Cruzeiro no Tejo

O cacilheiro que representou Portugal na Bienal de Veneza, em 2013, já está em Lisboa. O “Trafaria Praia” faz cruzeiros no Tejo entre o Terreiro do Paço e a Torre de Belém (ida e volta) a partir do cais situado entre o Cais das Colunas e o Cais do Sodré . O mini cruzeiro demora cerca de uma hora.

No exterior do navio, da proa à popa, Joana Vasconcelos aplicou um painel de azulejos em azul e branco, pintado à mão, que reproduz uma vista contemporânea de Lisboa. A obra inspira-se no grande painel de azulejos do Museu do Azulejo que mostra Lisboa antes do terramoto de 1755.

A decoração interior é toda em cortiça

 

Nas vitrinas podemos admirar artesanato português.

                  

                             

Além da agradável viagem, onde se pode apreciar Lisboa, que está cada vez mais bonita, podemos visitar a instalação de Joana Vasconcelos sobre o fundo do mar.

Uma tarde muito bem passada.

Foto da Terra neste instante

Veja aqui

Dia da Europa 2014

O Centro de Informação Europeia Jacques Delors( CIEJD) vai assinalar o Dia da Europa de muitas maneiras.
Veja aqui

World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day

World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is celebrated on 8 May each year.

This date is the anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant (1828- 1910) who recorded his memories and experiences of the Battle of Solferino in the book A Memory of Solferino, which inspired the creation of the International Commitee of the Red Cross in 1863.

The international Red Cross was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human suffering.

Henry Dunant was the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.

Today, 151 years after its establishment, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement help more than 277 million people worldwide.

Happy World Red Cross Red Crescent Day!

Boas noticias...

do ministro Crato sobre a obrigatoriedade do ensino da língua inglesa no 1º ciclo.


No Comunicado sobre a prova Key for Schools refere a importância da língua inglesa e da sua aprendizagem.
Espero que seja considerado insuficiente apenas uma aula  por semana (90m) no ensino da disciplina de inglês, no 9º ano, como acontece na escola onde leciono (ESR).

Books...

 The Great War- 1916 - 1918 edition

My latest purchase was a set of 13 books about the Great War.

We got it in an antique bookshop in Rochester.

Bookstores and libraries are always an attraction when I travel in Portugal or abroad.

I was very proud to know that Book Riot, an American site about books, has considered the Mafra library in Portugal, the  most awesome library in the world.

After selecting Lello bookshop as the most beautiful and Bertrand, the oldest, it was now time for a library- all of them in Portugal...


THE IMPORTANCE OF BOOKS

WORLD BOOK DAY

Happy Mother´s Day

Some years ago in Alentejo, Portugal

This music was very fashionable at the time:

While I was choosing the video it came to my mind the verses we used to write in primary school:

Com três letrinhas apenas

Se escreve a palavra mãe

Que é das palavras pequenas

A maior que o mundo tem

Previous posts:

Dia da Mãe- Para Sempre

Mother´s Day in Portugal

Mother´s Day in USA

Mother´s Day Traditions

                   Happy Mother´s Day 2014!

Tour on the River Stour

Canterbury in 1 day
3rd part

The tour on the river Stour was a very nice way of 
learning more about this historic place with a quite witty guide.

The day could not have ended in a better way – with great company in a delicious Italian restaurant that was highly recommended.



http://www.canterburyrivertours.co.uk/

The Ducking Stool

Canterbury in 1 day

2nd part

In medieval times, the ducking stool was meant to establish whether a suspect was a witch. It consisted of a strongly made wooden armchair in which the offender was tied and ducked into water. If the "witch" sank she was deemed innocent. If she survived the immersion it was deemed that she was in league with the devil, meaning that she had rejected the "baptismal water” and was thus burned in fire as a witch.

In the 17th century it became a method of punishment for women accused of prostitution or scold.

The ducking stool in Canterbury is a replica from 1910.

Canterbury in 1 day

Last Saturday I went to Canterbury. The last time I had visited this beautiful city was in 1981, 33 years ago. Whilst visiting the sights, engaging in good conversation, taking pictures and shopping I realized that if it takes me the same time to visit this place again I will be nearly 90…

Canterbury Cathedral is the most visited site in Kent because it is the oldest and most famous Christian monument in England and the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England.

It was founded in 597. That was the year King Ethelbert, an Anglo Saxon King, was baptized by St. Augustine, the cathedral's first archbishop who was  sent by the Pope as a missionary. 

When England was conquered by William of Normandy in 1066, bigger changes took place, as the Church gradually, over the next 500 years, came under the papacy’s greater influence.

Thomas Becket could be considered the second founder of Christian Canterbury. He was archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170 by followers of King Henry II with whom he had engaged in many conflicts over the rights and privileges of the Church. Soon after his death he was canonized and since then was venerated as saint by both the Catholic and Anglican Churches. 

The site of his martyrdom is a much visited corner in the Cathedral.

Geoffrey Chaucer´s The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories by the pilgrims on their way to the shrine of St Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. Chaucer uses the tales and the descriptions of its characters to criticize English society of the time.

  Canterbury 26/4/14

Jazz Day

Today is International Jazz Day.

Ronaldo in Time´s 100 most influential people

See the list here

Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle is situated in Kent, the Garden of England, halfway between London and the port of Dover.

The castle was owned by six medieval queens and remained in royal hands until Tudor times.

Since then it was in private ownership. Lady Baillie, the heiress to an American fortune bought it in 1926. 

Lady Baillie, who was born in New York in 1899 as Olive Paget, left a mark on the castle as she refurbished it using the finest architects and designers to create an elegant country residence filled with art and antiques collected on her frequent trips.

Lady Baillie (in the centre) with her two daughters

The Seminar Room

The Seminar room has hosted many international meetings like the Egypt-Israeli peace talks in 1978.

The dining room

Boudin, who worked in the castle for 30 years, designed the floral medaillon carpet. He later supplied this design to the White House for Jacqueline Kennedy.

Lady Baillie´s travelling case

Boudin redesigned this room. It had been the schoolroom for Lady Baillies´s daughters. The shelves in the library contain over 3000 books which were part of the owner´s collection.

 For me it is the most beautiful room with a fantastic view.

Lady Baillie used the castle as her country house, entertaining the rich and famous for nearly fifty years. When she died, in 1974, she left the castle to a charitable trust that is now responsible for its preservation. The castle looks today mostly as it did in Lady Baillie´s day.

References:

Bignell, Alan. Lady Baillie at Leeds Castle. Leeds Castle Enterprises, 2007

Aslet, Clive. An Exuberant Catalogue of Dreams- The Americans Who Revived the Country House in Britain. Aurum, 2013.

A visit to Kent

During my recent visit to Kent I had the opportunity to commemorate St George´s Day with a traditional Fish and Chips dinner.

Earth Day in Leeds Castle:

International Book Day in the beautiful and cosy library of Leeds Castle:

Last but not least it was time for a very important birthday commemoration...

Happy St George´s Day

Do you know the story of Saint George?

Read it here.

Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday Portrait

A new portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by British photographer David Bailey has been released in honour of her 88th birthday.

The Queen celebrates her actual birthday on 21 April, and her official birthday on a Saturday in June, which this year falls on 14 June.

Read about The Queen´s Birthday Parade