </span></div>
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There is also a good selection of organic vegetables and herbs sourced locally<br />
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The lovely Dona Fernanda in the bakery, cake and coffee bar area.. Always very patient with me as I learn the names of all the different breads, cakes and biscuits. Fresh bread daily from two local bakeries and some baked in-house. There is also an option to order a roast chicken. A small selection of traditional cakes and biscuits is on this counter - fresh daily. At the sides, just out of shot, are shelving units with the usual assortment of branded crisps and the much better simple, tasty non-additive ones - highly recommended.</div>
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Senor Manuel - always has a smile and a joke for everyone. Especially cheeky with me and some of the 'older' ladies.<br />
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There is always a good selection of fruit in season ranging from oranges to avocados, grapes to limes, kiwis to figs - you name it - you can probably find it. If you like your fruit or vegetables all matching in size and beautifully formed, this will not suit you. This is fruit and vegetables as they are and not to a supermarket pattern.<br />
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Looking down from bakery section to the cleaning products, toiletries section. The fridge on the right has an interesting selection of products for Romanian and Russian residents. Fascinating sausages, cheeses etc. Also, if you do not fancy washing a lettuce, you can find the usual bagged salad leaves and rocket as well as a small selection of prepared fresh chicken.<br />
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The cleaning products and toiletry section. Good range to choose from and some nice natural shampoos, conditioners, body creams, as well as face cream and hand cream with the usual brand names from Nivea to Atrixo. Further down on the right hand shelf, are the olive oils, vinegars, flour, coffee, pet food, tinned beans etc section. The left hand range of shelving has a varied selection of health food goods including organic items.<br />
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Wines, beers, water, fruit juices, milk - from cow's to almond to soya - section. The range of wines is excellent.</div>
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There are two fridges at this end. This one with a good range of yoghurts, pates, butters, fresh pasta, as well as tofu etc for vegetarians. In fact the shop has a huge range of health foods and organic items. It literally caters for everyone. The other fridge has a good range of cheese, ready-to-use pastry, smoked salmon etc.</div>
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Round the corner from the fridge is the spirits section - everything you need or perhaps wish to experiment with.<br />
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A better view of the spirit section. On the right is the deli counter with a great selection of olives, meats, traditional cheeses, fresh cheese, herbs, spices etc.<br />
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You can sometimes find Marmite lurking on the counter here. Wonderful local honey is also on the back shelf. They say you should always eat honey that is made locally for the best effect.<br />
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This freezer has frozen fish, pizza, desserts, traditional savoury items that you can bake or fry at home - something for everyone.<br />
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Andreea is going to kill me for this photo. She was laughing when I took it. Perhaps next time I am in there, I can take a better one and replace it.</div>
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Cristina with her usual beaming smile.<br />
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Micaela with my yoghurt that she sourced and found for me. A real researcher!<br />
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These three lovely girls, are always helpful, whether it is about finding a product that they may not have, but can get for you, to helping people pack their shopping or even carrying it out to a car for people. Nothing is too much trouble.</div>
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So there you are. My local grocers, bakery, coffee shop, delicatessen, off licence that I could not live without.<br />
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Treasure your local shop, if you have one, we need them.<br />
<br />Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-60343839377374620062015-11-25T15:12:00.000+00:002015-11-25T15:12:39.493+00:00REAL LIFE OR JUST THROUGH A LENS?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Been a while since I blogged, for which I blame life getting in the way. However, I realised that it was time I got back into the swing of it after reading some nice comments about what I had written previously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is amazing how many changes there are in just a couple of years. Computers get faster and more complicated with the introduction of new versions of programs that cause untold stress whilst you get to grips with what some man who needs to get out more, considers we all need in our lives when the previous version was perfectly adequate. Phones have become an extension of arms and from what I have witnessed, appear to be what a lot of people view the world through.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We recently had a visit from some friends from the UK and thought it would be nice to have a wander into Lisbon,</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> take the tram to </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Belém</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> for a pastel de nata at </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pastéis de Belém,</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">have lunch at my friend's restaurant, and a general wander.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Granted it was September but we had not calculated for how popular Lisbon has become. Tourists to the left, tourists to the right, tourists everywhere. Now I cannot deny this has to be good for the economy, but what struck me was that they all seemed to be viewing Lisbon through a lens and not through their eyes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think we had chosen a day when the tour boats had all arrived at once, which probably made it look worse but I was struck by the numbers of tourists, following a guide - raised umbrella or clipboard - in crocodiles with phones or cameras glued to their eyes and wonder how much of their visit they will actually remember visually.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Taking a photo of something you see on holiday that you think might be interesting to have as a record or to show friends on your return or even by Instagram or Twitter, I get but to take them constantly as if in a panic, means that you will not be able to bring to mind what you actually look at with your eyes in my opinion. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A bit like watching television. You are 'there' but not in reality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lisbon is a beautiful city and it deserves to be captured in your memory and not just in your camera or phone. </span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-10863288732505173202013-11-17T14:40:00.002+00:002013-11-17T14:40:35.532+00:00A Return to the UK in October<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It has been six years since I was last in the UK for my eldest niece's wedding and since then she has had two children so I thought it was about time I met them in person. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I made the decision I had to research the best, and cheapest way of returning. What a minefield. I thought I would try the cheap (sorry, low cost) route first. Nothing worked out to get me either to Bristol or Heathrow without travelling at hideous hours and then there was the hand luggage problem. Also by the time you added everything together, it was not cheap (oops sorry again low cost). Quickly took that off the list. Next, being a fan and having always travelled with them, I looked at TAP but sadly although I could get to Heathrow the options for return flights were either from Gatwick, Luton or Stanstead for some reason - all completely unworkable. So, biting the bullet as my previous experiences with them (when working for a living) were not good, I looked at BA. After a bit of backwards and forwards I eventually procured a flight for a return fare of approximately 200 pounds. One problem solved. The next was to find a way of getting from Heathrow down to Wiltshire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Train? Book in advance and save pounds the adverts scream - yes and how? I looked at all the sites and could not find one decent fare considering you have to bus it to Reading to get the train in the first place or take the Heathrow Express to Paddington and then go from there. The prices were absolutely mind-blowing. How do tourists cope? I know I am spoilt rotten here with fares for a 40 minute return journey being 3.40 euros but First Great Western seems to need millionaires to travel on it. Scrap that one. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bus? National Express site was not particularly user friendly and they wanted 30 pounds each way to go from Heathrow to Corsham - even trying to book in advance to - yes, you guessed it - save pounds! At this point I was muttering to my best friend about prices and bless her, she said she would pick me up as she would be working close to Heathrow that day. Problem solved getting to Corsham. I would tackle the return nearer the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The day arrived and I set off with my suitcase and large handbag. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been travelling through one version or another of Lisbon Airport for the last 20 years and the changes have been immense. It was pretty glamorous when I travelled six years ago but even more changes have taken place since then. Now instead of choosing to go into the Duty Free area, you have to walk through it. Well that took me all of a minute as I have no wish to spend any money in there. Then I was somewhat bemused as the other changes with upmarket shops, bars etc. All I was interested in was a cup of portuguese coffee and a sit down until my flight was called. Eventually, tucked away in the back of the Food Hall, I found a place that sold portuguese and not some other import. Suitably fuelled up I hiked to the gate - I say hiked as the distance you walk in airports these days is amazing. How the elderly or toddlers manage without a sit down is a miracle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The flight was fine and comfortable and my Kindle kept me occupied although why they feel they need to serve 'food' (an icy cold wrap filled with over spiced chicken) is beyond me. Why not lower the fare and just serve a hot drink? Flying over the south coast of England I was cheered to see brilliant sunshine - however that disappeared very quickly as the clouds descended and we landed in greyness at Heathrow. Another long and tiring hike to retrieve luggage and then out into the Arrivals Hall to meet my friend who handed me over to my brother-in-law at Swindon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first evening I went to the local pub and practically fainted at the cost of drinking - no wonder the pubs are closing. A pint of Guinness and a glass of reasonable red wine was the price of a three course meal with wine and coffee here in a local tasca. I find it sad that this traditional way of life has been continuously under attack by governments, greedy breweries, irresponsible supermarkets and other interferring entities. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The following morning was a wander round the shops in Corsham. Very nice to still see some individual shops surviving in the harsh commercial world of today. One shop was The Deli at Corsham (www.thedeliatcorsham.co.uk) run by Cristophe and Rachael Bonneau.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cristophe Bonneau and Charlie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I loved this shop. A huge selection of what you would expect and more. The best bit was finding Ribblesdale Cheese on sale! I was able to tell them more about Iona Hill who runs it and they, in turn, told me where they sourced it so I could tell her. Small world. Obviously I had to buy some and my sister also bought a couple of rather super French cheeses too. Another shop well worth seeking out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EgztURaTjB1qYnpoUt0PDtsuZWMPsSV8CPHawFchLGZxjSZBksdFYVpuBiBrxcemKm5rT1mid4nyTv6g9AR4xCKOCYX_yE8M0OLezTIsSJpdFMLX4BAhjmh2mh4otmD40TQnCxXrEnS3/s1600/UK+2013+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EgztURaTjB1qYnpoUt0PDtsuZWMPsSV8CPHawFchLGZxjSZBksdFYVpuBiBrxcemKm5rT1mid4nyTv6g9AR4xCKOCYX_yE8M0OLezTIsSJpdFMLX4BAhjmh2mh4otmD40TQnCxXrEnS3/s320/UK+2013+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Charlie weighing out my choices</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My favourite day out of the trip was when we went to Bath Farmer's Market </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> which was fabulous. So lovely to see lots of stalls all selling wonderful produce. A great mix of antique, second hand, dairy, vegetable meat, bakery etc. </span><a href="http://www.bathfarmersmarket.co.uk/">http://www.bathfarmersmarket.co.uk</a> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The website gives a good overview of the traders and what they produce. After cruising the second hand stalls that were tempting, I went off to investigate the myriad choices of cheese. As I was going to be cooking a portuguese meal for my sister and brother-in-law's friend that evening, I wanted to get a cheese and this stall took my eye immediately.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Talking to Tim Homewood I managed to choose a beautiful sheep's ricotta which proved to be a real hit at dinner. His stall was very inviting and he is happy to let you taste before you buy. Well worth stopping by. I was also thrilled to know that he knew about Ribblesdale Cheese.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tim Homewood and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Angela Morris run Homewood Cheese (</span><a href="http://www.homewoodcheeses.co.uk/">http://www.homewoodcheeses.co.uk</a>) <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and recipes for using their cheese are on the Bath Farmers Market site too</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happily moving around, tasting here and there, I then spotted this incredibly mouth-watering display.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An eye-catching array of flavoured olives</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Obviously I had to buy some to have as appetizers before dinner and was assisted in my choices by Fey, who shyly agreed to having her photograph taken and to tell me about her family company Jacob's Finest (www.jacobsfinest.com) that specialises in Falafel but her 'baby' is the olives. Unfortunately although I have requested numerous times to their email for more information on Fey and her products, none has been forthcoming.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcON0WppkzJ74OBkXfnEPapWypfjJXLDNseU4-K4khljwXFjxqyTXkLwOHHgBPX_EWEBZ0Yt2ACPDPtI_KG_XkTs6fea56di2MX8R8VAIa25N7oHXGv55UhUqiE0p7VfxNF2BquYGknJAl/s1600/UK+2013+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcON0WppkzJ74OBkXfnEPapWypfjJXLDNseU4-K4khljwXFjxqyTXkLwOHHgBPX_EWEBZ0Yt2ACPDPtI_KG_XkTs6fea56di2MX8R8VAIa25N7oHXGv55UhUqiE0p7VfxNF2BquYGknJAl/s320/UK+2013+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fey of Jacob's Finest</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISpHytyXwVJwmvznwI4EzdBTFCwjczyhd0kp2qMvLaLLKe1e9wL79ZAvcChL11YFB0euWnRd5pJeh5m_5MmRbO08FfevD00TrCrM0WCCnp21TPn78nZ6EF_OkU4HYrI21D0SDhv7-ghDk/s1600/UK+2013+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISpHytyXwVJwmvznwI4EzdBTFCwjczyhd0kp2qMvLaLLKe1e9wL79ZAvcChL11YFB0euWnRd5pJeh5m_5MmRbO08FfevD00TrCrM0WCCnp21TPn78nZ6EF_OkU4HYrI21D0SDhv7-ghDk/s320/UK+2013+012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A close up of some of the olives</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eventually after exhausting myself wandering around and buying some rather nice organic vegetables, it was time for a coffee and breakfast courtesy of my brother-in-law. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A full English breakfast - old style</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Sunday was a trip to Bristol for a family reunion and the only black spot was the torrential rain and gloom. Amazing how you forget how dark the UK is at this time of year considering Portugal and the UK are the same time zone, it is definitely better being that further south so it stays lighter longer. It was a rare treat to be driven everywhere and able to look at the countryside which is still very beautiful and rather nice to see cows and sheep - none around me here sadly. Parking around my niece's house was reminiscent of Lisbon before parking meters! Every bit of pavement appeared to be covered in cars with just a narrow gap for traffic. I did notice that the tailback for people heading for Ikea in Bristol was just as I remembered it too! Some things never change. Catching up with nieces and other halves and my great nephew and niece was the icing on the cake for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The time went very quickly and soon it was time to sit on the suitcase and start the long trip back to Portugal. Just before I left, I had attempted to get a cheap bus fare back to Heathrow from Corsham - one of the designated stops for the 403 National Express Service. Again, after a frustrating time on their website and rather a lot of bad language about the cost, I somehow got a fare for nine pounds from Bath to London Heathrow. That would do nicely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Come the day, my sister dropped me at the bus stop in Corsham and awaited the bus. It was late and when it did stop, I was told off in no uncertain terms by the driver because my ticket was from Bath and although the stop is on the route, they have to be told otherwise they may well not stop and go via a different route. He was also in a temper because the motorway was closed and he was stressed about getting to London. I apologised to him and privately pondered the fact that a ticket from Bath to Heathrow is only nine pounds but if you get on at Corsham - about 15 minutes from Bath - the cost would have been 30 pounds!!!! Something odd there I think. Anyway we set off and it was rather nice to be able to travel along the roads I used to drive regularly and see the changes. I was rather surprised (I suppose) to see that Swindon Bus Station is still as disgraceful as ever. It really does need something doing to it. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the motorway was still shut, the driver took the old Oxford Road to head up to Heathrow. A rather beautiful way to go rather than the M4 and considering everything, we were only 15 minutes late.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Again, armed with my boarding card and being well in advance of flight check in, I went over to the desk just to see what time I should check in. Having ascertained I would need to wait about 45 minutes, I found a place close by and got stuck into my Kindle. Alerted by a lot of noise, I looked up and saw an immense queue had formed at the desks. I worked out that if I joined it, my desk should be ready for my luggage by the time I got to the end of the queue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It quickly became clear that chaos was happening all around me. Apparently a flight to Thailand had been cancelled the previous night and this queue was a mixture of people going for the new flight, people like myself heading for Europe and the Thailand flyers were less than patient. Stories abounded about the lack of information the previous evening and how some had gone home for the night and others had been forced to stay in Brighton as the cheapest hotel rooms for the night close to the airport, had been in the region of 400 pounds. The queue quickly started to get stroppy due to lack of information and the people for Europe added to the noise level by wanting to know what was going on as their flights were being called and they still have to check in. Eventually, another balcony opened with a harassed woman trying to work out how to separate people into some form of order. Although the majority of us had our pre-printed boarding cards, some hadn't and did not know how to cope so had to be helped by other passengers. Then the rumour came down the line about we now had to print our own boarding flight tags and the more computer literate in the queue helpfully aided some rather haughty and unimpressed European ladies. All in all it took an hour to get to drop off my bag - glad I got there early. Heathrow is still in need of a rethink on how it treats and communicates with passengers. Passing out bits of paper for people to comment on, is hardly what is needed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next chaotic scene was customs. Obviously Heathrow caters for thousands of passengers but attitudes are unhelpful, unfriendly and in some cases, downright obnoxious. In the queue to have my handbag x-rayed I was astonished at the rude way that was used to tell people that if they had not put their electronic devices into the tray, they would be confiscated and it would at least 45 minutes before they got them back. I know it is a difficult job that the customs people do, but surely a "please" and "thank you" is not too difficult ask for. I felt very sorry for some of the foreign travellers with limited knowledge of English being treated so roughly. A very unpleasant experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I just had enough time to grab something to eat - I wandered around aimlessly looking for something healthy that did not need an overdraft and found the cheapest option was an Italian restaurant. Cheapest meant over 10 pounds but it was well cooked and the wine was nice for the exorbitant price. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Same BA flight experience with cold wrap option and coffee so it was a relief to fly over Portugal and land in sunshine.</span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-81120405100637108282013-11-15T17:37:00.000+00:002013-11-15T17:37:13.415+00:00A View of Colares, Portugal<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Someone asked me recently to give them a 'feel' for where I go shopping and have coffee, so yesterday we went out and took some photos to show you why we love Colares so much. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was a lovely day - this time of year (November) you can usually guarantee some beautifully sunny days although the temperature does drop in the evenings. You can still sit outside cafes and watch the world go by if you wish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It takes about five minutes to drive down to Colares and as you turn the corner, after the Cooperativa Agricola de Colares - where you can get everything from animal feed and equipment for agriculture to wine and pet food, past the Estalagem de Colares and the little butcher on the left hand corner, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the road straightens up and we have our local Pharmacy and Post Office.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinj_9uJPmKjlqb0SUd2oXNKDilQXxleXNpmmuvp8U0k2gDoPXPgT-Xkd0tKyRHqSv5ubssCrrCD536P5A6DKdMVJpE1nQd89labaRdz9pjGGIrBQEezCRk88n_2afpYQbyb8AOPKr4tlr0/s1600/Prawn+Shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinj_9uJPmKjlqb0SUd2oXNKDilQXxleXNpmmuvp8U0k2gDoPXPgT-Xkd0tKyRHqSv5ubssCrrCD536P5A6DKdMVJpE1nQd89labaRdz9pjGGIrBQEezCRk88n_2afpYQbyb8AOPKr4tlr0/s320/Prawn+Shop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Estalagem de Colares - a lovely spot for lunch or dinner and, should you wish, as a base for exploring the area</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Gs7kx4TmmKex4Qz2YQm81MVrrLPbTBXvAjI4LN83FqNZCFKgWqh4wLuHAwhM3MwPVaybSgwMCSXufrqnRFw_CwiJAUnmB4z4M6YShZ1uPz6Uo0gq71-WzbdRMqmGHo2MoFYCeCSQsFVW/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Gs7kx4TmmKex4Qz2YQm81MVrrLPbTBXvAjI4LN83FqNZCFKgWqh4wLuHAwhM3MwPVaybSgwMCSXufrqnRFw_CwiJAUnmB4z4M6YShZ1uPz6Uo0gq71-WzbdRMqmGHo2MoFYCeCSQsFVW/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Pharmacy which also sells beauty products, does various medical tests and is much appreciated in the area.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBWiuzYRXugy9SzljNzvDc6KyvZAMaRXSmDohBbuNcBBpWJSfCJRiSlysqicHd4ucF9CXHuKpux1PczTMQhPUM95U4Mit89ZPlYabA74WwSLU-HhbXJA9a317fD-gNqbharXXlbL6sDjm/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBWiuzYRXugy9SzljNzvDc6KyvZAMaRXSmDohBbuNcBBpWJSfCJRiSlysqicHd4ucF9CXHuKpux1PczTMQhPUM95U4Mit89ZPlYabA74WwSLU-HhbXJA9a317fD-gNqbharXXlbL6sDjm/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our Post Office which is now run slightly differently and offers help with things IT.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloc-rFJlUfQ_a2dngJlsKsZWY0fOFiY3DL7ADQK3bsv5W_6UANOxfODMfLLM3JHz_UeZ0m_X_EMQqkeMP4sHVmTlQTCdyz_jxf39oGgtY_FEVyyYlV46D4M2zva0mqt4-69aXO56jCKdm/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloc-rFJlUfQ_a2dngJlsKsZWY0fOFiY3DL7ADQK3bsv5W_6UANOxfODMfLLM3JHz_UeZ0m_X_EMQqkeMP4sHVmTlQTCdyz_jxf39oGgtY_FEVyyYlV46D4M2zva0mqt4-69aXO56jCKdm/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spacious free cark parking for the Pharmacy and Post Office opposite.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTk0zVBZkejRNxaGxIXcHQvJ4d7AGg3k_rLE-F3qOeoKCXRLHzwTQU99Ksam8YsEvBxRZkjBXp2isGdzlRtokVnzcCbAmoV_b9cI8e4_LQLU1lG94F6MoAiT0HQ5txXCrdhqoUCuApLHM/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTk0zVBZkejRNxaGxIXcHQvJ4d7AGg3k_rLE-F3qOeoKCXRLHzwTQU99Ksam8YsEvBxRZkjBXp2isGdzlRtokVnzcCbAmoV_b9cI8e4_LQLU1lG94F6MoAiT0HQ5txXCrdhqoUCuApLHM/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">A little further along you come to the Bombeiros - our fabulous fire station which has, at the rear, a heated swimming pool which is very impressive and very warm!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikavJ4AmOQJGiooBGAUsF0EaGOmVz5_IhPKjKYSezbIRSp1oE0GlBRVxZd-2t_YOzk0V3eG1xlZBUsutSjfFvDGLAri2h8EcwmaBqoDmVQSzqgcTBc1ottAb3CyC4Kben92jfx56m7EFxh/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikavJ4AmOQJGiooBGAUsF0EaGOmVz5_IhPKjKYSezbIRSp1oE0GlBRVxZd-2t_YOzk0V3eG1xlZBUsutSjfFvDGLAri2h8EcwmaBqoDmVQSzqgcTBc1ottAb3CyC4Kben92jfx56m7EFxh/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Although shown closed, at weekends the shutters go up and the barbeque is lit and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">you can buy wonderful barbequed chickens, pao com chourico and other goodies as shown on the sign below.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGFjuQhhuT3f2rW65H5RVVAtrMxUlaLg8yRW1PFCSEYR-3FAKJ5AwPBYmk3yWqHEIDFlIg_HBO76MVl-1b5wZPFotxpXZCpMstWnJmqh_j1VALrYDLxxBPkHpV6Rvs0xM-FlXXvDmusaN/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGFjuQhhuT3f2rW65H5RVVAtrMxUlaLg8yRW1PFCSEYR-3FAKJ5AwPBYmk3yWqHEIDFlIg_HBO76MVl-1b5wZPFotxpXZCpMstWnJmqh_j1VALrYDLxxBPkHpV6Rvs0xM-FlXXvDmusaN/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Next we come to the first of our two petrol stations. Both play an important role as the next one is in Sintra. No self service here - all done the old fashioned way.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQa2yFLMb9SeeNJX2-z4iArgAEhZ1aQPlZKokZr9IUJpemgaIoe-AAGCuMix9P35MwDyNZYuvCiX_DW8jrsoghjbqX0kst6kHqX0GLQRhES30xzDKAaOTwY2Lc3kqc0A6PpiccTUaVcG_/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQa2yFLMb9SeeNJX2-z4iArgAEhZ1aQPlZKokZr9IUJpemgaIoe-AAGCuMix9P35MwDyNZYuvCiX_DW8jrsoghjbqX0kst6kHqX0GLQRhES30xzDKAaOTwY2Lc3kqc0A6PpiccTUaVcG_/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around the next corner we find The Salvation Army Home. This place has lovely gardens and a little shop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The main building</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDTDPC3h0cmCWquiysvRdFSchhrJJtOpFn_DSaAS0tKJcBLmyQSIdY8kkzN_IUid6NDq2t74KIvEtCoCq81l49E2i-QRLuaRMaUIggEOWawMn9MEcV6RtyTNCmCVoJKAGUw5syvvsQsWO/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDTDPC3h0cmCWquiysvRdFSchhrJJtOpFn_DSaAS0tKJcBLmyQSIdY8kkzN_IUid6NDq2t74KIvEtCoCq81l49E2i-QRLuaRMaUIggEOWawMn9MEcV6RtyTNCmCVoJKAGUw5syvvsQsWO/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A shot of the garden and chapel</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOheL-CU7clGxvacD3KNw9LTeSzBk0hrBhXfurC4OFwPUNniv5gP6nV7ISp8P6m2s2C187V0pXbem_as1kNPRlHzJJqINX5znXP4agVsn03uYRqmrD9b9FpMRXy7ta6hGoP4vld1yBAmu/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOheL-CU7clGxvacD3KNw9LTeSzBk0hrBhXfurC4OFwPUNniv5gP6nV7ISp8P6m2s2C187V0pXbem_as1kNPRlHzJJqINX5znXP4agVsn03uYRqmrD9b9FpMRXy7ta6hGoP4vld1yBAmu/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Need a woodburner installing? Then you have this place on hand to advise and install for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next is our second petrol station opposite Riberinha de Colares - a super little restaurant (on the first floor) and cosy cafe downstairs - and our local GNR headquarters with the Council Offices upstairs.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObXU2rydlL9OEuNIYxwL5zvtHk0rUsVBGW_C66B05VY5ikJ7LiIIhbmD_vcsBsAROL4rtvt9UiK_vA9_l_BP-ZRmMsu_N-ew9w_fvaJoYH-vexifzbLq0Yu6f7sJAoIspUItVp1s3d4jl/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObXU2rydlL9OEuNIYxwL5zvtHk0rUsVBGW_C66B05VY5ikJ7LiIIhbmD_vcsBsAROL4rtvt9UiK_vA9_l_BP-ZRmMsu_N-ew9w_fvaJoYH-vexifzbLq0Yu6f7sJAoIspUItVp1s3d4jl/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The restaurant/cafe Riberinha de Colares</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4BHjYZ3yOWvDrLl7IP9i9gDbs-ZlJiW95d0qEsyQoSrtucfwM2KRW9M_e06bCbE3NAcEbemra22WJvNSWSGeitjav1cbs3I_CervG_GVL_8T7q0nwc5kkj4BNwSQAfCBz8AqObJXNAhT/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4BHjYZ3yOWvDrLl7IP9i9gDbs-ZlJiW95d0qEsyQoSrtucfwM2KRW9M_e06bCbE3NAcEbemra22WJvNSWSGeitjav1cbs3I_CervG_GVL_8T7q0nwc5kkj4BNwSQAfCBz8AqObJXNAhT/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">GNR/Council Offices above</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The second petrol station (BP) which we use as they are so nice and helpful. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We have now reached the T junction where if you turn right you can go to Praia das Macas and Azenhas do Mar - and also where the Council have just revamped the little square where the bands play in the summer.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GrN-mkGYySgJRWr9mk4AfQJOPaZdlLSVEbxSdUUDHl82DSRN5fF2Y4fTexmHZBDMVXnepWQ3QvUlCStb7KOTUFhIB2myqmi9gySPwPUiSl9435L7J99_zGVBY-Wk2iDUhvDU7tJMid41/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GrN-mkGYySgJRWr9mk4AfQJOPaZdlLSVEbxSdUUDHl82DSRN5fF2Y4fTexmHZBDMVXnepWQ3QvUlCStb7KOTUFhIB2myqmi9gySPwPUiSl9435L7J99_zGVBY-Wk2iDUhvDU7tJMid41/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+028.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The newly refurbished square with the first of our banks (Banco Espirito Santo) is opposite</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A recent addition to the square showing who is is named after</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Opposite the junction is the wonderful Paper Shop where the two ladies have an impressive array of magazines and newspapers in various languages as well as taking care of the lottery, bus tickets and much, much more for the local community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, not taking the road to Praia das Macas quite yet, we continue along past the Paper Shop and on the same side of the road we have a taxi rank, public loos, another cafe, a gift shop - Pau de Canela - you can always find a good present in here - and then an excellent estate agency.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nice view from the car parking area</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrTkLO3uc4rmuxO3lJisCcqg-SlTIba5feWwgZdBvlKIaaQs9RbF5yhXrgqlIM0VIWDnLTkPsJ374QgTvoF0sK7nJrD8rsMVup19-e2d4nCEZAdL-p9-jKrJIDMl8BMry9RtBRTQoWhMi/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrTkLO3uc4rmuxO3lJisCcqg-SlTIba5feWwgZdBvlKIaaQs9RbF5yhXrgqlIM0VIWDnLTkPsJ374QgTvoF0sK7nJrD8rsMVup19-e2d4nCEZAdL-p9-jKrJIDMl8BMry9RtBRTQoWhMi/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+036.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Public loos are in most villages and are usually of a high standard of cleanliness</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJIHgYXGfTQlWLyrDq1uzEoY9jggxsz0ifRq6R1f4K04x9YN5TeRhvdpUXsUintEGt7AhIHvK_7MDh5L1_QMFlXvUXKMI3M1hYLd671NrgtfFAds6AQ2twCduMxVFRNfBq94rOfQfuBwp/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJIHgYXGfTQlWLyrDq1uzEoY9jggxsz0ifRq6R1f4K04x9YN5TeRhvdpUXsUintEGt7AhIHvK_7MDh5L1_QMFlXvUXKMI3M1hYLd671NrgtfFAds6AQ2twCduMxVFRNfBq94rOfQfuBwp/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+037.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cafetaria O Moinho Cafe - also sells bread along with a good selection of cakes</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUx9EmIZGHRo8kNy6qYxlI0gT9ybz7dsFd2VDzhFqRIgK3tPR_D2JSRZqKMBIaHOuiS3Wg12DcE-0vwaWkI9dBdwR-dPuaE8_iynzu5lkRQMDQOldbgxD5Df_uYQJ-wZB78iB-Nhyphenhyphen37T_/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUx9EmIZGHRo8kNy6qYxlI0gT9ybz7dsFd2VDzhFqRIgK3tPR_D2JSRZqKMBIaHOuiS3Wg12DcE-0vwaWkI9dBdwR-dPuaE8_iynzu5lkRQMDQOldbgxD5Df_uYQJ-wZB78iB-Nhyphenhyphen37T_/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+038.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pau de Canela Gift Shop - lots of lovely stuff and a lovely lady who is always helpful with Zurich Insurance above.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_7-KoYspesxakiWkZYmqbJWNzFOVA5euizpnt4GBG5koeI8-T91ioL1kfWIXMlB3ixDTI8_0o7RKtFPZGlf8AgoSZPRunoKAaheYtOdYORQS15JmVrvtCdPr2BXB4tfom3KOocRtj5Ok/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_7-KoYspesxakiWkZYmqbJWNzFOVA5euizpnt4GBG5koeI8-T91ioL1kfWIXMlB3ixDTI8_0o7RKtFPZGlf8AgoSZPRunoKAaheYtOdYORQS15JmVrvtCdPr2BXB4tfom3KOocRtj5Ok/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Riberinha Imobilaria - great estate agent - some wonderful properties available here</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDDI2SWfVpPHz97ENL_zAwWZ72xOLLVF431s-0m4lMFdvYE68KM5nISpfmKfbz70F44JgFUcKNpte0pJjsbjiayYucj_CpiPe_0LlXq7uf0vEhhTgk55hhkC_FjJk4biTGszZBhcMBp6q/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDDI2SWfVpPHz97ENL_zAwWZ72xOLLVF431s-0m4lMFdvYE68KM5nISpfmKfbz70F44JgFUcKNpte0pJjsbjiayYucj_CpiPe_0LlXq7uf0vEhhTgk55hhkC_FjJk4biTGszZBhcMBp6q/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+044.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looking back towards the T junction</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZFWHRIONXM3wzr3_CUqtSxCbtLn4nlQsOrfpwiv9ZneixP2lLzunmKOix8iHJOQqWds4k-PvomPaMUzKkkIJoFoVd76UfvY4nagavKCBdwiHKxu8e3lC1jzFn_NS4o7PtGysHphNF4Yj/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZFWHRIONXM3wzr3_CUqtSxCbtLn4nlQsOrfpwiv9ZneixP2lLzunmKOix8iHJOQqWds4k-PvomPaMUzKkkIJoFoVd76UfvY4nagavKCBdwiHKxu8e3lC1jzFn_NS4o7PtGysHphNF4Yj/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+045.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The T junction </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvbT6O-ttmJRPZLAJ7Cj2WZrX7bIktVvb3oZFJ2iToBx7MvDbVODGZKYt5jiIVa4DIIKGNDI76mcVFU-wSOS8HM30_qsHP0yChH0UcYmM05nSE8ZUpFF_tLVrIwuVRxdz4NFCPdO-AJH-/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvbT6O-ttmJRPZLAJ7Cj2WZrX7bIktVvb3oZFJ2iToBx7MvDbVODGZKYt5jiIVa4DIIKGNDI76mcVFU-wSOS8HM30_qsHP0yChH0UcYmM05nSE8ZUpFF_tLVrIwuVRxdz4NFCPdO-AJH-/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+049.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A view of the river which is rather low at the moment but will soon fill up with the winter rains. Here the ducks get their daily bread from children and adults alike.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A view to the hills of Sintra</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the side of the river here is a lovely cafe that does wonderful pastries, flans and cakes and in the summer is a lovely spot to sit and watch the world and the river go by. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cantinho da Varzea Cafe </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the same side as the cafe we then have our second bank (Caixa de Geral de Depositos) and another estate agent (Remax) and then on the other side of the road, my greengrocer/grocer run by the wonderful Manuel and Fernanda. I spend a lot of time in here as they stock all that I need and I love to have a coffee at the tiny bar and listen to the local chat and watch the serious business of choosing bread - Janas or Assafora. Everyone has their favourite.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsxK7bC7kqBMhYzBxNHLbS3eH121bCcNV3xUcxR1r-PyaNLgM_lyTjfWbdrY3XmPH1Umlx02SqmVlggtvyOcDwqZ4cuyvu7kh1zG7a7pQMW4ph3raloD7HgOOPT08vPmAGI5S8KIRAIuj/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsxK7bC7kqBMhYzBxNHLbS3eH121bCcNV3xUcxR1r-PyaNLgM_lyTjfWbdrY3XmPH1Umlx02SqmVlggtvyOcDwqZ4cuyvu7kh1zG7a7pQMW4ph3raloD7HgOOPT08vPmAGI5S8KIRAIuj/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+051.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The wonderful 'Poms' as we call it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back across the road and nearly opposite is a small children's playground - not unknown to see the odd adult playing on the swings!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighvHfbBBqrpJ4ALqFQRUCD9Ka2BOFkRxWYPlIfSqCXKBsUvldXrGhZJ8ltThbsNqqoPXsa6rB5Z43LEdG9a-uy0Z6FouAFtKP7tixloXPTiU7D7det6ERi6q02FvGL1mtmiw9S36S_UKU/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighvHfbBBqrpJ4ALqFQRUCD9Ka2BOFkRxWYPlIfSqCXKBsUvldXrGhZJ8ltThbsNqqoPXsa6rB5Z43LEdG9a-uy0Z6FouAFtKP7tixloXPTiU7D7det6ERi6q02FvGL1mtmiw9S36S_UKU/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+052.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The playground</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrExhMTCGMdDUTV_lzJdqN1dfSzC_DKVioFgK5Srm24i0YEopc1oRF0R2W5AR-NEOJl8r6I5OhmZIiKFHOxsCWKq2fTNgWazxbc6_Jen5Z14vV55j6DwzWRPQlVn8VnrXX4p0ZCL5a5fZ/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrExhMTCGMdDUTV_lzJdqN1dfSzC_DKVioFgK5Srm24i0YEopc1oRF0R2W5AR-NEOJl8r6I5OhmZIiKFHOxsCWKq2fTNgWazxbc6_Jen5Z14vV55j6DwzWRPQlVn8VnrXX4p0ZCL5a5fZ/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+057.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Opposite the playground we have our electric charging posts for electric cars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just ahead now is where the tram comes out in Colares before it starts heading towards Praia das Macas. We also have the Adega Regional de Colares. A fabulous building and open to the public. The size of the barrels is breathtaking.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-n-7xuC7-Q7UBjlaNrhN7nm2OEAWzbRuVVrTBCck49CFbpOrYLOZ7s8gNYZonqCElV0fzyVph9u1_Qd8A04v7BgqbfeQHZKH_022spwTM0Aq27MXaP8xjcwq9gAYu75DcMtyzKiQaxjy/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-n-7xuC7-Q7UBjlaNrhN7nm2OEAWzbRuVVrTBCck49CFbpOrYLOZ7s8gNYZonqCElV0fzyVph9u1_Qd8A04v7BgqbfeQHZKH_022spwTM0Aq27MXaP8xjcwq9gAYu75DcMtyzKiQaxjy/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+056.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Note the tram track cutting across the junction.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZknS0wtiipuAUNPVV4RHKH532G2YewKMQBQWX5QfjzMTwzUeRmCKZq3ZTWbm0Yw_2_3UfRBEa4MZF2nlAE_m-Ye4Rpv54ztU1x9MjlcTVXseFoARVPVteUKZYQIUzgaa4G7uSnfum23qN/s1600/adega-regional-de-colares.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZknS0wtiipuAUNPVV4RHKH532G2YewKMQBQWX5QfjzMTwzUeRmCKZq3ZTWbm0Yw_2_3UfRBEa4MZF2nlAE_m-Ye4Rpv54ztU1x9MjlcTVXseFoARVPVteUKZYQIUzgaa4G7uSnfum23qN/s320/adega-regional-de-colares.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A fantastic view of the barrels of the wonderful Colares wine</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Opposite the Adega is the local Health Centre - not ours unfortunately as we miss the limit by yards - I kid you not. We also have another bank - Montepio and down the side of that is a Builder's Merchants who have been extremely helpful to us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Colares Health Centre</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58Uw_Tj5IY6RQ26HC6xdZ7_R0wa709fJCnem7lwAoxqOp1m2jhhP-cHc0uLNFLAZ4uJjJrkwSO15Co9rRq5nLJy-3pH8rZOAiLSoP4kXYVfyDJoaZEC4217ZKHOj3qApuu1wmSXdNCNFq/s1600/Colares+14+November+2013+059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58Uw_Tj5IY6RQ26HC6xdZ7_R0wa709fJCnem7lwAoxqOp1m2jhhP-cHc0uLNFLAZ4uJjJrkwSO15Co9rRq5nLJy-3pH8rZOAiLSoP4kXYVfyDJoaZEC4217ZKHOj3qApuu1wmSXdNCNFq/s320/Colares+14+November+2013+059.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Montepio Bank with entrance to Builder's Merchant's on the right</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Very sadly the superb local Drogaria where we have bought so much in the way of DIY stuff, closed its doors a couple of months back due to the owner's ill health. We really miss it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back across the road and just after the main entrance to Adega Regional de Colares, we have another bank, Millenium BCP.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Millenium BCP Bank</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The bank is on the corner of the road which leads up to the village of Mucifal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And also on the opposite corner is our final bank, BPI which we belong to. They are so helpful in here as have all the BPI branches we have dealt with. To the left of the bank is an insurance agent and the pink building on the far left just in the shot, is the second butcher of the village. On the right of the bank is a nice little cafe, a Chinese shop (there is another one round the other corner) and bit further along is an area which has some small shops opening in a patio. Also another restaurant - Central - on the same side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Instead of turning right here, if you look up the road to Praia das Macas, on your left hand side you will see this wonderful building.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Caves de Visconte de Salreu</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Close up of the front</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This fabulous place is usually open for exhibitions and food tastings at various times of the year and the photographs of times past, are truly fascinating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope you have enjoyed this quick look around Colares and if you are visiting Sintra, grab the tram and come and have a look round.</span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-58305763981610811752013-08-16T17:29:00.000+01:002013-08-16T17:29:39.456+01:00The Six Month Check Up<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dentists. We love them or hate them but we have to go to them. If you are lucky it is only a couple of times a year. In my case I am lucky - it's every six months. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Moving to another country away from the all-embracing old National Health Service system, I took the opportunity for a total check up before I left for Portugal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As a child, I have no memory of my dentist in Surrey, my first memory is of a dentist on the main road between Horwich End and Whaley Bridge (Derbyshire) and receiving a lolly or sweets after each visit!!! How times change. There again, the sweets we consumed in those days were probably made from real products, unlike the weird, multi-coloured addictive varieties of today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Moving to Macclesfield in my teens, I then became a regular visitor to a lovely white haired, red cheeked dentist. This is the first surgery I vividly remember. Full of black and stainless steel contraptions and a strange, antiseptic smell. He also did a very good line in the pink mouthwash, which I was quite particular to. I saw him every six months for the check up and he was the dentist who identified my impacted wisdom teeth and sent me off to Macclesfield Infirmary to get them removed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">For the operation, I had been asked if I would mind being observed by trainee dentists because I had rather interesting impacted wisdom teeth - the bottom two lying horizontally which apparently was unusual. I had no problem with this - always been keen to be of service. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I checked in as requested the day before and dinner was in the Children's Ward (!). As I crouched down at the low dining table set in the middle of the ward, a boy with his leg in plaster and a hoist, lying in the bed opposite, enquired why I was there. I told him I was having my wisdom teeth extracted the next day. He grinned and informed me that his mate had had that done and died! I think I offered to adjust his hoist! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The operation appeared to go well but the following day I woke up feeling worse than I had ever (even to this day) felt. I had an incredibly swollen and bloody face, and my mouth had shrunk to something resembling a goldfish's pout. I managed to indicate to a nurse that she should put my mother off from visiting as I thought she would probably have kittens seeing me in that state. I then passed out again until the following morning when I managed to clean my face after having been offered corn flakes or fish cakes for my breakfast (both of the crunchy and scratchy variety) I conveyed the fact that I couldn't eat a thing due to my mouth being about two inches wide and and full of black stitches. Luckily I got an early release home and spent the next two weeks on sloppy food. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The pain of the operation brought home to me how painful procedures are in and around the face and to this day, cannot imagine why anyone would go through plastic surgery on their faces.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I returned to the dental specialist for my check up, I discovered the main course of pain was the fact that my jaw had been dislocated to remove the bottom set of wisdom teeth. Thank goodness for anaesthetic. I was given the teeth as a souvenir and I was astonished at the size of the lower teeth. They were both about an inch long and considering they were lying horizontally, I could see why my jaw had been dislocated. The top two, also not small, had no space to grow in and therefore also had to be removed. Made me wonder how big our ancestors jaws were as so many of us have our wisdom teeth removed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My white haired dentist was rather thrilled with my experiences but I soon had to find a new one as he was coming up to retirement age and as I chose only to see him in the mornings - once having made the mistake of seeing him in the afternoon to be nearly gassed by the smell of gin - I asked around friends and was recommended a rather handsome chap I had seen around the area for years not realising he was a dentist.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Brian was a very good dentist and was horrified at the state of my mouth. It appeared that my lovely white haired dentist, although doing my regular check ups and the odd filling or too, had totally failed to do any work on tartar. The first check up to remove the tartar was injection driven and I returned to work later that morning doing a good impression of Dudley Moore in 10. Dribbles of black coffee were prominent on my front as I failed to connect the cup with my mouth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Leaving Brian behind when I moved to Edinburgh, I found a very nice Scottish dentist in Davidson's Mains (the Scots have wonderful names for places), and was informed by him that if he had as many patients with teeth like mine, he could play more golf! I took that as a compliment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Back down in Wiltshire, I became a long standing patient of The Barley Mow Surgery in Malmesbury. My dentist had the clever idea of covering the ceiling with postcards from all over the world which took your mind off whatever he was doing inside your mouth. He was also a staunch Stoke City supporter and I see that Dr Rory McNulty has now been made a partner from its website and is still flying the Stoke City scarf. Congratulations! It was a lovely little practice with smiling receptionists and a good variety of magazines to peruse. Great importance is always put on magazines in dentists and doctors in the UK!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Barley Mow Dental Surgery, Malmesbury</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I arrived in Lisbon I knew I had six months or so to find a new dentist. I struck lucky with a recommendation of friends, who had an apartment above a dental practice and although my portuguese was very limited, we managed to get by quite well. Then I moved to Cascais and again on recommendation, I found the dental practice I have been with ever since.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dr Harley has a practice in a building overlooking the market square in Cascais on Avenida 25 Abril (25 of April Road). He has a very interesting background as he worked in private practice in Paris for 20 years before moving to Portugal. He is a lovely, gentle dentist with a great sense of humour and I always enjoy the banter. His hygenist, Victor Assuncao deserves a medal for working on my tartar problem.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As most people will be aware, the modern method of treating tartar is somewhat different to what I grew up with. I gamely (twitching a lot) tried to cope with the myriad of items that go in the mouth, but eventually I had to admit defeat (ok cowardice) and persuade poor Victor to do it the old fashioned way, with the hooks and brute force. He now works tirelessly on my problem and has probably got more muscles than Popeye in preparation for my twice yearly visits. He also has a nice line in green mouthwash rather than the pink. I also have to mention the lovely Graca - she makes everyone feel welcome, calms the nervous, politely phones the idiot (me) when I forget to make an appointment and always has a smile to greet you. Here's a nice photo of the three of them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Victor (in green), Dr Francis with Graca in the front</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A nice modern dental set up at Dr Harley's practice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was the one I remember from childhood - I know which I prefer!</span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-33974499720704876852013-08-15T19:33:00.000+01:002013-08-15T19:33:45.815+01:00Are Toys Us?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
other day I was having a tidy up and that meant a quick dust and re-positioning
of my childhood toys. Yes, I admit it, I
still have a couple though to be fair one of them was a much later birthday
present. The oldest childhood toy I still
possess is Woofles – and no, I haven’t a clue why it ended up with that
name. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Woofles was originally quite a
smart terrier on red wheels with a red collar and I have memories of tottering
along hanging on to the handle to push him along – obviously an early walking
aid for me. His most traumatic adventure
was being left at the side of the road in error, after I had had an unpleasant
queasy moment on our move from Surrey to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cheshire</st1:place></st1:city>. I seem to remember the car being sorted out
along with myself, and then driving on only for me to start wailing about
Woofles. We returned and discovered not
only Woofles, but my mother’s beloved portable typewriter had also been left
behind. In mitigation, my poor parents
were trying to clean everything up in the dark.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My
other toy is William, a rather battered bear which I received from my father on
my 17<sup>th</sup> birthday. Bizarre
present for a 17 year old I know but I never had one when I was little and had
always coveted one since I had spotted them in Hamley’s window (<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">London</st1:place></st1:city> posh toy shop) as
a kid. He has had many adventures over
the years. He has sat on drum kits at
gigs, been made to impersonate the Bear Brand Bear and witnessed more things
that a bear really ought to have done but has survived into his retirement in the
sun. The pair sit on a blanket chest,
occasionally squashed by a cat, watching the world go by.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How William used to look when he was a stunt double</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here in Sintra
we are lucky enough to have the wonderful Museu do Brinquedo (</span><st1:place style="font-family: Verdana;" w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Toy</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana;">).
</span><a href="http://www.museu-do-brinquedo.pt/" style="font-family: Verdana;">www.museu-do-brinquedo.pt</a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.
(English button available). Open Tuesdays to Sundays (including Public Holidays
except 1 January, 1 May and 25 December).</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Closed Mondays.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></div>
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<span class="entrydesc"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">João Arbués Moreira created the </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Arbues Moreira Foundation</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">and</span><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span><span class="entrydesc"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">donated
his personal collection of over 20,000 items (gathered over 50 years) and in
1989 the museum opened to the public. The original location quickly became too
small so when the Sintra Fire Brigade Headquarters moved, the collection moved
to its present site. It is now rumoured
that the museum has over 40,000 items in it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spanish Bugatti 1930</span></div>
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<span class="entrydesc"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The collection is spread over three floors and the first floor has toys
</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">from the 2<sup>nd</sup> and 3<sup>rd</sup> centuries BC, the
19th & 20th centuries, from the Industrial Revolution. Also trains, boats,
cars by Carrete, Lehman, Bing and others. Penny and novelty toys, circus characters,
hand-made toys, games, books and space toys.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hornby 1930</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">On the second floor there are cars by Citroën, Jep, Rossignol,
Paya, Rico, Schucco, Gama, TCO, Dinky, Matchbox, Ingap, Burago, Polistil, Maestro
and others. Also motorcycles, toy soldiers, Portuguese toys, plastic and celluloid toys, pedal cars, tricycles, scooters and aircraft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">English lead figures 1940's</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The third floor has the Doll’s attic and Restoration Room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLgQfiP79Xb2vQUbUK2o3Mf4s3DpaKmaBwqBRnFhqcjCmN_y2F5Ors0p5SdFeLuEzWGyFiuY5BZB3VWV7MY_Xf4idR6n5KLT5-JI6YZ18EEo_7htqsJ1ZJXZ_WtarDLXSs3xSZifjOzQ4/s1600/Portuguese+china+dolls+tea++set+1940%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLgQfiP79Xb2vQUbUK2o3Mf4s3DpaKmaBwqBRnFhqcjCmN_y2F5Ors0p5SdFeLuEzWGyFiuY5BZB3VWV7MY_Xf4idR6n5KLT5-JI6YZ18EEo_7htqsJ1ZJXZ_WtarDLXSs3xSZifjOzQ4/s320/Portuguese+china+dolls+tea++set+1940%2527s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Portuguese china doll's set 1940's</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">French Tin Carousel 1890</span></div>
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<span class="entrydesc"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here are a few images of the collection as a
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Japanese space ship 1960's (long before Buzz Lightyear)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Portuguese bucket and spade 1940's - I love the shape of the spade</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Museum is an absolute joy to visit whether you are an adult (with an inner child) or a child plus you have the added bonus of exclamations of "Oh, I had one of those!" to "Wish I had kept mine" comments. Modern children will marvel at how simple our toys used to be and how we looked after them and in those long off days, didn't howl on Christmas Day because there were no batteries - just a string to pull.</span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-75975102702810071762013-08-14T14:15:00.000+01:002013-08-14T14:15:20.872+01:00Medieval Fair, Sao Pedro, Sintra<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last year we chanced upon the Medieval Fair in Sao Pedro, and enjoyed it so much I kept a careful watch out for when it was due this year and promptly stuck it on the calendar for another evening out. The fair runs over a long weekend and this year took place over the 19-21 July.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last year we picked up a man bag for Glenn, some wonderful honey soaps, a selection of spices and sampled some draft mead - you bought the first drink which was served in a terracotta mug and you kept that and just got a refill! Excellent stuff. We have carefully looked after these two mugs in anticipation of a refill this year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The fair is organised in the main square in Sao Pedro - where the normal bi-monthly market is held on Sundays. It is fully decorated in medieval style with shacks, straw bales, bunting etc. There are actors playing the parts of drunks, beggars, quarrelling couples etc entertaining the crowds which all adds to the atmosphere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtw2r5g3k9uYC7s-CAW2gSBXngYATwlvQQYlY3BVu39kqMclo8prjcHv04bJV596UztNhxC6LiuKiQBBU51tHOZF40GUjmcRukx8TakDQgs1t5vt-YlDa0EnkAjb3TgnfyO_v24je1Vz4W/s1600/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtw2r5g3k9uYC7s-CAW2gSBXngYATwlvQQYlY3BVu39kqMclo8prjcHv04bJV596UztNhxC6LiuKiQBBU51tHOZF40GUjmcRukx8TakDQgs1t5vt-YlDa0EnkAjb3TgnfyO_v24je1Vz4W/s320/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A couple of the players resting</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zqDyavsfaVA5TAYGCvhPEmj7BT8-zpAqSnCIGa9oABR8lMWCtqQOaK0qVCfCYzwLZ47Jd728-hNVxxe6uhNr6if7zvOA3qvCL9vI88_RojVJ2kGugGidvGPeFlsk-2xDw9ZeD_4J26I6/s1600/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zqDyavsfaVA5TAYGCvhPEmj7BT8-zpAqSnCIGa9oABR8lMWCtqQOaK0qVCfCYzwLZ47Jd728-hNVxxe6uhNr6if7zvOA3qvCL9vI88_RojVJ2kGugGidvGPeFlsk-2xDw9ZeD_4J26I6/s320/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of the shacks/stalls and tables and benches for the diners</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We arrived early evening just as everything was starting to get going and the first thing we heard was the band. A fantastic group of people playing bagpipes with a really driving beat from the drummers - all music of the period which made me think that music must have been quite good back then and certainly very loud. We followed them down through the square for quite some time as they were so entertaining. Wish I had got their name as I would like to hear them again. The drumming was really infectious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WFKAtL6pHE6rL9iyTw9WFSZNeBo0rO0o_gI3rQLRYvkwN4B7fK-GnY6twK4-AQVNB4FBywSvv_4Y_55SqSzY37qc5gjLHWPEK74WhngSxDtiP4FkJJzdT0mR7pntlJvIL5HCuUzpLh8h/s1600/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WFKAtL6pHE6rL9iyTw9WFSZNeBo0rO0o_gI3rQLRYvkwN4B7fK-GnY6twK4-AQVNB4FBywSvv_4Y_55SqSzY37qc5gjLHWPEK74WhngSxDtiP4FkJJzdT0mR7pntlJvIL5HCuUzpLh8h/s320/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The band</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I found my stall for spices quite quickly and got a good supply of the spice mix for chicken dishes that I like to put in a sauce with the chicken and turkey meatballs I buy from a good butcher up in Ericeira. I also stocked up on a spice for fish. He was offering a BOGOF deal - not quite medieaval but good business practice!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvnmD0OQBj97wWoulwwA68FfvvWl7rsYkogG4XnEQpNjPfFm2n4pnkwMcepteNyEDtYNkNtCAMYNm24TZHnb97V8uTD84xqLmcNhY1WvqAQgf3IBFC_ouxNZZ9h3iGSQPNrRW0LyB-QCW/s1600/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvnmD0OQBj97wWoulwwA68FfvvWl7rsYkogG4XnEQpNjPfFm2n4pnkwMcepteNyEDtYNkNtCAMYNm24TZHnb97V8uTD84xqLmcNhY1WvqAQgf3IBFC_ouxNZZ9h3iGSQPNrRW0LyB-QCW/s320/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+013.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The spice and herb stall</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were quite a few places selling honey and honey based items as in soaps, handcreams etc. Children found it interesting to see the honeycomb featured on this particular stall run by a 'monk'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A honey seller</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the evening got going, so did the actors who played their parts effectively as can be seen in this photo.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijcYilZWe1ZLBKy3R6FBvPQ46c-x5HvfF5f7Vx4lquVY4ONAEX_DEumVg8fw-LnNFI7d1kx9nQ5nMSQ-xYxYiE8Pp0EgsAAqmuM5tks-M0fqqhumWIHbyd4gZL3m_qWG5EdYwPbkEy2G79/s1600/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijcYilZWe1ZLBKy3R6FBvPQ46c-x5HvfF5f7Vx4lquVY4ONAEX_DEumVg8fw-LnNFI7d1kx9nQ5nMSQ-xYxYiE8Pp0EgsAAqmuM5tks-M0fqqhumWIHbyd4gZL3m_qWG5EdYwPbkEy2G79/s320/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Getting into the spirit - possibly too much ale</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Other stalls were selling bread and cakes, cheese and spicy sausages, selections of herbal teas, handicrafts, clothing etc.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtCoD56q-nvNFQxzMG6Ci1lN_yQ6zlRsNS92pfFfodFCd7cUDt4YCqUYkbG9f_FHvNcrHAuAGuNbBqRutJU_Q0Mvqf8TJ0DYJUaE1ey1xzAhihioBizT4RWVXs2PXQIncVtIZEm2pCb4T/s1600/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtCoD56q-nvNFQxzMG6Ci1lN_yQ6zlRsNS92pfFfodFCd7cUDt4YCqUYkbG9f_FHvNcrHAuAGuNbBqRutJU_Q0Mvqf8TJ0DYJUaE1ey1xzAhihioBizT4RWVXs2PXQIncVtIZEm2pCb4T/s320/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+037.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheese and spicy sausages</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last year we watched some of the actors terrify the children with a renactment of George and the Dragon, this year there was an opportunity for the children to fight knights. Some really got into the spirit of it so it was just as well nothing was sharp.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgFzC_gk4fQ6n-zWWDH28HldmYC1jn3cec-NDpqypHT1CVtaJdNIkeR6nalZDTG4CzN7ePJnK6LU1ZYGiWfi3av_yfnS0kfvABRmV7gT3P1aYmizYM2XAZBqH59_9PfL1auybcwe3JOCv/s1600/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgFzC_gk4fQ6n-zWWDH28HldmYC1jn3cec-NDpqypHT1CVtaJdNIkeR6nalZDTG4CzN7ePJnK6LU1ZYGiWfi3av_yfnS0kfvABRmV7gT3P1aYmizYM2XAZBqH59_9PfL1auybcwe3JOCv/s320/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+031.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Knights versus knaves?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the less brave, there were pony rides or a carriage ride for those who wanted to be a maiden waving at her followers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Carriage for a maiden</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We came across a bit of a crowd and stopped for a watch and saw some pretty impressive juggling and fire eating with comedy routine added in for extra enjoyment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fire eating, fire jugging and comedy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We searched for our mead stall to no avail and eventually asked someone where he was in case we had missed him somehow. Sadly, this medieaval fair clashed with the one being held in Obidos and as he was based in Torres Vedras, Obidos won as it was nearer. So we put our mead mugs back in the bag and headed for a beer stall. We sampled some rather pleasant different brews and Glenn was allowed to see if he still knew how to pull a pint. He isn't that short, by the way, the other guys were standing on a platform. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHcllpczx37HwzV4ZHaWTa-l4Pyo17pWgtYseJohCrJSNoS8BW9ZmgRecbHJXqywTTRiIv0vQ84GIxDdvraa2FD3KP54YvmxzR7FeFxoFEVNOXlAjB6xv4GE-7nDyTz4cFYWzA50MB5kQ/s1600/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHcllpczx37HwzV4ZHaWTa-l4Pyo17pWgtYseJohCrJSNoS8BW9ZmgRecbHJXqywTTRiIv0vQ84GIxDdvraa2FD3KP54YvmxzR7FeFxoFEVNOXlAjB6xv4GE-7nDyTz4cFYWzA50MB5kQ/s320/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+065.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was now getting dark and we started to get a bit peckish. There were so many choices from soups, barbeques, crepes, pao com chourico (the beautiful wood fired baked bread with spicy sausage) - you name it, could could get it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fancy some pork?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoOYOZjVuKCvuhP66Np74EDbKmW-QZp-mEHau8XzbRtsjTObph9Ya1dfpi9z_eRtcjp9PWJ3rILHX-qX1M4ZKB3xv5iXjJxkIEslACbte75YDea41hitzeSOQsmx8fR0EQDHDYbE8Yo5S/s1600/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoOYOZjVuKCvuhP66Np74EDbKmW-QZp-mEHau8XzbRtsjTObph9Ya1dfpi9z_eRtcjp9PWJ3rILHX-qX1M4ZKB3xv5iXjJxkIEslACbte75YDea41hitzeSOQsmx8fR0EQDHDYbE8Yo5S/s320/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+048.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Perhaps you prefer ribs or sausages?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We sat at a table with a lovely local couple who quizzed us about Wales as surprisingly for their age group, they wanted to visit Wales and not London as they prefer the countryside. It never fails to amaze me how the Portuguese are so interested in why we chose to live in Portugal. They love it when we tell them it is because of the people, the culture, the lifestyle and, of course, the food. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was getting late so we decided to leave and as as we headed for our car, this strange procession of quite alarming looking monsters headed into the crowds which parted to let them through.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23mepfVqMqYA2dLmM_4qYsSDCmL8crv4wvl-E2BxdDC-BIQERAUQ071xE9yEhg55kBG9-05NMFj6LuQS9cXIc3GO8zd6B7mzWdXtIJSRar_4X4De-QVcV-UjSIv-zVpBMxtXVsxkz_R_u/s1600/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23mepfVqMqYA2dLmM_4qYsSDCmL8crv4wvl-E2BxdDC-BIQERAUQ071xE9yEhg55kBG9-05NMFj6LuQS9cXIc3GO8zd6B7mzWdXtIJSRar_4X4De-QVcV-UjSIv-zVpBMxtXVsxkz_R_u/s320/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+069.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not certain about what these were supposed to be or represent but they were scary</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHiBzgiTqixx646jmHbHhLB5zFjG5QcTf20ToP2VhBl4Mncponbh79hXSj8Sv0AhBBukhM0Fiexbfvy4f8mIRw0WFoOBwxadZfx0wekthGaaIRCUQxOT6RLk5CIFjWNmcT346i4MYhkHK/s1600/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHiBzgiTqixx646jmHbHhLB5zFjG5QcTf20ToP2VhBl4Mncponbh79hXSj8Sv0AhBBukhM0Fiexbfvy4f8mIRw0WFoOBwxadZfx0wekthGaaIRCUQxOT6RLk5CIFjWNmcT346i4MYhkHK/s320/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+068.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we were leaving we looked back and saw just how popular this event is. We will be back again next year.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoa31gupACeF5SJ86MYX7awJfDAnYG4fG_1PauuOmkcIPhgiUqNJVgwRGqyO0TrwWTwRqHZhDsIOT_ZR1mK6dWTUhS7g2zS4owANwCBdCw0UgKegCdHQ7srhsJGo-KSLdt5a195ehh8MKl/s1600/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoa31gupACeF5SJ86MYX7awJfDAnYG4fG_1PauuOmkcIPhgiUqNJVgwRGqyO0TrwWTwRqHZhDsIOT_ZR1mK6dWTUhS7g2zS4owANwCBdCw0UgKegCdHQ7srhsJGo-KSLdt5a195ehh8MKl/s320/Medieaval+Fayre+Sao+Pedro+de+Penaferrim+19+July+2013+078.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-84962439671064403752013-08-13T19:00:00.000+01:002013-08-13T19:00:31.773+01:00Night life<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Living here on the side of the Sintra hills, we tend to have rather a quiet social life, preferring to be of the 'early to rise, early to bed' types but occasionally we have a night out - and thoroughly enjoy it for being something special.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last year, as I mentioned in a previous blog, we had the pleasure of meeting Luis and Regina who run Insider Cooking (<a href="http://www.insider-cooking.com/">www.insider-cooking.com</a>) and they told us about an event that takes place up in the village of Penedo, where the locals comes together and organise a music and food event in June. Obviously we were very interested and kept a keen eye out for when it was going to take place.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJjsTPCqhrH2pN2bdlu4s2pLWkefpI-Blc6YQvmiF3eQL74NPRzfQGTclXjcqBVN1sd9sRNDIZEBKXd7jXmGac_bKHcCmsq6n4YuXZBASon3gucbkIBmKR9pz5IV9dbEU_7Ndxr8q_xUcG/s1600/Penedo+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJjsTPCqhrH2pN2bdlu4s2pLWkefpI-Blc6YQvmiF3eQL74NPRzfQGTclXjcqBVN1sd9sRNDIZEBKXd7jXmGac_bKHcCmsq6n4YuXZBASon3gucbkIBmKR9pz5IV9dbEU_7Ndxr8q_xUcG/s320/Penedo+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Regina</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Luis</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we subscribe the magazine from their site, we got early warning of the two day event and promptly reserved our tickets for the Friday 14 June. The event was called '<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Sons e Sabores do Penedo' ('Sounds and Flavours of Penedo) and we chose the Friday because it was was Jazz. The musicians on this night were <span lang="PT" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: PT; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Mário Laginha, André Fernandes, Demian Caboud and Marcos Cavaleiro. The food specialities from Germany, Austria and France were overseen by Chef Bernard Phister who is the Head Chef at Hotel Palacio in Estoril.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="PT" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: PT; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">On the night we drove up to the hilltop village and managed to park quite easily just below the centre of the village. We walked up to the <span style="color: black;">Tuna Euterpe União Penedense building which was the musical event was being held. This is what the building normally looks like for most of the year.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, this particular evening, the front patio section was full of people chatting and enjoying a refreshing glass of Espumante Conde de Vimioso before going across to the Mercearia da Aldeia do Penedo, where a selection of mustards and vinegars from Austria were available for tasting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Guests enjoying a pre-dinner drink</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around 8.30pm we all headed up to the local restaurant, Refugio do Ciclista (Cyclists Refuge) to have a dinner of a terrine of wild boar and goat cheese, followed by a selection of barbeque specialities from what is claimed to be the best German butcher in the Algarve (Hotel Vila Vita, Algarve) with 3 different mustards, potato salad, coleslaw, beetroot and green salad, finished off with Apfelstrudel with custard and apricot schnapps. There was also a choice of white, red and rosé wine from Conde de Vimioso.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The tables set out ready for the special dinner</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Refugio do Ciclista in Penedo is one of our favourite lunch places. It is a wonderfully simple place with long tables covered in white paper tablecloths and we all sit on long benches and it has been the greatest place to meet people from all walks of life. The menus are simple - either 6 or 8 euros - which includes a soup, a main course and dessert along with a bottle of local wine, lemonade, olives and bread inclusive. You choose from the selection of items in the display cabinet and then it is grilled on a monster grill - no 'ping ping' here. Just good wholesome food in a wonderfully unpretentious location.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This particular night, it looked somewhat different with tables beautifully laid out, with waiters kitted out in black and white and Insider Cooking maroon aprons. We were on a table with Portuguese, Welsh, German people - in fact the guests were a United Nations of nationalities! We all tucked in to a lovely meal along with rather good wines. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Guests enjoying dinner</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After dinner we all made our way next door to have coffee and then down the street to the concert venue and the jazz concert. Once everyone was settled, a welcoming speech was given and the music started. Sadly, due to having a very early start in the morning, we could not stay until the end of the concert, but what we saw and heard was excellent. Definitely looking forward to the next one in 2014.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Paulo and his Dad serving coffees and drinks</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enjoying the night air before the concert outside the cafe</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The concert in full swing</span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-46042043988033314352013-08-13T18:13:00.000+01:002013-08-13T18:13:09.924+01:00Short trip to Porto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Recently I was lucky enough to have a mini break up in Porto with one of my best friends from the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>, who nipped over for a few days in the sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got a great deal at the Sheraton Hotel and Spa in the Boavista area of the city and I got e.tickets from <a href="http://www.cp.pt/">www.cp.pt</a> for 55 euros each return – not bad for a journey of 2 hours and 44 minutes considering the extortionate rates people have to pay in the UK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The train we chose was the Alpha Pendular, which is about 20 minutes faster than the Intercity version.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Santa Apolonia Station in Lisbon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The e.ticket states your carriage number and seat allocation so finding your place was very easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The interior of the train was clean and more like a plane with comfortable seats and folding tables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were next to the buffet car but there was also a trolley service with various snacks and drinks and a steward also came round asking people if they wanted lunch and then it was delivered (hot) to your seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously, as is the way of all travel, the snacks etc are not cheap but they fill a hole if you want them.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The interior of the Alpha Pendular</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We set off bang on time and above the doorways you can see the usual next station information but alongside that, was the speed of the train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Alpha Pendular is a fast train – I mean fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point we hit 230kph (142mph).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although there was a bit of a roll, it was nothing like First Great Western in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> at a much lower (practically stationary) speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We passed through some beautifully blue tiled rural stations as well as more rustic ones which looked quite sad in comparison.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The countryside was interesting as it changed from urban to rural constantly. Railway type cottages next to the line, vast areas of agriculture with cows, sheep, goats, horses etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were wonderful olive trees with massive trunks, fruit trees laden with fruit, fabulous villas, sprawling farms, curious ruins with colourful climbing vines over them, church towers, abandoned factories - something different every kilometre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In no time we arrived at Porto Campanha station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A quick, and rather hair raising (even with my experience) trip by taxi to the hotel and we were in <st1:place w:st="on">Porto</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Porto Campanha Station</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We checked in and were given </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">an upgrade giving us use of the Club facilities.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">ssued with our ‘key’ – our luggage having been mysteriously whipped away – we headed for the all glass lifts.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now it has been quite some time since I stayed in a Sheraton and technology has moved on dramatically.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The ‘key’ (think credit card) has to be inserted into a slot in the lift and removed quickly and then you hit the button for the floor you want.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Well, we played with this for a bit and then got the wrist movement right and successful hit the 10</span><sup style="font-family: Verdana;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> floor.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The same wrist action was required to use the ‘key’ to get into the room where our luggage was already in place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I was a bit taken aback at the glass wall between the bedroom and bathroom and it took some investigating to work out how to drop and close the blind on it as neither of us fancied seeing each other’s lumps and bumps in the bathroom. We had the usual robes, slippers, toiletries etc but no tea and coffee making facilities in the room. The room service menu and prices of the stuff in the mini fridge were extortionate but we were happy with the inclusive breakfast and free Club facilities instead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The double bed version of our twin-bedded room - note the view into the bathroom!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The map of <st1:place w:st="on">Porto issued by the hotel and the tourist office</st1:place> is unwieldy and pinpoints a vulnerable tourist so I put it away and resorted to asking a local for the nearest metro which involved a bit of a walk. We got off at Trinidade and wandered down to Avenida dos Aliados and looked around the square at the wonderful buildings. Then headed up towards the Torre dos Clerigos – a fantastic tower that is a particular landmark for <st1:place w:st="on">Porto</st1:place>. We were fortunate enough to be next to the tower at 6.00pm and were treated to a wonderful carillion of bells – apparently this happens at 12.00 and 6.00pm every day so we struck lucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked and walked and eventually took a taxi to the waterfront as we had been given the name of a little restaurant not far from the Farol de <st1:place w:st="on">Sao Miguel</st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, being a Monday, it was closed so the taxi driver took us back up to Rua do Carmo and we found an absolute jewel of a restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The metro</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Avenida dos Aliados</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Torre dos Clerigos</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">A Tasquinha (</span><a href="http://www.atasquinha.com/" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: purple;">www.atasquinha.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">) serves traditional Portuguese food and considering we found it by pure accident, it made such an impression we returned for dinner the next night. The head waiter (whose name I stupidly did not get) was amused at our choice of dishes – I don’t think many tourists go for Favas (a delicious broad bean stew).</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I have to say that both meals were some of the best I have ever eaten in </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: Verdana;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Portugal</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The exterior of the restaurant. You can enter from the side or from below where the tables and chairs are</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The interior of the restaurant</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The rather splendid selection of wines</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The next day was our only full day so we took advantage of the Yellow Bus Tour (<a href="http://www.yellowbus.com/">www.yellowbus.com</a>) and as we had bought our tickets at the hotel (22 euros each including river trip), it entitled us to travel on the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>local bus into Avenida dos Aliados to pick up the tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have never done one of these tourist bus trips before but cannot recommend it highly enough. It is a ‘hop on, hop off’ tour which allows you to stop and visit anything that takes your fancy and then rejoin. You are issued with free headphones which you plug in and listen to a commentary about the city and its monuments, places of interest etc. The tour took nearly two hours and was fascinating as it was Historical Porto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You get a really good feel for the city and because you are high up, you get a wonderful view of streets, parks, monuments, the river and the beautiful bridges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You also get to see the residential areas and there are some beautiful villas – old and new – parks and gardens to see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Yellow Bus</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A view of Porto from the Vila Nova da Gaia side - Torre dos Clerigos on the skyline</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The pretty boats and bridges</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When we got back we had a late lunch at a super little tasca – Garota da Baixa in Rua das Flores and made friends with Estela Pereira – a lovely lady who was working there since she had been made redundant from a hotel that had closed down.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">A real loss to the hotel industry because she was bright and sparky with excellent English and would be a real addition to tourism.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I really hope she finds a full time job soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We then got on the Yellow Bus again and this time we were on the Porto Castles tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again another two hours of interest, this time we went across the river over to Vila Nova da Gaia, where the port wine buildings (and tastings) are and then back along through Foz and Matosinhos where we spotted this beautiful piece of work – the locals call it the Anemone – dedicated to the fishing industry. I would love to see it billowing in a winter wind as although it was fairly windy on the bus, it must be incredible in a real gale. Sadly we ran out of time for the river trip but the four hours touring <st1:place w:st="on">Porto</st1:place> was so worth the 22 euros.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things you definitely would not have seen by ourselves in such a short time frame.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Anemone sculpture</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vila Nova da Gaia frontage</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In the evening, after refreshing ourselves back at the hotel in the Club, we went back down to the Ribeiro area to look at the local food fair.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lots of interesting stalls selling cheeses, wines, handicrafts along with food stalls.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">We then had a wander along the front before dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The next day, as we were on the 11.40 Alpha Pendular back to <st1:city w:st="on">Lisbon</st1:city>, we just lazed around the hotel discussing our impressions of <st1:place w:st="on">Porto</st1:place> and how much we had enjoyed the whole short trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I certainly thought there had been a big improvement since I last visited (2002).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The riverfront is full of interesting buildings, cafes, restaurants, the original tram also still runs down here and up into the centre, a helipad for flights over the city, boat trips up the river to see the sights and the bridges. On the Vila Nova da Gaia side there was also a Teleferico de Gaia (looked like good fun but we did not have time) On the other hand, similar to Lisbon, there is a lot of retail outlets that are empty and rundown and I felt the streets could have been a bit cleaner but all in all, it is well worth a trip and I hope it won’t be too long before I return.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Teleferico de Gaia</span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-46176394630261878582013-03-14T20:38:00.000+00:002013-03-14T20:38:08.863+00:00LET'S CLEAN THE BEACH<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Saturday 30 March, 2013 down at Praia Pequena, Colares, Sintra, there will be a beach clean up. Susanna Cole of <a href="http://www.quintabeiramar.com/">www.quintabeiramar.com</a> has decided to get involved and is asking for volunteers to come along and help. Glenn and I will be going along and ask others to join us if possible. We will be meeting at 11.30am.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pretty Praia Pequena</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now before people start muttering about the state of beaches in this part of the world, I would like to point out that during the winter, an awful lot of debris gets dumped on the beaches from the storms that the Atlantic likes to batter us with. Earlier in the week in fact, I saw a JCB digger scraping driftwood off the beach at Praia das Macas which had been brought in on the high tides we have at this time of year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Susanna's initiative got me thinking about litter in general.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I was at primary school, we were all taught to respect the rules of the countryside – always close gates, keep dogs on leads, do not trespass etc – and also to not throw our rubbish anywhere except in the bin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There again, in those days there was far less unnecessary wrapping to be disposed of compared to today’s overkill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">There were frequent campaigns on KEEP BRITAIN TIDY – some more memorable or disastrous than others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Litter bins were everywhere and used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, as years went on, packaging increased; threats of bomb attacks meant litter bins were few and far between; fast food/takeaway joints opened and slowly the clean streets became a distant memory, along with the ever present street cleaner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When you went on holiday and went to the beach, you would have taken a picnic carefully put together by your mother, which would be carried in the proper picnic basket, complete with cutlery, china, tablecloth and glassware and any rubbish would be repacked and disposed at an appropriate bin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Drinks tended to be in thermos flasks too - no plastic bottles or cans. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An example of a proper picnic basket</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I had a google about the problems with debris on beaches and decided it needs to be shared and hopefully the message will start to get through to those members of society who need reminding about leaving the planet for others (difficult concept for some I know but we can but hope).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Beach litter is now at the highest level since records began; n<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">early 2,000 items of rubbish per kilometre! </span> <strong>A rise of 135% since 1994.</strong> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">It kills wildlife, looks disgusting, is a hazard to health and costs millions to clear up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and if they eat a bag, it can block their stomachs leading them to starve to death - how horrible is that? Seabirds think plastic litter is food which they then eat and die. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Plastic never biodegrades (rots). It just breaks down into small pieces and lurks on beaches, in the stomachs of marine life, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Where does all this come from? Guess? Yes, you're right. It comes from us, the public and also from shipping, fishing activities, sewage pipes and it can all be prevented.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Plastics make up the majority of debris found on beaches, and has been found to make up half of all the debris on remote desert islands. Easy to see how when our throw-away lifestyle is examined. No bins? Chuck it on the ground, in someone's garden, anywhere but where it should go. A recent study by UNEP or the United Nations Environment Programme, reckoned that there were 46,000 pieces of plastic litter per square mile!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because plastics are extremely cheap, durable (hard wearing), lightweight, and versatile - they have replaced many traditional materials (metal, glass and wood). This also means that they are the most pervasive, persistent and hazardous form of litter in the marine environment. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Remember the devastating tsunami in Japan? Floating debris can also be transported substantial distances by wind and currents like the empty fishing boat that turned up in the US all the way from Japan. </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Litter can travel thousands of miles around the world’s oceans. In 1992 twenty containers full of plastic ducks and other toys were lost overboard from a ship travelling from <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region> to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Seattle</st1:place></st1:city>. By 1994 some of the toys had been tracked to <st1:state w:st="on">Alaska</st1:state>, others reached <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iceland</st1:place></st1:country-region> in 2000. The toys have now been sighted in the Arctic, Pacific and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Atlantic</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Oceans</st1:placetype></st1:place>.</span></span></span></div>
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Some of the Tsunami refuse that arrived in the US </div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Portuguese beaches have a great system of recycling bins as well as portable ashtrays, but of course there are people who do feel that they need to use them - irresponsible people only and more than likely non-local. I would like to think this is down to plain ignorance but I have actually seen tourists stub out cigarettes in the sand rather than get off their bottoms and retrieve a red plastic container from the stand, to put them in. A bit like the way they can't be bothered to read the signs on the beaches (in English as well as Portuguese) about warning flags for swimming.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p><span style="color: black;">Fishermen can also be careless or just unlucky, with their gear being swept out to sea and coming back to be debris on the beach, although leaving their beer bottles and other rubbish is not careless but thoughtless.</span> </o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How can we help stop this debris reaching our shores. Well we can stop buying things that are covered in plastic or if you cannot avoid it, make sure it is recycled properly and if you are on a beach, take it home with you or put in the correct bin on the beach.</span> </span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stop using plastic supermarket bags or plastic bags from anywhere. There are plenty of cheap, material alternatives that you can tuck in your handbag. Better still, buy a nice handmade basket and keep the basket making industry alive and thriving. We do not need plastic bags.</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the beach, if you bring food to eat, make sure you dispose of the packaging or leftovers responsibly. You would not want to step in someone's leftovers would you? Nor would you want anyone to end up with a disease from stepping on a broken bottle you have carelessly (or drunkenly) left on the sand.</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p>So anyone who has some spare time on Saturday 30 March, who cares about our beautiful coastline, come along to Praia Pequena (inbetween Praia Grande and Praia das Macas) near Colares, Sintra and lend a hand. Or, check out <a href="http://www.initiativesoceanes.org/">www.initiativesoceanes.org</a> or <a href="http://www.surfrider.eu/">www.surfrider.eu</a> who are also on Facebook as <span itemprop="name">Ocean Initiatives Surfrider Foundation Europe, </span>to see whether you could organise one of your own wherever you live. Thank you.</o:p></div>
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Praia Pequena</div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-52355357519861193562013-03-08T10:20:00.000+00:002013-03-08T10:20:41.699+00:00Art for Art's Sake (Apologies to 10cc)<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The first painting I really remember as a child, was a large reproduction of Maurice Utrillo's 'The Dead End'. This was positioned over the fireplace and I remember spending quite a bit of time looking at it. Perhaps this is where my interest in art began. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Dead End - Maurice Utrillo</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Along the corridors at Granada Television in Manchester were some amazing works of art that Sidney Bernstein, the founder of Granada Television in Manchester, collected. After his death I believe a lot of his collection went to the Manchester Art Gallery. Years later, wandering around the fascinating Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon (<a href="http://www.museu.gulbenkian.pt/">www.museu.gulbenkian.pt</a>), I saw something that rang a bell. It looked like a Bridget Riley that had been at Granada, but this was a different colour. I went closer - it was a Bridget Riley. I realised that unwittingly, the paintings I saw every day for 13 years, had left a lasting impression.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In Edinburgh I fell in love with the work of Ken Lochhead, a local artist. I managed to buy five of his originals, featuring various views of Cramond and Leith which look really good here in Portugal but my favourites are two fabulous, commissioned ones featuring the River Almond. I never get tired of looking at his work on my walls. His website is run by his wife Sheila (Ken sadly died in 2006) <a href="http://www.kenlochhead.co.uk/">www.kenlochhead.co.uk</a>. These are my two commissioned favourites.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> Cottages in Dowie's Mill Lane, Cramond, Edinburgh 1986</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">A view to the Cramond Brig Bridge 1986</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">There was a period when I abandoned blogging to help a friend of very long standing, to write his autobiography. I have known Joe, (strictly speaking Christopher Joe Beard) since I was a teenager and he was part of The Purple Gang. The band possibly more famous for having their first single banned by the BBC. The problem was, as perceived by the ancient panel who passed records for radio play in those long off days, was the line: "...so once year Granny takes a trip". Had the idiots listened to all the lyrics properly and not focused on the word 'trip', the lives of the band members would have been very different. The late John Peel was a big fan of the band and was the first DJ to play their second single, 'Kiss me Goodnight Sally Green'. For those of you who have never heard the classic, check out 'Granny Takes a Trip' and other gems by the band on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/">www.youtube.com</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">However I digress. Joe, apart from still being a musician and writing a fascinating autobiography 'Taking the Purple', which hopefully will be published some time this year, is also an artist. His story of keeping the legacy of The Purple Gang alive and combining it with being an accomplished artist, is fascinating but as all authors/artists need sales, you will have to wait for the book. I will say that his adventures in music and art are hilarious at times, moving at others. I am very fortunate to have one of his works on my wall which reminds me of happy times in Cheshire. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Coppice Road Allotments, Cheshire</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Private Fitton Kings Royal Rifle Corps 1914<br />Collection of Mr. G.Fitton of Hampshire</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love this one - what a character</span></div>
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Councillor Thelma Jackson, the last ever Mayor of Macclesfield</div>
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A very handsome horse </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Joe does commissions and is building a website and blog at present but if anyone fancies a portrait, please contact me and I will put you in touch with him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Another artist I met here in Portugal, and am lucky enough to have one of her works on my walls, is the daughter of a respected Portuguese artist, Rui de Azevedo. Vanessa's works adorn the walls of various branches of Barclays Bank in Portugal and she has exhibited all around Europe. I think her work is really interesting. Her website is <a href="http://vanessaazevedo.com/">http://vanessaazevedo.com</a>. Here are three of my favourites but please check out her site for other beautiful examples of her work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Igreja de Carcavelos (Carcavelos Church)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Casa da Sarola, Norte</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Obviously I have to add this one as a reminder of the beautiful Cotswolds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Cotswold Cottage</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another couple of talented artists I have had the pleasure of knowing are Nadja Kirschgarten and Nicholas Ferguson. Nadja lived next door to me in Malmesbury for a time and now is an accomplished artist who studied <span class="hps" closure_uid_140328892="281" md="null">Visual Arts </span><span class="hps" closure_uid_140328892="282" md="null">at the University</span> <span class="hps" closure_uid_140328892="283" md="null">of </span><span class="hps" closure_uid_140328892="284" md="null">Arts, Bern. To see more of her work go to <a href="http://www.najakirschgarden.com/">www.najakirschgarden.com</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="hps" closure_uid_140328892="284" md="null"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trees by Nadja Kirschgarten</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="hps" closure_uid_140328892="284" md="null">Nicholas I met when he was a Director at Granada Television. He has a distinguished background in television and now in art and sculpture. More examples of his work can be seen at <a href="http://www.nicholasfergusonpaintings.com/">www.nicholasfergusonpaintings.com</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Grandmother's Chair by Nicholas Ferguson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I hope you enjoy my selection and if you have an interest in any of the artists and their works, do please contact them.</span></div>
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<img height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXM7qfWnDOLE7VV9x9ZaiOQw_vjWTmbW8PjSlpvQGwVF-PYY8d0pAkOI0h7eVZC-8Ig0N_pD1apNXh3DmA468e5ilrfqyZSZF06Yq6N22-87gNucg7IFHSG51u8-6UKK6cZlF3w1ejTO4/s320/056%5B1%5D.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 486px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 906px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" />Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-46068147048754754712013-03-07T19:05:00.000+00:002013-03-07T19:05:38.884+00:00Why you should visit this part of Portugal<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the winter slowly but surely departs and spring appears, thoughts turn to holidays. The reason to go abroad for holidays is normally driven by desperation to see some sunshine or to have a new experience in a foreign country. Whatever the reason for it, I am going to try and encourage people to come and explore my part of Portugal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">For those who do not know much about the country, the capital of Portugal is Lisbon. A city spread over seven hills with so much to see it would be impossible to fit it all in - you might need to come back! Lisbon has its own castle - Castelo de Sao Jorge (St George's Castle) which overlooks the city and the rio Tejo (River Tagus). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Castelo Sao Jorge at night (courtesy of Lonely Planet)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However much as I love Lisbon, I think the part of Portugal I live in deserves a bit more publicity. It only takes about 40 minutes by car or train to reach Sintra. So near and yet so far for some tourists who come to Lisbon via cruise ships. Recently someone told me that the cruises offer Sintra as an optional extra. They drive from Lisbon via Cascais/Guincho/Cabo de Roca to Sintra where they have just 40 minutes. 40 minutes. Good grief. There is no way you can explore even the Royal Palace in the centre of the town, in that time. What a shame. If only there was a way to persuade people to ignore the coach outing, grab a train and in 40 minutes you are in Sintra and can spend a few hours, not minutes, looking around and marvelling at the views, the buildings, the palaces and fitting in a quick snack or lunch to get a bit of an impression.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sintra Vila</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Sintra Council has a great website detailing what's on and where to go at <a href="http://www.cm-sintra.pt/">www.cm-sintra.pt</a> and it has a button for English in case you worry you won't understand anything. There is also a great site for accommodation <a href="http://www.sintrainn.net/">www.sintrainn.net</a> which has English and Spanish options. Wonderful choice of places to stay too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sintra is full of hidden gems like fountains where people fill up their water bottles weekly, because tradition has it that the water from the Sintra hills is very good for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fonte Mourisca (Moorish Fountain)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It has Palacia de Pena (The Pena Palace), Palacia Nacional de Sintra(the National Palace of Sintra), Palacio e Quinta da Regaleira (the Palace and Farm of Regaleira), O Castelo dos Mouros (The Moorish Castle), Palacio de Monserrate (The Palace of Monserrate) and that is just a hint of what there is to explore. There are museums covering art, toys, literature, science - so much to see and do all within the city of Sintra.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If you are a keen walker, then the hills or Serra, are ideal. There is a lot to explore not least the Convento dos Capuchos (Convent of the Capuchos) right on the top of the Serra. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ruins of the Convent of the Capuchos</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There really is something for everyone in Sintra</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If you prefer the countryside to staying in Sintra, why not try a really authentic holiday and stay in one of the local villages like Almocageme, Colares or Praia das Macas? All of these are within 20 minutes of Sintra, on regular bus routes to either Cascais or Sintra, where you can get the train to Lisbon. It is also only 40 minutes to get to the beautiful seaside town of Ericeira. You will gain a feel of what everyday Portugal is like as this part of the world does not suffer from the commercialism that blights other parts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The old part of Colares showing the Church</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Colares has local shops selling newspapers, gifts, groceries, hardware shops, hairdressers, estate agents, banks, post office, chemist, petrol stations, some rather good cafes, restaurants, hotels, a river with ducks to feed and is on the tram line from Sintra to Praia das Macas.</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is also only minutes from three beaches - Praia das Macas, Praia Grande and Praia da Adraga. A regular bus service to Sintra and Cascais and Praia das Macas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A street scene in Almocageme</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Almocageme, like Colares has various mini supermarkets, gift shops, laundry, butchers, cafes, hairdressers, electrical shops, bread shops, restaurants and is only a few minutes (by car, longer by foot) from Praia da Adraga. Also a regular bus service to both Cascais and Sintra. A market on a Thursday and then on Saturdays and Sundays, there is a street market selling fruit and vegetables by the side of the main road from Colares to Cascais.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Praia das Macas</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">A very sweet seaside town which is at the end of the line for the tram from Sintra. It has restaurants (including seafood ones), grocery shops, butchers, cafes, hotels, chemist, gift shops, newsagents - everything you expect down at the seaside. Again has a regular bus service to Sintra (if you are going to Cascais, you can change buses in Colares).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A pretty street in Ericeira</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The interior of Ericeira is very traditional - all painted in blue and white and has a lovely atmosphere. It has everything a town requires from large daily market, to supermarkets on the outskirts of the town. The shops are a mix of traditional and modern, mixed in with butchers, bakers, cafes, banks, tourist office, hotels, restaurants. Something for everyone. A very popular resort for surfers as is all of this coastline. You can also get there by bus from Sintra.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Accommodation in all of the places I have written about varies from expensive hotels to bed and breakfast. You can, of course, always go for the self catering option and there are many that advertise on the internet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lisbon airport is served by most low cost airlines from late March to October and obviously the major airlines fly daily. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I do hope you consider trying this part of the world for its wonderful views, beaches, food, wine and history.</span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-34633621342417358182013-03-07T13:10:00.000+00:002013-03-08T10:30:59.645+00:00Location, Location, Location<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Do you ever wonder where some of the best British television programmes or films are filmed? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Have </span>you ever thought a location looked a bit familiar?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well you are probably right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some locations are used frequently because they most closely resemble the period in history that the producers are looking for. <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bath</st1:place></st1:city> (Spa), or even Aguae Sulis - which was its original name in Roman times has always been popular.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> Its streets and houses have been used in films such as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Music Lovers, </i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vanity Fair,</i></b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Duchess</i></b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fantastic Mr Fox</i></b> and more recently in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Les Miserables.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An aerial view of the City of Bath</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pulteney Bridge, Bath</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.visitbath.co.uk/">www.visitbath.co.uk</a> is an excellent website giving you everything you want to know about <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bath, where to stay</st1:place></st1:city> and what to visit.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Filming in Lacock Village, Wiltshire</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Close to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bath</st1:place></st1:city> are some other very popular locations. </span><st1:placename w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lacock</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Village</st1:placetype> was used for many episodes of the classic <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cranford</i></b> television series as Knutsford (the original setting) in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Cheshire</st1:city></st1:place> was felt to have become too modern to be used. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lacock Village minus film crews</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince</i></b> also used it successfully as did <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Other Boleyn Girl</i></b>. Lacock is not just a village but home to Lacock Abbey and the famous Fox Talbot Museum. Check out this website to discover more. <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lacock/"><span style="color: purple;">www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lacock/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bridge over Bybrook River in Castle Combe</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Nearby is the beautiful Castle Coombe which has featured in the original, classic <strong><em>Dr Doolittle</em></strong><strong><em>,</em></strong> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The</i></b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wolfman</i></b> and the award winning <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The War Horse</i></b>. <a href="http://www.castle-coombe.com/">www.castle-coombe.com</a> is the village website and shows it claims to be the most beautiful village in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region></st1:place>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Castle Coombe Village</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> has some of the most beautiful stately homes in the world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many are ideal for locations as they can be dressed up or down to suit the subject. Interiors, exteriors, stable blocks, gardens, wooded areas, ponds, rivers, lakes are all useful tools to producers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Hardwick Hall was favourite for <strong><em>Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2</em></strong>. Check out the website for more details of the history of this magnificient building, visiting times for the house, gardens and holiday cottages. <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hardwick/"><span style="color: purple;">www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hardwick/</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Haddon Hall pops up in <strong><em>Jane Eyre</em></strong>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><strong><em>Elizabeth</em></strong>, <strong><em>Pride and Prejudice, The Princess Bride</em></strong></st1:place></st1:city> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Other Boleyn Girl</i></b>. Their website gives more details of the Hall and the families of the Manners and Vernons. <a href="http://www.haddonhall.co.uk/">www.haddonhall.co.uk</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Haddon Hall, Derbyshire</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Chatsworth is always popular with television and film crews and can be seen in <em><strong>The Wolfman</strong></em>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Duchess </i></b>and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pride and Prejudice</i></b>. Have a look at their website for more information on visiting the house, the grounds, and renting holiday cottages. <a href="http://www.chatsworth.org/">www.chatsworth.org</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chatsworth House, Derbyshire</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Peak District is home to other stately homes such as Eyam Hall (<a href="http://www.eyamhall.co.uk/">www.eyamhall.co.uk</a>), Renishaw Hall (<a href="http://www.renishaw-hall.co.uk/">www.renishaw-hall.co.uk</a>) and Tissington Hall (<a href="http://www.tissingtonhall.co.uk/">www.tissingtonhall.co.uk</a>) in Derbyshire and then Adlington Hall (<a href="http://www.adlingtonhall.com/">www.adlingtonhall.com</a>), Gawsworth Hall (<a href="http://www.gawsworthhall.com/">www.gawsworthhall.com</a>) and Lyme Park (<a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme-hall">www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme-hall</a>) in Cheshire</span>. <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All of the stately homes have long histories, beautiful gardens and wonderful interiors that leave lasting impressions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So if you want a change from a city break, try taking a break in the South West of England and explore Bristol, Bath, Castle Coombe and Lacock or try the North West and explore the beautiful Peak District.</span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-61581800066397797072013-02-27T15:39:00.001+00:002013-02-27T15:39:56.344+00:00Interesting bits and bobs<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I was looking a facts for my blog, 'Hundreds of Years of Friendship', I discovered a few interesting things that I had not been aware of before and thought I might share them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As a child growing up, the radio was a huge part of our lives and I learnt the names of fascinating foreign places using the dial to wander around the top of the radio. We listened to the radio religiously on Sundays because that was the day when Cliff Michelmore and Jean Metcalfe broadcast the very popular 'Two Way Family Favourites'. This must have been where I came to hear a tune that stuck in my mind. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I started visiting Lisbon on a regular basis, I kept hearing a familiar tune but didn't take much notice except for having that fleeting feeling of having heard it somewhere before. Last week, cruising around music sites, I discovered that the tune was called 'Coimbra' in Portuguese and was one of the signature songs of the famous Amalia Rodrigues - arguably one of the best Fado singers ever - but it had been translated into English and was known as 'April in Portugal' or more weirdly 'Whisp'ring Seranade'. The reason I recognised it was that it had been a huge hit for Vic Damone (a very popular American singer) in 1953 and had reached the American charts and must have been a popular choice for the radio request programmes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Written by Raoul Ferrao about the beautiful Portuguese city of Coimbra, the Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy put English words to it and gave it the title of 'April in Portugal' and it became one of the most recorded songs of the 1950's. Jimmy Kennedy was also responsible for the words to 'The Teddy Bears Picnic', 'Red Sails in the Sunset' and 'My Prayer'. I also discovered it had been covered by Bing Crosby, Eartha Kitt and Louis Armstrong to name but a few. It is a very haunting song but I never realised that it was originally a very famous portuguese fado song.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdnaBIs75sOdoYWOyq5x9c5Id4FXktdCoDcn8nc1UzYKQhERGy1VISmUvCy1IWmB_E_3lc-g0Jgd9anCfH0pSr-1qn8v0Vk-xtc9qiu67Na4f3f9uRIoHhG4296sNXMlUrlXW5di1hvuN/s1600/amalia%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gsa="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdnaBIs75sOdoYWOyq5x9c5Id4FXktdCoDcn8nc1UzYKQhERGy1VISmUvCy1IWmB_E_3lc-g0Jgd9anCfH0pSr-1qn8v0Vk-xtc9qiu67Na4f3f9uRIoHhG4296sNXMlUrlXW5di1hvuN/s320/amalia%5B1%5D.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amalia Rodrigues</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">In those days, we were privileged enough to have a TV. Hilarious when I think of it now. It had something like a 9 inch screen with a large magnifying glass hung over it by means of canvas or leather straps. Our tomcat loved to sit on top of it and hang his tail over the screen which made viewing difficult. I also vividly remember the excitement of being told we were at last going to have the second channel - ITV - and had memorised the programming from a luckier school chum who was already watching Hopalong Cassidy etc. My poor father was up in the loft tweeking the aerial whilst we shouted up to him whether the screen was still 'snowing' or we could see a programme. </span><div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This looks remarkably like the set we had and below is a magnifier - ours was clear and not pink!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> A TV magnifier </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I was a TV addict from an early age. TV in those days was very exciting to a youngster. I remember trying my hardest to get out of Sunday School afternoons because there would be an old film on which I wanted to see. Sometimes I succeeded but most times I didn't. The variety shows on Saturdays and Sundays were always interesting with their mix of singers, comedians, magicians and exotic acts of some description either with or without hoops, balls and plates. I remember getting a bit of a lecture from my teacher at primary because my diary for the weekend consisted of a review of the programmes I had been glued to - most likely 'Oh Boy' and '6 5 Special'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">One image from old films was that of a lady with fruit in her hair. Very glamorous and scantily clad - quite shocking in those days - she always made an impression and her name added to the vision - Carmen Miranda. I discovered that she was actually called Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha and had been born in Vazea da Ovelha e Aliviad in northern Portugal but moved to Brazil in 1910 and although she never came back to Portugal she kept her Portuguese nationality all her life.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span lang="PT" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: PT;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Carmen was a nickname given to her by her father because of his love of opera. Later she got two more - The Brazilian Bombshell and The Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat.</span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="PT" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: PT;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">She showed a love of singing and dancing from a young age and, when she was 14 she went to work in a hat shop - later opening her own profitable hat business. She went into show business and was a successful samba dancer and singer and became the first contract singer in radio history in Brazil. She was discovered by Hollywood from her appearances in Brazilian documentaries and films. After a brief appearance in an Abbott and Costello film she became a media sensation. President D Roosevelt thought she was a good person to strengthen links with Europe and Latin America and her fame spread to such an extent that she was the first Latina to leave her hand and footprints outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre. In 1945 she was the highest paid entertainer and top female tax payer in the US!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">More than half a million people escorted her coffin to her burial in Rio de Janeiro in 1955. As can been seen from the photos, she certainly made an impression on me and people still remember her to this day and not that long ago John Cale of the Velvet Underground recorded a song for his album 'Words for the Dying' called 'The Soul of Carmen Miranda'. Another legacy from her fame is costume jewellery in fruit designs which is now very collectable. She also has a square named after her and a Star on Hollywood Boulevard. In Portugal there is Museu Municipal Carmen Miranda in Marco de Canaveses which has photographs and one of her hats with a statue of her outside. In Rio de Janeiro yet another museum has some of her original costumes and also shows clips from her film work. To bring her up-to-date, in the new film 'Gangster Squad' (2013) she is played by Yvette Tucker in a nightclub scene. How wonderful that she is not forgotten.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The famous Monty Python phrase "What did the Romans ever do for us?" led me to look for what the Portuguese did for us. Now this was interesting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">How many of us have heard of a mariner's astrolabe? Probably only those of us with a keen interest in the sea and sailing. I first saw one of these on the wall of my favourite restaurant in Alfama - Malmequer Bemmequer - and was told how it helped the explorers in the Age of Discoveries. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Remembering this I started to dig into it and found that the creation and perfectioning of the mariner's astrolabe was done by the Portuguese. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The mariner's astrolabe was used until around the end of the 17th century and is now very rare. In 1979 only 35 were presumed to exist but 65 were known about by 1988. The biggest collection of them is held in museums around Portugal. Archeologists hope that during more marine archaeology, more will be uncovered. As they were made from heavy brass, they tend to last a long time in the water.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Mariner's Astrolabe</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As it was not possible to work out longtitude at sea in early exploration days, only latitude, ships sailed east or west along the latitude line until they reached land. The sun and stars were used to calculate latitude along with an almanac. They used a quadrant, a cross staff and then the mariner's astrolabe. I honestly admit I do not understand a thing about this and have just put the basics! For those who are thoroughly educated in physics or astronomy, I am sure it is all very simple. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Apparently it had to be vertically suspended to measure the altitude of the celestial object (star) so windy conditions were a bit of a nightmare I imagine, as they say that errors of four or five degrees were common even when made of brass and not wood. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">However, it must have been good as how else would anyone have found foreign shores!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The next surprise was the invention of the first 'aircraft' - 74 years before the Mongolfier Brothers took to the air in their balloon, Bartolomeu de Gusmao designed the 'Passarola'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bartolomeu was a priest from Santos in Brazil - still a Portuguese territory in those days. He studied at the University of Coimbra and was said to have had a remarkable memory and a great command of languages. He decided to improve on the ideas of the Italian, Francesco Lana de Terzi (1631-1687 who is referred to as the Father of Aeronautics because he turned the study of aeronautics into a science. Apparently he also developed the idea that eventually ended up as Braille. The things you find when you are researching!) In 1709 Bartolomeu went to King John V (Rei Joao V) to petition him for support for his invention of an airship which he really believed in. This petition has been preserved along with the picture and description of it.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">His idea was that if a huge sail was placed over a boat-like body (think covered wagon) and with tubes put through the body which, if there was no wind, air could be blown through them by bellows. It would be propelled using magnets which would be placed in two hollow metal balls. There was supposed to be a public test in the June of 1709 but it did not take place for some reason. The King must have been impressed by him as he gave him a professorship at Coimbra, made him a Canon, a member of the Academia Real de Historia (1720) and he was made Chaplain to the Court in 1722. High honours indeed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One version I found in Portuguese, does claim that an experimental flight took place from the Plaza de Armas at the Castle of St George in Lisbon and that it landed about one kilometre away, in Terreiro do Paco. It also claimed he had been persecuted by the Church as a wizard and had fled to Toledo, where he later died. It's true that he died in Toledo in 1724, but I expect we will never know the real truth of it all. Sad. This version also claims that he got the nickname of The Flying Priest or Voador, which reminded me of another famous story of a religious man. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now back in England, well before Bartolomeu there was Eilmer or Elmer, the Flying Monk! </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Malmesbury Abbey is a beautiful building and dates back to</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the 7th Century. In the 11th Century it contained the second largest library in Europe and was seen as one of the leading European seats of learning. It was also the site of a very early attempt of human flight! One of the Benedictine monks, Eilmer, thought he could fly and after attaching wings to his body, he took off from the tower and landed half way down Malmesbury High Street (although this has been disputed and Olivers Lane has been suggested as the true landing site), sustaining two broken legs in the process, which left him lame for the rest of his life. Later he is quoted as having said the reason he did not fly further was because he did not have a tail! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eilmer was known to have written about astrology and everything that we know about him is detailed in the 'Gesta regum Anglorum (Deeds of the English Kings) written by William of Malmesbury - an eminent medieval historian - in about 1125. As William was also a monk at the Abbey he must have had first hand accounts from people who had known Eilmer or witnessed the event. Some think that Eilmer was influenced by Halley's Comet which appeared in the sky in 1066. However there are no known records of his birth but William works from Eilmer's quotation:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"You've come, have you? – You've come, you source of tears to many mothers. It is long since I saw you; but as I see you now you are much more terrible, for I see you brandishing the downfall of my country."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This quotation being taken to refer to the Norman invasion of 1066 means that perhaps he was born about 984 and would have been about 5 or 6 years old when he saw the Comet but it is all highly speculative. Eilmer was an old man in 1066 and he made the flying attempt when he was quite young so the event is thought to have taken place some time early in the 11th Century - perhaps the first decade. William also thought that Eilmer would have read the fable about Daedalus (the boy who flew too close to the sun) and that would have influenced him to fit wings to his hands and feet.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Eilmer or Elmer the Flying Monk</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Whatever the truth of the matter, The Flying Monk is still a much loved character who often appears at Carnival time and is part of the history of Malmesbury and its Abbey. There was also a much loved, now sadly demolished, pub called The Flying Monk - tales of which were far and wide and very entertaining.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Courtesy of Athelstan Museum, Malmesbury, Wiltshire</span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-66991053111262613042013-02-22T16:26:00.001+00:002013-02-22T16:26:48.838+00:00I just love my Butcher<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It has been quite illuminating watching the 'Horsemeat/Donkey' scandal unfold in the UK, Ireland and Europe. For the supermarkets it has become a very welcome look into their dubious practice of keeping prices low at any cost. It also flags up the culture of blinding the shoppers with offers to save money - or so it appears until looked at in more detail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sky News happily shared with the world the revolting sight of a packaged lasagne being slithered onto a plate. How an Italian 'Momma' would react to something that looked more like slurry to a traditonal Italian lasgne, does not bear thinking of. All I could relate the vision to was the memorable occasion when Keith Floyd attempted an omelette in the kitchen of a fierce French lady and she ceremoniously binned it in front of him. Wonderful moment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I was a child my mother instilled into me that cheap is not the best and that went for everything that she bought. Cheap shoes last no time. Spend what you can on a good pair and they last for years. I, obviously, wanted to disprove this - a lot - and consequently when I was old enough to go out and buy my own shoes, quickly learnt the hard way that the cheap, fashionable shoes I pounced on, fell apart rapidly and soon went back to saving up and buying good, leather fashionable shoes from a wonderful family-run shop, Roses, in Macclesfield. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">She also hammered (verbally) into me that I should never, ever buy meat from a meat van market stall. I always presumed this must have been due to her experiences during the war, when meat was a luxury and 'meat' might not have been what it was claimed to be on the vibrant Black Market. She never made comment about other meat market stalls in indoor markets though, just the vans! She may well have been wrong but it always stuck with me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When we lived in Kettleshulme, our meat came from a lovely butcher in Whaley Bridge, all sourced locally and as fresh as anything. When we moved to Macclesfield, our meat came from the butcher on Hurdsfield Road and was delivered by bicycle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Broadhursts of Hurdsfield Road, Macclesfield, which is sadly no longer there</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I lived in Kerridge, our butcher was in Bollington and again delivered. In Edinburgh I had a wonderful butcher up in Davidsons Mains who taught me the differences between English and Scottish names for cuts of meat. In Wiltshire I used a great butcher who made his own sausages and won awards. Here in Portugal, I have used many different butchers and always been helped by the butcher to identify and name cuts of meat which are very different here to the UK. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">JJJ Heathcoate Butchers on Palmerston Street, Bollington</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here in the hills of Sintra I use a wonderful butcher in Almocageme (Talho Francisco Rosa) and I always enjoy my visits as I pick up local knowledge, jokes, occasional renditions of fado singing and recommendations or directions to other shops. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The shop reminds me of English butchers of the old days in as much as everyone is served personally with a smile and a chat, there are chairs for people to sit on to wait. Nothing is too much trouble. I have even taken a photograph of a cut of meat I fancied for a dinner, and it was cut for me specially. They also do a good line in dog bones which are much appreciated by our two friends on the estate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I tend to do a monthly shop with perhaps the odd spur of the moment purchase mid month and I thought I would share with you the contents of yesterday's shop and show how cheaply you eat by using your local butcher, where you do not pay for packaging and know exactly where your meat comes from.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the photograph below, you can see on the left a large piece of turkey. You can have this sliced in thin escalopes if you wish, but yesterday I decided on having it cubed and minced (which they do for you). This came in as just over a kilo and cost me 8.39 euros. That should do about four meals for the pair of us. I then went for four chicken breasts. These are cut off chickens in front of you (dead, of course) and just one breast is large enough to feed the two of us. These breasts weighed in at just over two kilos and cost me 7.25 euros (about four meals for the two of us). I also bought two free range chicken legs which I think again, one will be sufficient for two of us, and they cost me 5.66 euros for two meals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Chicken and Turkey Section</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I then wanted some mince, stewing steak and steaks. The meat for these appeared from the cold store and was cut in front of me. Miniscule fat on them. The steaks were then cut into four (two meals for two), the stewing steak cubed (probably three meals for two) and the meat - twice minced (about three meals for two) and coming in at over two kilos cost 19.46. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Beef and Lamb Section</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, I got some lovely ox liver for my favourite portuguese dish, Figado. About half a kilo and that cost me 2.91 euros and this will easily make two meals for us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">All of my purchases will last a month - 20 meals for the two of us at approximately 2.19 euros for two - plus my seven euro a week veggie box, I think I do rather well and am incredibly fortunate to be able to live so well here. In case you think we might starve the rest of the time, we eat a daily salad of either local cheese or fish with soup!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The butcher also sells large containers of potato crisps to die for. So pure and natural. Reminiscent of what Smiths Plain Crisps (with the old blue bag of salt), used to taste like before flavourings and nasties were added. They also do a mean pork scratching which are marketed as 'fat free' as all the fat has been cooked out of them. They certainly taste rather good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Portuguese pork scratchings - no additives</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The best crisps on the planet. Potatoes, salt and vegetable oil. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know I am extremely lucky because I have time to shop in my local butcher, but I am sure that now people are more aware of what they 'might' be consuming, they may well return to their local butcher - that's if they still have one - and ask them for help and advice on what to buy and how to cook it. Here it is normal for a butcher to advise on recipes as so many of them cook themselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The secret is buy fresh- be it in your local butcher or butcher's counter in the supermarket. Cheap, packaged supermarket meat is not always best or cheapest.</span></div>
Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-56853238444867872562013-02-20T16:41:00.000+00:002013-02-20T16:41:41.644+00:00Hundreds of Years of Friendship<div align="justify">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The oldest alliance in the world is between <st1:country-region w:st="on">Portugal</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder how many people who live or visit <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Portugal</st1:place></st1:country-region>, are aware of this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: black;">The origins of this alliance go back to the Middle Ages when the English Crusaders aided the Portuguese in the conquest of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lisbon</st1:place></st1:city> over the Moors in 1147. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then followed a period of lucrative trading between the two countries and commercial treaties were signed in 1308 by King Don Dinis of Portugal and later by King Edward III of England in 1353.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">John of Gaunt being entertained by King John (Rei Joao)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana;">The first formal treaty (The Anglo-Portuguese Treaty) was signed in 1373 in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">England when </st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Rei </span>Dom Fernando (King Ferdinand) and Rainha Leonor (Queen Eleanor) sent their envoys to King Edward III and the treaty was signed in <st1:city w:st="on">St Paul</st1:city>’s Cathedral in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">London</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This treaty agreed that English Archers would be sent to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Portugal</st1:country-region> to help with attacks from the Castilians and, in the August of 1385, they were supporting the Portuguese at The Battle of Aljubarrota (A Batalha de Aljubarrota) when the Castilians were routed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This battle has often been mentioned to me by Portuguese friends as being one of the most important ones in their history.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: black;">The aid given by the English to the Portuguese House of Aviz continued and in May of 1386 The Treaty of Windsor (a renwal of the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty) was signed at <st1:placename w:st="on">Windsor</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Castle</st1:placetype> – <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">St George’s</st1:place></st1:city> Chapel. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This Treaty was sealed by King Richard II of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region> and envoys of King John 1 (Rei Joao I) of Portugal. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: black;">The next year King Edward III's son, John of Gaunt (Duke of Lancaster) asked for help from the Portuguese to claim the Crown of Castile and in return he offered his eldest daughter, Philippa (Filipa de Lencastre) to Rei Joao I (King John I) and they married in 1387.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Philippa of Lancaster (Filipa de Lencastre)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Philippa was a very well educated woman - something incredibly rare in those days. She had studied science, poetry and theology under some of the most famous teachers of that time in England. She was also rumoured to have been taught by Geoffrey Chaucer (who was married to another Philippa - sister to John of Gaunt's third wife, Queen Katherine). She had also been tutored in Greek and Roman works such as Pliny and Herodotus.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The marriage of Philippa and King John (Filipa and Rei Joao I)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Philippa modernised the Portuguese Court and introduced a strict moral code of behaviour. Possibly something to do with her husband already having a mistress who she managed to expel from Court?! </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">She also educated her children - Duarte (Edward), Pedro (Peter), Henrique (Henry) Isobel (Isabella), John (Joao), Fernado (Ferdinand) - to the highest level of the times. She was also responsible for providing Royal patronage to English commercial interests. Of course we know Henrique much better as Henry the Navigator, a much respected King in both countries and worldwide.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Obviously the friendship faltered occasionally as all friendships tend to do. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">During the Tudor era in England, relations were strained within Europe due to the Reformation - the Catholic Church being overthrown by the founding of the Church of England. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Then, the Portuguese needed help; Spain had invaded in 1580 and for 60 years had made them part of Spain. They wanted to be independent so in 1640 the Duke of Braganza turned to the English for help to reclaim their country and dominions. This led to another treaty being signed in 1642 and a marriage between Catherine of Braganza (Caterina de Braganca) and King Charles II of England being agreed. This alliance defeated the Spanish and granted independence to Portugal from Spain.</span></div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/King_Charles_II_by_John_Riley.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="File:King Charles II by John Riley.jpg" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/King_Charles_II_by_John_Riley.jpg/506px-King_Charles_II_by_John_Riley.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Charles II (not a very flattering portrait!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Catherine of Braganza (Caterina de Braganca)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I feel for Catherine. She had a rough time with King Charles II and his many consorts, as well as having to deal with the political plotting at the English Court. She suffered attacks on her faith (Catholic), struggled to learn English and was unfortunate in not being able to bear Charles any children which meant the knives were out for her, but Charles appeared fond of her and never agreed to a divorce and they remained married until his death. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She stayed on in England but after more problems over her choice of religion she returned to her beloved Portugal in 1699 and to the Portuguese Court. She acted as Regent for her brother Rei Pedro II (King Peter II) in 1701 and again between 1704-05.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think this also shows she was a strong character and had probably picked up quite a few pointers from her time in England.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Her best legacy to Britain was the introduction of tea drinking. Yes, that's right. The story goes that she used to have High Tea at 5.00 pm which involved drinking tea. The Portuguese still keep to the 5.00 pm time and I wonder whether our habit of having High Tea at 4.00 pm is due to the time difference that was in practise until both countries were on GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)? She also, allegedly, introduced the use of the fork but one of her greatest legacies was her involvement and support in 1703</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> for The Treaty of Methuen (or cheekily - The Port Wine Treaty) between Portugal and England. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This treaty was very important as it protected the trade of wine from Portugal to Britain and the importing of British textiles into Portugal and it held throughout the 18th Century when both countries supported each other from attacks from France and Spain. It was tested when, in 1807, Napoleon told Portugal to close its ports to British shipping when he declared war on Britain. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Portugal bravely refused and the English fleet protected the Portuguese Royal family who had to flee the country to Brazil as a consequence of this decision. Napoleon and the French army invaded Portugal and captured Lisbon but in 1808 the British joined forces with the Portuguese to defeat the French and Napoleon. This is what we know as The Peninsular War and went on for six long years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Fans of the TV series Sharpe, with Sean Bean, will be familiar with this part of Portuguese history, as Sharpe battled away with the Duke of Wellington to expel the French and Napoleon. Bernard Cornwall wrote the books that inspired the series, some of which was shot in Portugal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Courtesy of Amazon)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sean Bean and his men in Sharpe</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #666666;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><o:p><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As is the way of world politics, things got strained over the years and at times both countries managed to annoy each other. Towards the end of the time of the monarchy in Portugal, the British were not popular but things resolved themselves and Portugal joined Britain and the Allies in World War I. </span></span></span></o:p></span></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #666666;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><o:p><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Portugal, under the dictator Salazar, was neutral </span></span></span></o:p></span></o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #666666;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><o:p><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> during the Second World War, but when the Alliance was invoked by the UK, Salazar allowed Britain and the Allies to establish bases in the Azores - that must have annoyed the Germans, as Portugal was still trading with Germany - and offered the same to the Royal Navy during the Falklands War. </span></span></span></o:p></span></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><o:p><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So a brief look, and hopefully not too inaccurate, account of the friendship between Portugal and Britain. Amazing to think that both Philippa and Catherine brought so much to our joint histories. Philippa gave Portugal strong sons like Henry and Navigator. </span></span></o:p></span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Henry the Navigator</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Known as the patron of Portuguese exploration, Henry was responsible for making the Portuguese Navy a force to be reckoned with, not least because of the famous Caravel, that could go further and outpace any ships of the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The beautiful Portuguese Carvel (Caravela)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Catherine gave the British a serious tea drinking habit, the fork and possibly was instrumental in keeping the bottles of port going round to the left with her involvement in The Treaty of Methuen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I think we should raise our glasses in thanks to two rather amazing ladies - one who came from England to Portugal and one who came from Portugal to England. Friendship indeed.</span></div>
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</span> Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-51232768800695161542013-02-09T11:35:00.000+00:002013-02-09T11:35:32.970+00:00Winter Memories Past and Present<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I admit it - I am a sad soul. I miss snow. I miss watching it float gently past the window and land softly on the windowsill. The realisation of waking in the morning to a total silence that can only mean the world will be white when I open the curtains. Sun on the snow. Blue skies. <em> Sigh</em></span><em>. </em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em> </em>Needless to say, Glenn thinks I am nuts. He, unlike me, suffered far more winters in Derbyshire than I did in Cheshire, East Lothian and Wiltshire! However, both of us remember the winter of 1963 when everything ground to a halt. H</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">old on, every time it snows in the UK, the country still seems to grind to a halt yet times have moved on. Or have they really? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I lived in Kettleshulme as a child, the village had its own snow plough. Not a huge big one but big enough to help clear the road through to Whaley Bridge - not all the way because Whaley Bridge was in Derbyshire and Kettleshulme was in Cheshire. This meant that where the borders between the two counties met, the Cheshire snowplough reversed up the road so as not to encroach on Derbyshire territory and vice versa! I used to think this was a bit bizarre but low and behold, one year whilst living in Malmesbury in Wiltshire, it snowed and the plough from Wiltshire got as far as the border with Gloucestershire at Kemble and promptly reversed. Puddled or what but very British!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As a child I vividly remember we had four seasons. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter but these are now blurred or non existent and friends here in Portugal say the same. A common comment here is that the annual flu/cold season (gripe) is caused by not having a definite winter to kill off the bugs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As the majority of us who live in Portugal know to our cost and chilblains, it goes VERY cold. Yesterday the temperature in our house was 51 degrees Farenheit or for those modern souls, about 10 degrees Celsius. Tiles floors are wonderful in summer for keeping houses cool, but not such a boon in winter. Time to haul out the oil fired radiators. The cats were definitely impressed. We have a woodburner for the evenings but obviously it does not go right through the night.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDlDTqqrKfaZuTuYK4diqWYkoyKJo-8kVyooLpxJ7ih1SMyr9IPrb5DkfX-nIMD_n2LObipOXQ-Ch2wGFyuCcW3nwyQmlWew2P_c2mMnHXwv-NlYsxF-qSKG-Z_5bsIsD7oCkl_8_iZDN/s1600/Winter+blog+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" jea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDlDTqqrKfaZuTuYK4diqWYkoyKJo-8kVyooLpxJ7ih1SMyr9IPrb5DkfX-nIMD_n2LObipOXQ-Ch2wGFyuCcW3nwyQmlWew2P_c2mMnHXwv-NlYsxF-qSKG-Z_5bsIsD7oCkl_8_iZDN/s320/Winter+blog+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pompey defrosting his whiskers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, I do not wake up to ice on the insides of the windows - common in Kettleshulme days as people of my generation will remember. We only had what was gaily referred to as 'partial central heating'. In other words we had heating downstairs of sorts along with coal fires in the living room. The kitchen had to make do with an incredibly smelly paraffin stove which occasionally made its way upstairs to the landing. Seeing the logo 'Esso' brings backs a strong sense of smell and remembrance of the song "the Esso sign means happy motoring" or paraffin cans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We also had a well for water which in the depths of winter was useless as the pump for it was outside and promptly froze at the slightest chance. My father then had to bring home large containers of water to keep us going. I was very excited when my mother and I moved to Macclesfield and had access to mains water for the first time since leaving Surrey. Took a while to get used to the taste of tap water over boiled though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Nowadays people have central heating - if they can afford to put it on - and here the modern houses also have it but again it becomes cost prohibitive and most people survive with oil fired heaters, gas heaters and lots of layers and thick sweaters and if desperate, scarves indoors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I see that schools regularly close in the UK due to snow. I find that a strange concept but a friend said that teachers do not tend to live close to their schools these days but I think the old 'Elf and Safety' and the evil compensation racket is more likely the cause. No longer do people have accidents due to carelessness but it is always someone else's fault and therefore compensation '<em>needs to be paid'</em> or you are '<em>entitled to'</em> appears to come into play.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Heaven help the 'Elf and Safety people if they could see what we got up to as children, let along the European Court of Human Rights! We made ice slides as good as anything in the Winter Olympic Downhill Bob Sleigh team tackle. If you fell over - your fault; try not to cry; rub your knees or whatever else got severely bashed and start again. Snowball fights were vicious and finished with sitting on big, fat radiators, steaming gently as you dried off. This was in the day of short trousers for boys and skirts for girls. The only warnings ever issued was usually on the lines of: "stop dripping all over the floor" or "can you make the slide start AWAY from the gate in case a grown up hurts themself". Try that today and goodness only knows what would happen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I still laugh when the snow hits the UK and the news services anxiously report from the centre of Buxton about how it is cut off due to adverse conditions and the road from Buxton to Macclesfield via the Cat and Fiddle pub is shut. Well this is hardly news to anyone who knows the area. Anxious relatives used to call my mother back in the 50's to ask if we were ok because of the closures. I once had a very happy couple of weeks stuck at home due to the road being closed between Kettleshulme and Macclesfield. I remember a lot of sledging ensuing and feeling sorry for the girls who could actually get to school!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Cat and Fiddle Public House - the second highest pub in England in all its snowy glory (Photo courtesy of variousstuff.co.uk)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The following photos show what the weather was like practically every winter in those days but now appears to be an unusual climatic problem for modern times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I borrowed this from Kettleshulme's own website</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTJmeLlnNm0ZbTCDL83vgE01NxHDmbkRdcE7cuLO1zlRzPzMt8wtspYoDODhGLuzCNhfhP3pPL_Qh08oojpTdxLr_4koqXXLk3WHjWeZbGFGSOvugM3Q7sNNDSeJbasgHz5k0CtV8Qie7/s1600/nr19_039w%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" jea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTJmeLlnNm0ZbTCDL83vgE01NxHDmbkRdcE7cuLO1zlRzPzMt8wtspYoDODhGLuzCNhfhP3pPL_Qh08oojpTdxLr_4koqXXLk3WHjWeZbGFGSOvugM3Q7sNNDSeJbasgHz5k0CtV8Qie7/s320/nr19_039w%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Walking the tops of walls was good fun</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">(Photo courtesy of varioustuff.co.uk)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrnM3KoYvqhq1HhDoxxIcmlW1LTA8-LNgJgHxQJVl1FAzRh_xLMGzSEMQ50vet3ZNtUGYggqQ5JseFcD0vSBo3VwrJHbVNEjeGjJk4WYtvsg-ptyJrivIm0yL1uwzLT3e4f3gsCHx1Veq/s1600/nr19_043w%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" jea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrnM3KoYvqhq1HhDoxxIcmlW1LTA8-LNgJgHxQJVl1FAzRh_xLMGzSEMQ50vet3ZNtUGYggqQ5JseFcD0vSBo3VwrJHbVNEjeGjJk4WYtvsg-ptyJrivIm0yL1uwzLT3e4f3gsCHx1Veq/s320/nr19_043w%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A lovely view down to the village</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">(Photo courtesy of variousstuff.co.uk)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We get frosts here on the Sintra hills as we are very high and the temperatures go incredibly low but further north there is snow and here the first road to close is the one leading from Spain to Portugal and you often see news footage of bored lorry drivers stuck at the border because the ploughs have not managed to clear the route back. Sometimes they get caught with no real warning and have completely the wrong clothes with them. Nice cotton shirts and a T shirt really do not cut it in snow!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The area known as Serra da Estrela is one of the snowy spots up north and popular for skiiing and sledging. Many Lisboetas (people from Lisbon) drive up to look at the snow as most have never seen it or even ice. The last proper snow that fell in Lisbon and Sintra was around 1945. Here are some sweet photos of it at the time.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A view of the snow from the National Palace in the centre of Sintra 1945</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another scene of Sintra in 1945</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">One thing that happens in both countries when snow falls is the call to find something to use for sledging, be it a tray, a piece of plastic, a proper strong sledge or a plastic one. Nothing beats the joy of hurling down a slope in the snow to end up in a heap at the bottom. </span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having fun in the snow in Serra da Estrela</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Snow plough working hard in the north of Portugal</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A beautiful snowy scene in the north of Portugal</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Writing this seems to have appeased my 'saudades' for snow for the moment and brought back happy memories of a snowy childhood. Glenn, needless to say is quite relieved. </span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-43503157667998495362013-02-07T16:29:00.000+00:002013-02-07T16:29:04.059+00:00A Week for Firsts<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Amazing to realise that it will soon be three years since we moved to Colares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The time has flashed by and we love this area more and more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The local people are so friendly and helpful and we find more and more that when we are out and about shopping or having coffee we get greeted with a smile and cheery “bom dia”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently it has been a period of ‘firsts’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We frequently shop in Mucifal and use the road from Nafarros. A pretty route with great views of Monserrate and the Serra da Sintra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time we take this route, we always say we must stop at a little café on the outskirts of Nafarros as it looks interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has a tiny wooden deck outside with silver chairs and tables for the smokers, ladies for chatting, men for gossiping but until this week we have never got round to going inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, after passing it yet again saying the same sentence, we determined to visit on our way back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">O Baeta café is decorated with beautiful blue and white traditional tiles; has about five tables, the standard TV up on the wall in the corner, a vast array of cakes and savouries and a good selection of spirits lined up on shelves along the walls. When I took the photograph it was a bit windy, hence the front door being closed and no-one on the deck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The door to the right, l believe, leads to the upstairs apartment and to the right of that is a tiny gem of a local shop similar to one I used to use in Kettleshulme in the 1950’s, with a wonderful choice of fresh fruit and vegetables in their wooden boxes, various household needs etc, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A real find and somewhere I can drop into within five minutes of home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really do enjoy a shopping expedition with a coffee combined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here’s another view showing the café at the side of the road leading down to Mucifal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We had our usual coffee but decided to experiment with a different cake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we are in cake mode, we normally go for a pastel de nata or a broa but we decided on a Millefeuille for him and a slice of Bolo Marmore – marble cake for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both were absolutely beautiful – light and obviously low in calories (tongue firmly in cheek).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will definitely visit again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The interior of the lovely shop</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We keep finding these little jewels of cafes dotted around and I hope that tourists take the time to visit them and to get a feel of real <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Portugal</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can count on one hand the times I have had a bad coffee in over 30 odd years of visiting and living here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I seem to have an in-built sensor now and find, without looking, that I have chosen a Delta, Nicola, Segafredo or Sical coffee bars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Another first in coffee bar visits was today in Almocageme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again we always say we will visit and never do as being loyal to another café further down the main street but today, and using the excuse of buying next week's Euromillions ticket we chose O Moinho Verde – The Green Windmill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has a nice, covered exterior seating area overlooking the market place and it is much larger than it looks from outside. Traditionally tiled walls and floors. it also has a large counter with cakes and savouries, soft drinks, draught beer etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A concession for the lottery and Euromillions tickets, a tiny newsagent area and a very large TV screen – ideal for watching football!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><o:p>Photograph 'borrowed' from another wonderful blog <a href="mailto:riodasmacas@blogspot.com">riodasmacas@blogspot.com</a></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Continuing the theme of firsts was a visit from some lovely friends of mine who were touring <st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region> and came to call on us on their way back up to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bilbao</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had the pleasure of working for both of them during the eighties and we have stayed in touch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their touring was not just by car, but with attached caravan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a new one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We knew there was no problem accommodating them here but to enter our drive involves a steep hill and a rather nasty sharp bend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As someone (who will remain nameless) read the mileage wrong, they arrived in the dark rather than daylight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Glenn went down to meet them down by the main road and then he drove them up to the house to see how complicated it would be to negotiate the bend with the caravan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They decided it was ok so off they went again to get the caravan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Well getting up the hill and round the bend went well – not so well getting through the gates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After much pushing, shoving, unhitching the 4x4, hitching it up again, a successful entry was effected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parked up safely much to the delight of the estate guard dogs who thought all this excitement in the evening was brilliant plus they got something new to sniff and christen! That’s the caravan, not our friends!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a wonderful time catching up on news and realising how long ago we had worked together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It always seems so recent in our minds but it appears that a silver anniversary of one part of their business will happen shortly – amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also nice to hear of changes to where I used to live – good or bad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The following evening we did yet another first of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very much like the story of the cafés, we pass the Estalagem de Colares every time we drive into Colares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the first few months we lived here, we used to think it might have been a fish shop as it has a swinging sign of a prawn outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were corrected fairly quickly and learnt it was a small hotel with restaurant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="PT" style="font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: PT;">The entrance to Estalagem de Colares<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Typically we had been saying we would go and check it out, have dinner, etc, but never got round to it until my friends arrived and I pondered on where to go for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So nearly three years later we made it and were very cross that we have never been before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What a fabulous little hotel and restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you can see from the photo, there are outside tables for coffee etc in the morning next to the river and inside it has a lounge with bar and offers an area for meetings upstairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dining room is decorated in traditional tiles and unusually, they were not blue but wine coloured ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has a massive fireplace burning logs so even though it was tiled, it was just the right temperature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We were looked after by Carlos, who kindly showed me around after the meal and told me that the hotel has 3 stars and is very popular with English and French tourists – hence his excellent English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A double room is 80 euros a night and a single 60 euros.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are also offering an afternoon tea with scones which I have a feeling we may just test drive very, very soon!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What I loved best was the meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always a worry trying somewhere new with visitors, but this was impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an extensive menu of starters, fish, salads, pasta, meat and desserts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sampled Canja de Galina (traditional chicken soup), Sopa de Tomate com Basilico (tomato soup with basil) and a grilled goat cheese with salad leaves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We all then went traditional with Bacalhau a Bras – one of the best recipes for salt cod.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simple but very filling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A photo of Bacalha a Bras</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We felt we should try a dessert even though we were rather full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sampled a chocolate marquise, a semifrio of orange with chocolate sauce and a crème brulee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finished with mint tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also went for a traditional Colares wine which was excellent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our friends left the following morning with very positive feelings about their visit and an easier exit out of the gates than their arrival.</span></div>
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I think the words 'tight squeeze' come in here</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Now we have to have a good look around for more ‘firsts’ to celebrate our first three years in this beautiful part of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Portugal</st1:place></st1:country-region>.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-26388359260368818872013-01-15T13:28:00.001+00:002013-01-16T15:47:37.713+00:00The joys of a veggie box<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Every Friday, unless it is a National holiday, means veggie box delivery day. Around 3.00pm I head off down to the Cooperative in Colares and pick up my black plastic tray of veggies, still damp from the ground and occasionally take home a few hitch hikers in the way of slugs, snails and the odd worm. Proves the freshness though! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"> </v:shapetype></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Each week there tends to be the usual staples of a lettuce (so big it can take up the whole of one salad box in fridge), bunches of parsley, coriander, spinach, watercress, and about a kilo of carrots. Alongside these I may get a red peppers, turnips, beetroot, cabbage, a slice of pumpkin and whatever else is in season.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The first time I got beetroot I did eye it up with some suspicion. This was a proper root vegetable; long greenery attached to a rather grubby looking round thing. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> This was not from a jar - whole or sliced - in a strong vinegar solution. Hmm. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Beetroot used to be a staple of salads when I was a child. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Most of us have vivid memories of the old style classic English salad - flat (Webbs) lettuce, a radish or two (burp), sliced over-ripe tomato, cucumber and a few slices of vinegary beetroot that stained everything in its vicinity bright red, not forgetting the ubiquitous sliced, hard boiled egg. This was served along with a couple of slices of boiled ham or tinned salmon. The only way to cope with this was to dive for the bottle of Heinz Salad Cream before your mother - who only allowed polite spoonfuls - whereas if you got it first and hammered the bottom of the bottle correctly, you could cover the plate in a puddle of the stuff - you had to suffer the telling off for manners but it was worth it. I have had a hatred of tinned salmon since those days and it took me a long, long time to like vinegary beetroot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As I had never done anything with 'real' beetroot it was lucky I had just treated myself to the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall book, River Cottage Everyday, and had seen a recipe for Beetroot and Cumin Soup with Spiced Yoghurt. Now would be the right time to experiment. However the recipe called for more beetroot than I had got so</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> I trotted off to my local shop in Colares and bought a couple more. Following Hugh's words diligently I produced an amazing brightly coloured soup which is now a firm favourite. I have also mastered simply boiling it and serving dizzled with olive oil and lemon. Fresh rules. There is a side effect which can be a bit startling if you are unaware. I will just say, do not panic, you are not bleeding to death in the loo!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The huge bunch of watercress brought back memories of the peppery leaf being used in egg mayonnaise (bit of an exaggeration as everything was Heinz Salad Cream in those days) sandwiches but it was better than the fiddly, wispy fairly tasteless mustard and cress popular of that time that we grew at primary school. As this </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> watercress has large leaves it lends itself beautifully to mixing with the crispy lettuce for a great green salad. In fact, watercress features in all my salads now, the added bonus being it is also incredibly healthy for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Carrots have always been a favourite but having so many meant a bit of research for something different to simply boiling them or grating for salads. This called for re-reading my handwritten recipe books (carefully noted down over the last thirty years), browsing my extensive selection of hardback recipe books and the odd browse on the internet and various chefs on Twitter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Carrot and Ginger, Carrot and Tomato and Carrot and Apple Soup have all turned out to be popular as well as a lovely winter coleslaw recipe which uses carrot, cabbage (both red and green), onion </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">and sunflower seeds. This dressed with a lovely vinagrette is a welcome change from our usual lettuce and watercress based salad in the evenings and goes well with fish and poultry. Yesterday I found an old Rose Elliot receipe, in my first vegetarian cook book from the 70's, called Golden Slice that uses carrots and oats so that is down for a reboot later this week as well as one Nigel Slater posted via Twitter today. In fact there are so many ways with carrots it becomes quite fun choosing a new one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Pumpkin is very versatile. Pumpkin and Chilli soup, that takes hardly any time to put together, certainly warms the cockles - especially if I have been a bit liberal with the dried chilli seeds! I have also experimented with Pumpkin and fresh Ginger Soup - again a winner. I also love roasting it along with other winter veggies like turnip, beetroot and carrot. T</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">he turnip wins not just a side vegetable, but goes beautifully with roasted aubergine, peppers and onion and grated in a coleslaw adds a bit of bite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">All in all, my box of locally grown veggies at 7 euros is a joy and challenges me to come up with something new and healthy each week.</span></div>
Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-25028725264114536772012-11-19T13:17:00.002+00:002012-11-19T13:17:57.072+00:00Abandoned Animals Need Our Help<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fear not, I am not about to detail nasty stories but just to highlight how we can help. Instead of that expensive and unnecessary Christmas gift for a family pet, how about using that money to help the abandoned?</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or better still, give a deserving animal a new and loving home <strong>for the rest of their lives. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have not had that many cats since I was small as most lived to great ages but all came from similar backgrounds - not wanted or abandoned. Before I moved here I lost my two favourite cats so was not able to bring them with me - something I had planned and talked about. Prudence Kitten was 21 when she died and Pebbles was 16 but they ARE are here - in the sun - as I brought their ashes with me so I did not break my promise to them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So when I arrived in Lisbon, cat-less </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I lasted three months before someone told me of a kitten desperate for a home, having been rescued from the street outside El Cortes Ingles in Lisbon. I went to meet her in a tiny apartment in Alfama where she was being cared for by a lovely Italian man and his partner. We checked each other out and later that week she arrived tucked in his leather jacket and on the back of a motorbike! I quickly changed her name from one that was certainly controversial and Pansy Potter joined the house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Princess) Pansy Potter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">A year later, now living in Cascais, I heard a sad tale of another kitten looking for a home. Someone had taken him but it had not worked out so he joined us and was promptly christened Pompey Bum, after a character in the Shakespeare play Measure for Measure. Now the pair of them share our life here on the hills of Sintra and I would not be without them and if I could, I would adopt more but common sense prevails so I try to help the charities in some small way when I can on their behalf.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pompey (Tubs) Bum</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is a crisis worldwide as people struggle to feed and clothe themselves and their families. A casualty of this is the family pet. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">In the UK, the RSPCA - <a href="http://www.rspca.org/">www.rspca.org</a>, The Blue Cross - <a href="http://www.bluecross.org.uk/">www.bluecross.org.uk</a>, the PDSA - <a href="http://www.pdsa.org.uk/">www.pdsa.org.uk</a> , Battersea Dogs and Cats Home <a href="http://www.battersea.org.uk/">www.battersea.org.uk</a>, The Cats Protection League - <a href="http://www.cats.org.uk/">www.cats.org.uk</a> and various other charities, do wonderful work in this field with bands of volunteers selling goods, baking, giving up their time to help. Here it is rather different.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In the UK we are far more aware of the care of animals thanks to advertising campaigns and not forgetting the wonderful programmes shown on TV over the years like Animal Hospital, Vets in Practice etc. Those programmes did teach people a lot about animal welfare although, sadly, there are still appalling cases of cruelty in the UK not least of which are badger baiting and dog fighting. The more people report people for these vile practices and get them prosecuted the better. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Out of the UK, animal welfare is a vastly different concept. What we take for granted is no necessarily how it happens here or elsewhere in Europe</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Remember the old saying: "<strong>A dog is not just for Christmas but for life</strong>"? This applies to any animal adopted as a family pet from mice upwards. A pet is a commitment not something to be disposed of because you are bored or can't afford to feed it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Think before you give in to a child's demands - all animals need feeding, exercising, holiday accommodation or someone to take care of them, regular trips to vets for injections against disease, worming tablets, flea treatments etc etc. With larger animals like horses etc, this bill can be astronomical.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We have some wonderful voluntary associations who do sterling work in rescuing animals from horses, donkeys, goats, rabbits, dogs and cats, as well as raising money to neuter/sterilise dogs and cats to try to solve the never-ending problem of puppies and kittens.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I try to do my bit and have bought some things from the wonderful <a href="http://www.animaisderua.org/">www.animaisderua.org</a> which has a very informative website. They raise money for sterilisation, medical bills and rehoming. They have frequent on-line auctions to raise more money. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Another good one is BIANCA - Association for the Protection of Homeless Animals <a href="http://www.bianca.pt/">www.bianca.pt</a>. Again a wonderful organisation doing what it can to help the animals get a better life. They also offer a service to find someone to take an adopted animal to another country if lucky enough to find a home out of Portugal. A very clever idea. I have knitted some blankets and donated reworked blankets to help keep the animals warm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Medical supplies for treating the animals comes at a large financial cost and details are on many of the websites of the types of product required. Many vets here give tremendous support to the organisations for free. However more medical help is always valued. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Many times you see volunteers collecting pet food in supermarket entrances - a great idea. Another idea is animal adoption days in shopping centres or popular meeting places. You can check out the animals, ask questions about their stories, the cost of keeping one etc or even give a donation - all will be gratefully received.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I cannot mention all the organisations here but these are some who have pages in English as well as portuguese but <strong>ALL</strong> need help - financially, medically, physically and not forgetting old blankets, towels etc to keep the animals warm and comfortable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><strong>For horses, ponies and donkeys:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.theirvoiceportugal.com/">www.Theirvoiceportugal.com</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A group of animal lovers with a common interest in the rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing of horses, ponies and donkeys in the Silver Coast region of Portugal. They </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">support and educate horse owners by sharing and providing information on all aspects of horse husbandry and stable management. They</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> work with local veterinary clinics and authorities to provide a safe haven for maltreated or abandoned equines. They also </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">adopt horses, ponies and donkeys from those experiencing financial difficulties until suitable foster or permanent homes can be found as well as </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">forming relationships with local schools and the general community to educate and raise awareness of equine and general animal care.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>For cats and dogs:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.dogsofportugal.com/">www.dogsofportugal.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A group of young, multicultural, highly motivated, men and<strong> </strong>women that devote – on a voluntary, non remunerated basis – their short free time to improve the living standards of abandoned and mistreated dogs in Portugal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.uppa.pt/">www.uppa.pt</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Union for the Protection of Animals. UPPA is a non-profit organisation, made possible by the generosity of donors and fee-paying members. All money raised is used for the bettering of the lives of animals most in need, through the offering of medical treatment and the search for new owners willing to adopt an animal. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The following do not have an English option.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.grupovoluntarios.hive-creations.com/">www.grupovoluntarios.hive-creations.com</a> - have frequent collection days for food and other donations, in supermarkets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://errantes.org/">http://errantes.org</a> - (Patas Errantes) another great example of raising money holding markets and car boots to raise much needed money.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.uniaozoofila.org/">www.uniaozoofila.org</a> - established in 1951 runs various campaigns, one of which being reducating people into not abandoning their animals when they go on holiday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.lpda.pt/">www.lpda.pt</a> - Portugal's representative in Eurogroup for Animal Welfare, World, a member of <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><a class="onze" href="http://www.wspa-international.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">World Society for the Protection of Animals</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (</span><a class="onze" href="http://www.wspa-international.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WSPA</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">) and </span><a class="onze" href="http://www.rspca.org.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (</span><a class="onze" href="http://www.rspca.org.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">RSPCA</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many more can be found on the web or on Facebook.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Please help if you can.</span><br />
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-17677750897796253362012-09-28T14:53:00.001+01:002012-09-28T14:53:21.571+01:00Hooray. The tram is running until the end of October<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday whilst driving up to Sintra, I noticed workmen doing some work on the lines. I thought it strange as the tram had finished its shortened stint at the end of last week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Today I heard the familiar sounds of it trundling along in the valley below me and had a quick check on a fellow blogger's site (<a href="http://www.riodasmacas.blogspot.com/">www.riodasmacas.blogspot.com</a>) and saw that someone has had the sense to continue the tram until 28 October. Wonderful news.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So for those who have not travelled on it yet this year, or are visiting Sintra, please, please do take a trip along the line from Sintra to Praia das Macas and enjoy the wonderful views.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It would be even better news, if the tram could run all year unless the weather was too bad. There are tourists in the autumn, winter and spring after all!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here's the new timetable:</span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-57691588462724690572012-09-22T19:11:00.002+01:002012-09-22T19:11:25.706+01:00Tingling Tastebuds<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over the past few months we have been lucky enough to discover new restaurants and cafes in our local area. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">People often ask for recommendations but it can be a bit of a minefield. What one person likes, another might hate. A style of cooking could be too 'out there' for someone visiting the country for the first time, or a simple restaurant that has no frills might not be the preferred choice but I am a great believer in recommending when I have found something I would like to share.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I drive through Nafarros frequently but it was only fairly recently that I realised there were two restaurants - O Padeiro and Adega do Saraiva. We had eaten at O Padeiro previously but the Adega do Saraiva was a totally new experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The restaurant was previously an adega and therefore is a bit of a warren. The menu (in portuguese) is very traditonal with an emphasis on the really good dishes that only the portuguese know how to cook and present. Taking the time to choose, we were able to spy on other diners to see what everyone was having. The table behind us with four gentlemen in varying ages, were tucking in heartily with lots of praise for the food. Always a very good sign. Considering it was a mid-week visit, it certainly did not lack customers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I could not resist Filetes de Pescada (fillets of hake) and Glenn went for the Lombo de Porco (pork loin). Both dishes were fantastic. As was the house red wine. The specialities of the restaurant include Bacalhau na Brasa, Caldeirada mista, Feijoada de Chocos, Cabrito no forno and the portuguese favourite, Cozido a Portuguesa. The desert menu was also very good but special mention must be made of the bread!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now bread is a good topic of conversation here. People have their favourite bakeries, type of loaf - that even includes what to chose to have for your toast in certain cafes! Now where we live we tend to stick with bread from the bakery in Janas, which is sold in most local shops or you can visit the bakery and buy direct. Fatal really, considering the smell of bread is so irresistable. However when I asked the waitress where this particular bread came from she told me it was from a village on the road to Ericeira. I still have to find this bakery as the bread was divine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The restaurant is a joy and although we were the only estrangeiros, we were made to feel very welcome and another visit is due to be made in the next month.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Another wonderful find, but at the other end of the spectrum is Refugio do Ciclistas in Penedo. Tucked away at the top of the village, with spectacular views to the sea and over towards Mafra, this restaurant is reminiscent of the restaurants I used to love in the Algarve before it got 'glammed'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">You enter along a passageway and the door opens on to a large room with a smaller room at the back. There is a counter with the days selection of fish, meat, poultry etc and a huge grill run by Antonio. The tables are all laid out in a school canteen style. Long benches run along the tables - always take care if you are on the end and the person at the other end gets up - you can suddenly take off! It is decorated with framed Tshirts of famous cyclists, photographs and other memorabilia to do with cyling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It is an amazingly friendly place as you share the tables with whoever is sitting there - local builders, forestry boys, phone engineers, pool maintenance guys, tourists, walkers or locals and this week, our local lifeguard and his girlfriend (lifeguard duties having finished in case anyone is wondering why he was not at his post).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In fact if anyone remembers 'first and second sittings' at school, it is a bit like that as about 13.15-13.30 you have to be aware that trucks, vans and cars are heading out of the village along the practically single track roads which lead to the village from Colares in one direction and Almocageme in the other, with few passing places but quite a few mirrors. This makes it rather interesting or for the nervous, white knuckle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The menus are 6 or 8 euros. For that you get bread, olives, soup, main course, a bottle of red wine, a bottle of 7UP (or you can opt for white wine, water or similar), a main course with veg, chips, rice or salad if you wish and dessert. Everything is fresh and grilled to order so no worries of the dreaded 'ping'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Antonio's wife serves and controls the tables, sometimes assisted by other members of her family and there are two other ladies in the kitchen keeping on top of washing up and preparation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">What we love, apart from the wonderful food, is that you meet new friends because of the layout of the tables. One interesting encounter was with a very nice man who was having lunch with his very beautiful daughters and their friend. We got into conversation and I discovered that he was involved with promoting portuguese food. He has kindly allowed me to share his website on my blog and I am hoping to take part in one of the courses in the not too distant future. The site is <a href="http://www.insider-cooking.com/">www.insider-cooking.com</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">A few weeks ago we had to go up into Sintra for a meeting and I had been told by a friend that there was a wonderful cafe that we should visit close to the terminus of the Sintra-Rossio train line. What a find. If you are up in Sintra do please check out Cafe Saudade.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRb5iNy8rSQUU_mCJJkcdACKz96r1iegOR1WxBmBqC6mhLuj6s4RrPqIyMgP3FDhUvA0eXL_o0JNZZ8eTbLX53_MvXN_E3yjB88coNXKxyLxBHsU-MOwq810uP9DIqYyk-zaxqmWj1Brwg/s1600/DSC02746%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRb5iNy8rSQUU_mCJJkcdACKz96r1iegOR1WxBmBqC6mhLuj6s4RrPqIyMgP3FDhUvA0eXL_o0JNZZ8eTbLX53_MvXN_E3yjB88coNXKxyLxBHsU-MOwq810uP9DIqYyk-zaxqmWj1Brwg/s320/DSC02746%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The building is beautiful and was originally one of the factories that produced the lovely Sintra cheesecakes (Queijadas de Sintra). It has been restored and is a fascinating place to go and have coffee, cakes, snacks or even a drink. Beautifully decorated with some rather comfy armchairs, it also sells a good range of teas to take away with you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And before I finish, I must make mention of a site that has just come to my attention today. A couple of very enterprising ladies - Amelia Macedo and Margarida Jordan have set up a lovely site called Belas Tartes. All freshly made by themselves with deliveries to Cascais, Estoril and Sintra. Choose from savoury or sweet. Here are a couple of examples to wet your appetite:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cPAWNdua6yWfPCI35lFMbezJcTpJu4glluvBMcpjzxQI5t8zoMFrRAo5qzYdimK6rkt8g2hgZydxm-wwoNuJIurv0DKXxfeMq5XthS2RtNfQLJRjxaLglTe4E7W68_l22JAu8hhyphenhyphenB2RY/s1600/544857_367078366664284_297834002_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cPAWNdua6yWfPCI35lFMbezJcTpJu4glluvBMcpjzxQI5t8zoMFrRAo5qzYdimK6rkt8g2hgZydxm-wwoNuJIurv0DKXxfeMq5XthS2RtNfQLJRjxaLglTe4E7W68_l22JAu8hhyphenhyphenB2RY/s320/544857_367078366664284_297834002_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Asparagus and cheese pie (with or without ham)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9Yfa3Rsm3ZjT8MURxyHmKx77_4KqZv3F9uN6kx_maZX5pGfKzPJYZzsglHGXGttPM9MNuy6Nk4F4MHVYZvhQaRQqGYs4FtE_GBSkC7fufDKXSwCSau_fouGJi_pj56nqFHIGxaioGgrw/s1600/582724_436773106361476_1127021040_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9Yfa3Rsm3ZjT8MURxyHmKx77_4KqZv3F9uN6kx_maZX5pGfKzPJYZzsglHGXGttPM9MNuy6Nk4F4MHVYZvhQaRQqGYs4FtE_GBSkC7fufDKXSwCSau_fouGJi_pj56nqFHIGxaioGgrw/s320/582724_436773106361476_1127021040_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lemon and raspberry tart</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The girls do not have a website or shop as yet but can be contacted for more details of their lovely wares via <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BelasTartesSintra">www.facebook.com/BelasTartesSintra</a> or by telephone: </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amélia Macedo: 919614527 / Margarida Jordan: 914561136. I really hope this takes off for them as it is a fabulous idea and everything is freshly made by them on a daily basis. </span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-37507786928635227022012-09-10T15:22:00.000+01:002012-09-10T15:22:08.286+01:00The valleys are alive with music<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The summer is always a fun time for people. There are festivals here, festivals there and music everywhere (sorry). <span style="font-family: Verdana;">The season starts normally in about June and gets going seriously throughout July and August.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Living on the side of a hill we get the benefit of the music without having to venture out to the event. Sometimes this can be highly entertaining and other times slightly annoying - a lot depends on the wind direction, the time of the concert, volume/level of musicians.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">There is also a wedding venue on the other side of the valley so when you hear music out of season, that is usually the reason. This music tends to be much lower in volume though so unless there is a particularly loud bass note, we tend not to notice it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">A typical concert stages looks like this</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3ivEY8OI15B1vncBHcAvESweTps0nIE5ZpiN_9X8iRZcCQF280O5hura330RKoNS26cPJueyhzKoIsvi8f8hcW4uJ0Q3ReEVxx4pUNmS5ZecfZDwA2RXE_TkoF2Q984gCLDsnTa3w6eK/s1600/Wednesday+17+August+Festa+de+Sao+Mamede+de+Janas+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3ivEY8OI15B1vncBHcAvESweTps0nIE5ZpiN_9X8iRZcCQF280O5hura330RKoNS26cPJueyhzKoIsvi8f8hcW4uJ0Q3ReEVxx4pUNmS5ZecfZDwA2RXE_TkoF2Q984gCLDsnTa3w6eK/s320/Wednesday+17+August+Festa+de+Sao+Mamede+de+Janas+040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was the stage for the celebrations in Sao Mamede in 2011</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Note the banks of speakers - these are frightfully important. You have to be able to reach the WHOLE of the village/small town and outlying areas! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The music can be kicked off as early at first thing in the morning but this is normally recorded and just plays away merrily to entertain whoever might be in the locality not forgetting the long suffering dogs who howl along with it if they don't particularly like a track.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The afternoons tend to be fairly quiet and then early evening you have band practice. Universally known as "One, two. Testing. One, two"</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">in any country. Then perhaps the enthusiastic bass player has a bit of a go with riffs and then the drummer and then a full practice but not at full volume. More like a rumble with the odd bit that starts you wondering what the tune might be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Depending on the type of occasion, there is a strict agenda of happenings. Normally an opening, a pause for eating, music, pause for the stripper (!) and back to the music and general frivolity. Food stalls sell tasty snacks to soak up the alcohol and there is always some form of attraction for the children who never seem to go to bed in the summer - possibly because sleep will not be an option with the musical volume. Accordian music is a feature and can be extremely bouncy and loud.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrubTziUokpx0a9B2eZzlKhrZdNT8ckwdvZ96gZH7jZURHz5u1enGn9OtrljxvC6G4ecV8P2iS9kqM0X0pktiBt-kEgh0BB4cLTZ7E41fmztMhS6Q-k8CLjQQCRgXqzcGaDs3qxxWAKOi-/s1600/bifana%5B1%5D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrubTziUokpx0a9B2eZzlKhrZdNT8ckwdvZ96gZH7jZURHz5u1enGn9OtrljxvC6G4ecV8P2iS9kqM0X0pktiBt-kEgh0BB4cLTZ7E41fmztMhS6Q-k8CLjQQCRgXqzcGaDs3qxxWAKOi-/s320/bifana%5B1%5D.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A tasty bifana</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMsktFh_AIdV6HNhyphenhyphenwlW7p8RLUJLrTZzu_uo9ggf0RZDWgideZTW-5E1KHpxxShum0btK9lalC8Nn_tL96eH_SNNrIpf7Xb50rJuU2Jm9h782Mhy3IjbuP6FkU49mI26tCpLee650EfcK/s1600/images%5B3%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMsktFh_AIdV6HNhyphenhyphenwlW7p8RLUJLrTZzu_uo9ggf0RZDWgideZTW-5E1KHpxxShum0btK9lalC8Nn_tL96eH_SNNrIpf7Xb50rJuU2Jm9h782Mhy3IjbuP6FkU49mI26tCpLee650EfcK/s1600/images%5B3%5D.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A typical van selling scrummy doughnut-like treats</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYewW1uA2CuU_GeLf5EOFucT_kirx0j-xvTb4qXCAII6tjaxAuLYEDhg87G_b6ABVyAqsHx1rLAjdrMpblmQ7eP1ca_pQ5Oy2IsaN_bsk6izwlUJis22R9Jw5RcUADj4h0dvONDbB8jDee/s1600/images%5B9%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYewW1uA2CuU_GeLf5EOFucT_kirx0j-xvTb4qXCAII6tjaxAuLYEDhg87G_b6ABVyAqsHx1rLAjdrMpblmQ7eP1ca_pQ5Oy2IsaN_bsk6izwlUJis22R9Jw5RcUADj4h0dvONDbB8jDee/s1600/images%5B9%5D.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Made in a round like a Cumberland sausage then cut and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Seriously addictive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Some parties are larger (both in size and length of time) and others are just small gatherings. All will be eagerly attended by everyone with much gossiping, drinking and dancing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">A recent one was just outside Ericeira. It only happens every 17 years (somewhat like the once every 20 year Preston Guild) which, for a friend was probably just as well, as the event took place in front of her house and was seriously well attended to the tune of thousands. It went on for a week. We had a laugh when she Skyped up to let us hear one of the amateur groups rehearsing. They weren't bad actually.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the noisiest events near to us takes place every year in celebration of the motorbike fraternity. You have the blare of bikes and then the blare of music. To be fair, they usually have extremely good bands on, mainly doing covers and you can go to bed and bop along with it although it can wake you up when they get to the Freddie Mercury section. This event is over three days but the interesting thing is, there never seems to be any trouble. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The most recent musical event took place a week or so ago at the finale of a cycling event in Nafarros. The usual music blasted out and then the last act of the night came on and I have to say, were very, very good. So much so I checked them out on the net and discovered they were called Semibreve. I can recommend them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now the season is coming to an end so the hills will become quiet, the dogs will be sleeping peacefully, but I will miss the music.</span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-22139276057685358382012-09-02T19:10:00.001+01:002012-09-02T19:10:17.530+01:00Sun, Sand and Sadness<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You cannot have failed to have read in the newspapers of the tragic accidents that have happened along the Portuguese coastline this summer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Atlantic is an unforgiving force of nature. The coastline along where I live is famous for surfing and bodyboarding due to the height of the waves and most people will remember that wonderful photograph of the surfer up by Nazare, riding that world record of a wave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">BUT the Atlantic is dangerous. Very dangerous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In the last few months I have only seen the green flag flying on the beach we use, twice. The rest of the time it is either yellow or red and as the tide turns, you hear and see the waves increase in size and volume. It can be amusing watching the unsuspecting sunbathers getting caught by one of the larger waves as they can creep stealthily up the beach quite some distance to submerge towels, handbags and sleepers before retreating at speed leaving chaos behind. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">These waves move at top speed and when they retreat, they don't hang around and the undertow is very dangerous. This is what catches people out. It is not easy to keep your feet in these conditions and even harder for a child.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sitting on rocks can also be very dangerous as the waves can pull you off them very easily and many a fisherman has lost his life in this way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">What I find incredible is the number of people with children on the beach, who seem to be totally oblivous to the dangers. I have seen children run down to the waves without an adult (more interested in smoking/reading their book/talking on mobile), adults with very small children trying to jump into the waves and being knocked down and complete idiots trying to swim out in the rollers. Usually this takes place whilst red and yellow flags are flying. This is the official status of the flag system.</span><br />
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<b>Beach flags</b></div>
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<img align="left" alt="Red flag" border="0" height="79" src="http://www.portugal-sport-and-adventure.com/images/red-flag.jpg" width="105" /> <br /><br />A red flag means stay out of the water completely<br /><br /><br /><img align="left" alt="yellow flag" border="0" height="79" src="http://www.portugal-sport-and-adventure.com/images/yellow-flag.jpg" width="105" /> <br /><br />A yellow flag means no swimming but you can paddle<br /><br /><br /><img align="left" alt="green flag" border="0" height="79" src="http://www.portugal-sport-and-adventure.com/images/green-flag.jpg" width="105" /> <br /><br />A green flag means you can swim</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During the summer season many beaches are patrolled by lifeguards and will be displaying the safety flags. However from 1st October the lifeguards and the flags may be gone so it is important to take extra care at that time of the year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We have a wonderful life guard service on the beaches but only in summertime. They cannot patrol the whole of some of the beaches and that makes it even more important that people observe the flags. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">On our beach you cannot raise an umbrella in certain places so that the lifeguards can have a clear view of everything. They blow whistles to warn people to get out of the water who have ignored the flags. These guys risk their lives regularly to assist people who have got into difficulties and do not get enough praise for their work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A calm sea</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A less calm sea</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">A sad thing to see recently was the coastguard patrolling along our piece of coastline, searching for the body of an unlucky person who was lost off Praia Grande. His two friends were lucky enough to be rescued. It is not nice to think that someone's loved one is out there somewhere and incredibly distressing for their families to not have a body to bury.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So if you come on holiday and your sea of choice is the Atlantic, do please take extra care and remember there are vicious currents under the waves; waves can sweep you off rocks and out to sea in the blink of an eye. Stay safe and respect the flags and out of season, be very, very careful.</span></div>
Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531782281055155405.post-38388898671340643782012-08-22T20:35:00.001+01:002012-08-22T20:35:22.743+01:00The tram is back but you will need to be quick to catch it<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During the summer it is nice to hear the little tram trundling along the line at the bottom of our valley. However this year it has been delayed due to a tree falling on the line at the beginning of the year, and then the stealing of copper from the overhead lines. This has meant that it only came into service about two weeks ago and will only be running until the end of September.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I think it is very sad that it is not something that runs for a longer period. Normally it starts around June and finishes at the end of September or beginning of October but it only runs on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday unless it is hired out privately. I would love to see it running as often as possible as it is only 2 euros to travel from Sintra to Praia das Macas or 2 euros from Praia das Macas to Sintra.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oCUAVJ5rC5wYWLUw1i_X155jeV_aasy5PDLcfbktZWMdIh6-cQ6jZzYUbqbdNaToekWfY5WENgorjORBup2j7NZmn3GvodvpDu6CXSx0VvOMpl_rZsCA8-XoLYRqwMkfI_tMDd3rRpOe/s1600/Saturday+10+September+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oCUAVJ5rC5wYWLUw1i_X155jeV_aasy5PDLcfbktZWMdIh6-cQ6jZzYUbqbdNaToekWfY5WENgorjORBup2j7NZmn3GvodvpDu6CXSx0VvOMpl_rZsCA8-XoLYRqwMkfI_tMDd3rRpOe/s320/Saturday+10+September+033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The terminus at Praia das Macas.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLbtY-8a3122T1mC-VnDouFuFa8evPz4SJMDEN2kGaaidqTdsOzWFoEcTNfuWb2h0l8F3x4mDJZISiQ2-psLAZsuaxULjnmE-16vOhUdOnGpUl9DUOBY66uLe5AsoMlxPi4jTZ0D6fALs/s1600/Saturday+10+September+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLbtY-8a3122T1mC-VnDouFuFa8evPz4SJMDEN2kGaaidqTdsOzWFoEcTNfuWb2h0l8F3x4mDJZISiQ2-psLAZsuaxULjnmE-16vOhUdOnGpUl9DUOBY66uLe5AsoMlxPi4jTZ0D6fALs/s320/Saturday+10+September+034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Leaving Praia das Macas heading for Colares</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The journey is about 40 minutes and trundles along at a fair pace but not so fast that you cannot thoroughly enjoy the views through the valley and the hills surrounding the Monserrate Palace. At times it veers off around the backs of houses and you get a good view of gardens and if quick enough, you might be able to scrump a lemon from an overhanging tree or two.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDik1QJFxbn_Y94duFzHIrLoIlIkK6qEMkCK1uHz5p2sw_hhb71ohrFNtkH1ve1l0UrfdHmhusZBqU5ISee8V7atn7RVutr1uNpuq7ZgpEz10NxU8d6D4KwWp-33V_Lg7flwbWlz98Becd/s1600/Saturday+10+September+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDik1QJFxbn_Y94duFzHIrLoIlIkK6qEMkCK1uHz5p2sw_hhb71ohrFNtkH1ve1l0UrfdHmhusZBqU5ISee8V7atn7RVutr1uNpuq7ZgpEz10NxU8d6D4KwWp-33V_Lg7flwbWlz98Becd/s320/Saturday+10+September+013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Leaving the terminus at Sintra and being out-raced by a bride and groom!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLOvMFVLf3cp2XNy-fQmGORBKfxxVdfwP8VRY0Hd842rouEgafv6WRM4I0ruerPLXZk8d-VH1B8heU_-aYaEij5S9JmQm-lTfNtMqPyE5Auun0yGT089gDdhi9QpQRFxH95bNYV-NMqwE/s1600/Saturday+10+September+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLOvMFVLf3cp2XNy-fQmGORBKfxxVdfwP8VRY0Hd842rouEgafv6WRM4I0ruerPLXZk8d-VH1B8heU_-aYaEij5S9JmQm-lTfNtMqPyE5Auun0yGT089gDdhi9QpQRFxH95bNYV-NMqwE/s320/Saturday+10+September+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The view from the front as you leave Sintra</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9tHqlp0oOU-1v6PWsxHMS9-9BFAQjgK_cjYAUtRo28PDuj10Qz-WaeW6TAqID6IekxXXStkChMV7C_mUqp7FHKM6oj5NVf6qS9xd7O3d-kPy48tZW7m5nbRKZN6oEkIwNfWWyq2FfHNV/s1600/Sunday+2+October+Tram+Ride+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9tHqlp0oOU-1v6PWsxHMS9-9BFAQjgK_cjYAUtRo28PDuj10Qz-WaeW6TAqID6IekxXXStkChMV7C_mUqp7FHKM6oj5NVf6qS9xd7O3d-kPy48tZW7m5nbRKZN6oEkIwNfWWyq2FfHNV/s320/Sunday+2+October+Tram+Ride+011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Interior of the open sided tram</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclWLJbzhrmQ2rmif3l_qdPYm6LuWdwDGP2KtX_ha95meZ6P9cZO-I-YOUkXWYouZkZ2Df_FVRBQI23RzwsEUk9SPwP0qDlEJvmo7MkmZh3Ji_2j_MmqaeNhFCMqZgwaL4oD9iY2VTXtNh/s1600/Saturday+10+September+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclWLJbzhrmQ2rmif3l_qdPYm6LuWdwDGP2KtX_ha95meZ6P9cZO-I-YOUkXWYouZkZ2Df_FVRBQI23RzwsEUk9SPwP0qDlEJvmo7MkmZh3Ji_2j_MmqaeNhFCMqZgwaL4oD9iY2VTXtNh/s320/Saturday+10+September+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The controls</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRJ7Ul23HLYvFmylQlcLE1QsnGfU5PBVxAa9RB10mYkakiqISylGL6w0THPeD7du-2fSuCEihsnIfXWSpIW7yMsvLYZM4qidErB-9-sd2JIAOCidoZyW3gGetPU9XyKbVtRdhR2bsK6ky/s1600/Sunday+2+October+Tram+Ride+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRJ7Ul23HLYvFmylQlcLE1QsnGfU5PBVxAa9RB10mYkakiqISylGL6w0THPeD7du-2fSuCEihsnIfXWSpIW7yMsvLYZM4qidErB-9-sd2JIAOCidoZyW3gGetPU9XyKbVtRdhR2bsK6ky/s320/Sunday+2+October+Tram+Ride+042.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">View of main road from Sintra to Colares </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliL55tyym1vZU9mLIk_dOF5JWld5q_90yoJyqD1scy8T0TUKAODZngpC2rxf6zd0iBtxzxksNQ22yCNlhkAnc9JaoovHUkO9bVKnaGfrxWEH8ApoU1asZcgn27uFCB9IKpMJ-vJ4Bq9u-/s1600/Saturday+10+September+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliL55tyym1vZU9mLIk_dOF5JWld5q_90yoJyqD1scy8T0TUKAODZngpC2rxf6zd0iBtxzxksNQ22yCNlhkAnc9JaoovHUkO9bVKnaGfrxWEH8ApoU1asZcgn27uFCB9IKpMJ-vJ4Bq9u-/s320/Saturday+10+September+011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just about to change sides to head for Colares</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If you get a chance, do try it. The trams run fairly regularly in both directions and more information can be found at <a href="http://www.cm-sintra.pt/">www.cm-sintra.pt</a>. This is the main website for Sintra. There is an option for English - just click on the Union Jack symbol and then the option for Tourism and Culture and you will find lots to see and do in Sintra along with the details of the timetable of the tram.</span></div>
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Sally Rose Pethybridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00114125586136197914noreply@blogger.com0