Irish State Visit

The Queen is showing Irish related items from the Royal Collection at Windsor

A historic event began today at Windsor Castle with the first visit to the UK by an Irish Head of State. 

Irish President Michael D Higgins, who is also a poet, sociologist and author, spoke in Westminster and said both countries could take "immense pride" in their work towards peace in Northern Ireland.

A shamrock box on display

This book was presented by the Irish poet Oscar Wilde to the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII.

The Queen has made a speech at the Irish State Banquet at Windsor

Prince George´s Royal Tour

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and baby Prince George have arrived to Australia for their official three week tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Prince William with his parents in Australia when he visited the country at the same age.

Roque Gameiro nasceu há 150 anos

Em Minde podemos ver a casa onde nasceu 

o pintor Roque Gameiro 

(1864-1935)

Quando visitei a freguesia de Minde, no concelho de Alcanena, fui ao Museu de Aguarela de Roque Gameiro, situado numa bela casa (projecto de Raul Lino), com jardins bem cuidados, onde se pode admirar desenhos e aguarelas do pintor e de seus familiares.

Achei interessante saber que a Vila de Minde possui uma língua própria - o Minderico, desenvolvida pelos feirantes mindericos que, em tempos viajavam por todo o país, com o propósito principal de se entenderem de forma privada, impedindo outros indivíduos de perceber o que estes falavam e combinavam.

George W. Bush´s paintings

After self portraits naked in the shower, former 43rd American President George W Bush turned to painting dogs including Barney, his beloved Scottish Terrier that died recently.

24 paintings of world leaders were revealed yesterday as part of an exhibition at his presidential library in Texas.

It´s unfortunate that he has decided to sign his artwork with the number 43.

http://thelead.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/20/art-critics-take-on-former-president-george-w-bushs-paintings/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2596874/George-W-Bush-reveals-striking-new-paintings-world-leaders-exhibit.html

Portuguese Tiles

 Tibães Monastery

Porto

Queluz Palace

Viseu

Fronteira Palace

S. Vicente Fora

Bacalhoa Palace

Former Palácio das Necessidades (kitchen)

Sintra Palace

CBS correspondent Martha Teichner travelled throughout Portugal to tell the story of the rich tradition of covering buildings with ceramic tiles. Watch the video:

See LISBON'S 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL TILED FAÇADES
Are you a tile lover?

Lisboa antes do Terramoto de 1755

Quatro pinturas a óleo que representam paisagens antigas da cidade de Lisboa antes do terramoto de 1755 estarão em exposição na Cordoaria Nacional entre os dias 5 e 13 de abril na Feira de Arte e Antiguidades de Lisboa, organizada pela Associação Portuguesa de Antiquários . 

http://www.publico.pt/local/noticia/quadros-de-antes-do-terramoto-de-1755-serao-expostos-em-lisboa-ao-publico-1630846#/3

A quinta avenida do século XVI ficava em Lisboa

Dia da consciencialização do autismo

2 abril

Earth Hour

Thousands of people around the world will switch off their lights for one hour between 8.30pm and 9.30pm as part of an initiative organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). 

This symbolic lights-off event started in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage over 150 countries and thousands of people who will  turn their lights off at 8.30pm tonight in support of WWF's Earth Hour‪.

Spring in Washington D.C.

In Washington DC, encircling the Tidal Basin, are the city´s famous Japanese cherry trees, which originated as a gift from the Mayor of Tokyo to Washington DC in 1912.

First Lady Helen Taft and the wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first flowering cherry trees in Washington, D.C. 102 years ago.

When I visited Washington D.C. I also had the opportunity to see the beautiful streets lined with tulips.

Reading

Why has the British government banned prisoners being sent books?

I am here

Flowers for my 32nd wedding anniversary

" I am here constructing the new day

With an expression so gentle and at ease

That one might say

I am doing nothing.

And yet I am here constructing the new day.

This, because the day is constructed, not waited for.

Nor is it a sun which burns in an impulse of light.

It is a choir of unheard voices, a staining of naked torsos,

A raising, as if with one voice, of galley oars…”

António Gedeão.  A bilingual Anthology.

World Poetry Day

March 21

                                                               

                                                                   Turani, 1992

This is the poem I had to analyse for my French exam  in 1975.

Liberté
Sur mes cahiers d’écolier
Sur mon pupitre et les arbres
Sur le sable de neige
J’écris ton nom

Sur toutes les pages lues
Sur toutes les pages blanches
Pierre sang papier ou cendre
J’écris ton nom

Sur les images dorées
Sur les armes des guerriers
Sur la couronne des rois
J’écris ton nom

Sur la jungle et le désert
Sur les nids sur les genêts
Sur l’écho de mon enfance
J’écris ton nom

Sur les merveilles des nuits
Sur le pain blanc des journées
Sur les saisons fiancées
J’écris ton nom

Sur tous mes chiffons d’azur
Sur l’étang soleil moisi
Sur le lac lune vivante
J’écris ton nom

Sur les champs sur l’horizon
Sur les ailes des oiseaux
Et sur le moulin des ombres
J’écris ton nom

Sur chaque bouffées d’aurore
Sur la mer sur les bateaux
Sur la montagne démente
J’écris ton nom

Sur la mousse des nuages
Sur les sueurs de l’orage
Sur la pluie épaisse et fade
J’écris ton nom

Sur les formes scintillantes
Sur les cloches des couleurs
Sur la vérité physique
J’écris ton nom

Sur les sentiers éveillés
Sur les routes déployées
Sur les places qui débordent
J’écris ton nom

Sur la lampe qui s’allume
Sur la lampe qui s’éteint
Sur mes raisons réunies
J’écris ton nom

Sur le fruit coupé en deux
Du miroir et de ma chambre
Sur mon lit coquille vide
J’écris ton nom

Sur mon chien gourmand et tendre
Sur ses oreilles dressées
Sur sa patte maladroite
J’écris ton nom

Sur le tremplin de ma porte
Sur les objets familiers
Sur le flot du feu béni
J’écris ton nom

Sur toute chair accordée
Sur le front de mes amis
Sur chaque main qui se tend
J’écris ton nom

Sur la vitre des surprises
Sur les lèvres attendries
Bien au-dessus du silence
J’écris ton nom

Sur mes refuges détruits
Sur mes phares écroulés
Sur les murs de mon ennui
J’écris ton nom

Sur l’absence sans désir
Sur la solitude nue
Sur les marches de la mort
J’écris ton nom

Sur la santé revenue
Sur le risque disparu
Sur l’espoir sans souvenir
J’écris ton nom

Et par le pouvoir d’un mot
Je recommence ma vie
Je suis né pour te connaître
Pour te nommer

Liberté

Paul Eluard, Poésies et vérités, 1942

International Day of Forests

March 21

This commemoration-day was first established last year.

I visited Sequoia National Park ten years ago. It was an amazing experience to witness the grandiosity of that forest. I do love taking pictures of trees, but there I found that mission impossible; simply because they didn´t “fit” in the camera lenses. No trees anywhere on earth grow larger than the giant sequoias. Of these types of trees, “General Sherman”, named after the American Civil War general, is the largest specimen on the planet.

Over hundreds of thousands of years, the sequoia has adapted in order to survive. The most important of these transformations has to do with fire, given that lightning storms are frequent in the forest. The giant sequoia has nowadays several physical defences helping them cope with fire. For example, it has very thick and resistant bark, which is difficult to burn and protects the trees from the heat provoked by fires.

 

A beautiful Frangipani tree from the Caribbean islands.

See: O eucalipto 

Primavera

Primavera

Primavera que Maio viu passar

Num bosque de bailados e segredos,

Embalando no anseio dos teus dedos

Aquela misteriosa maravilha 

que à transparência das paisagens brilha.

in Antologia  de Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen. Moraes Editores, 1975

Fotos de

Maria Teresa Relva

(com saudades da "sua" Primavera americana)

International Day of Happiness

20th March

"Happiness may have different meanings for different people. But we can all agree that it means working to end conflict, poverty and other unfortunate conditions in which so many of our fellow human beings live."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Alentejo 2011

Alentejo 2014

Classic idioms

We use idioms all the time in our speech. Your English will sound better if you use them when speaking English too! Have a look at these classics!

A penny for your thoughts

A way of asking what someone is thinking.

“You look really sad today... a penny for your thoughts?”

At the drop of a hat

Meaning: without any hesitation; instantly.

“If I could get a ticket to the concert I’d go at the drop of a hat!”

Back to the drawing board

When an attempt fails and it's time to start all over.

“Our plan didn’t work at all so it’s back to the drawing board for us.”

Barking up the wrong tree

Looking in the wrong place.  Accusing the wrong person.

“If you think it was me who stole your phone you are barking up the wrong tree.”

Best of both worlds

To have all the advantages.

“If you have a holiday in an interesting city but with a few days on a nice beach as well, you get the best of both worlds.”

Costs an arm and a leg

This idiom is used when something is very expensive.

“Going to University costs an arm and a leg these days.”

Cut corners

When something is done badly to save money.

“If you want to do something well, you can’t cut corners!”

Elvis has left the building

The show has come to an end. It's all over.

“It’s over - I never want to see you again! Elvis has left the building.”

Hit the nail on the head

Do or say something exactly right.

“I think he really hit the nail on the head in his article in the newspaper.”

Idioms related to:

numbers

faces

animals 1

animals 2

food 1

food 2

food 3

madness

parts of the body

music

love

feelings

sport

weather

trees and gardens

keenness

danger and safety

season

theatre

transport

domestic life

school

verb make

Taken from

© Clever Pants 2014

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