Arraiolos Rugs

Sculpture at Arraiolos

Arraiolos rugs are traditionally made at Arraiolos, in Alentejo, Portugal. 

Unlike oriental carpets they are not made in a loom.

The arraiolos technique is a form of cross-stitch that completely covers the linen cloth foundation. 

The oldest carpets date from the 17th century. They were inspired by Oriental style Persian carpets.

The carpet in this bookcover belongs to the collection of the Victoria and Albert museum in England. It is a 17th century rug bought in 1895.

I only started to appreciate Arraiolos rugs when I learned how to make them.

N&B tile design rug- 2014

Geometric design

Runner with matching rug

One of my favourites. A 17th century "ropes"design.

Bedroom rug (set of three)

This is also a 17th century design

A tile design

(Then and now)

Rug with a repetition of  pattern (they are the easiest ones to make)

A very modern one to match the furniture.









These were specially made for my grandchildren:

A guide to Alentejo, Portugal

Read here The Guardian´s guide

Last year The Sunday Times also wrote about Alentejo: Rota Vicentina

Alentejo:

La Dolce Far Niente

Road damaged

at Yellowstone National Park because of the heat caused by

Yellowstone Volcano. Read the story.

Protocol

Pope Francis was interviewed by Henrique Cymerman for the Portuguese channel SIC. Here is what he said about protocol:

"Do you know the difference between terrorism and protocol? Terrorism is open to negotiation..." [laughs]

Insularidade

Onésimo Teotónio Almeida

"Costumo dizer: quando fui para a Terceira, percebi que era micaelense. Na Madeira, senti-me açoriano. Em Lisboa, vi que era insular. Em Espanha reconheci-me português. Em Paris, já era ibérico. Nos EUA, europeu. Na China achei-me decididamentre ocidental. Se um dia for a Marte, hei-de sentir-me terrestre".

"Estou na América e sinto-me em casa. Mas fundamentalmente sou português, dos Açores"

"Dou aulas em português e em inglês (na Brown University). Falo inglês com sotaque. Toda a gente fala inglês com sotaque se aprende a língua depois da puberdade"

Entrevista de Onésimo Almeida ao Público 13-7-2014

GOSTEI!

Keep Playing...

Keep Playing

What if ...

We all acted as if we were football players in the World Cup 2014?

Watch the funny video Everyday Football Fouls?

http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-world-rankings-of-flopping-1403660175

Lisbon in The Wall Street Journal

Read here

Fronteira Palace

Diversion

Christine Roche in BBC Modern English April 1981

[COUNTABLE]  something that is intended to take someone's attention away from something that you do not want them to concentrate on or notice

create a diversion: " You create a diversion and I'll run for the door!"

[COUNTABLE/UNCOUNTABLE] BRITISH a change in the road or path that you take to get somewhere because the usual road or path is closed
"The closure of the bridge has caused lengthy diversions."

In my yearly attempt to "clean" the basement I always find something amusing, a diversion from my job. What is amazing is that some cartoons are still very current.

Does this one suit anyone?

BBC Modern English February 1981

Does this game still exist? Probably it was Bertie´s attempt to win something.

Getting older

Mr. Jones moved to another town, and soon he needed a new doctor, so he went to see one. He sat down in the waiting room and looked around. The doctor´s degrees were on the wall. Suddenly Mr. Jones remembered there had been a student with the same name in his class at school, and he had become a doctor!

He went in to see the doctor, remembering a young, handsome student, and was sad to see how old and heavy and grey this man looked. However, he said to him "Good morning, Doctor. Did you go to Middletown High School?"

The doctor answered "Yes, I did."

"Were you there from 1970 to 1974?" Mr. Jones asked.

"Yes, I was", the doctor answered. "How did you know?"

Mr Jones laughed and said, "You were in my class!"

"Oh?" the doctor said, looking at him carefully for a few moments. "What were you teaching?"

L.A.Hill. Intermediate anecdotes in American English. Oxford University Press

Para uma amiga...

 que partiu demasiado cedo...

Como o Rumor

Como o rumor do mar dentro de um búzio
O divino sussurra no universo
Algo emerge: primordial projecto

Sophia de Mello Breyner- Obra Poética III

A Royal Blunder

Manchester

During her visit to St Petersburg, in 1994, Queen Elizabeth was introduced to some Russian university students. One told her that she had been to England and had stayed in Manchester. The Queen replied: "Manchester, that´s not such a nice place".

St Petersburg

Quote of the day

"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas".


George Bernard Shaw

Recordar Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen (1919-2004)

Decorridos 10 anos da morte da escritora Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen os seus restos mortais foram transladados para o Panteâo Nacional. Não vi a cerimónia. Não gosto de comemorações fúnebres e penso que os discursos circunstanciais políticos não combinam bem com a poesia. 

A obra de Sophia pode não estar no programa escolar. Porém, os seus livros são dos mais requisitados, pelo menos enquanto trabalhei numa das bibliotecas do agrupamento, onde sou professora. Lembro ainda o autógrafo que a minha amiga Violeta Figueiredo deixou aos alunos, quando visitou a escola a meu convite:

De todos os textos de prosa, aquele que mais me fascinou desde criança foi a Noite de Natal. Não é por acaso que a minha filha se chama Joana…

A Joana de Noite de Natal de Maria Keil  

A minha filha Joana (Ankara, 1991)

É com especial orgulho que possuo a primeira edição do livro, agora encadernado. Todos os anos pelo Natal sai da prateleira e vem para junto das decorações para ser lido ou folheado, juntamente com outros, que merecem a sua companhia (como o Cavaleiro da Dinamarca).

Quem escreve assim:

A Forma Justa

Sei que seria possível construir o mundo justo
As cidades poderiam ser claras e lavadas
Pelo canto dos espaços e das fontes
O céu o mar e a terra estão prontos
A saciar a nossa fome do terrestre
A terra onde estamos – se ninguém atraiçoasse – proporia
Cada dia a cada um a liberdade e o reino
Na concha na flor no homem e no fruto
Se nada adoecer a própria forma é justa
E no todo se integra como palavra em verso
Sei que seria possível construir a forma justa
De uma cidade humana que fosse
Fiel à perfeição do universo

Por isso recomeço sem cessar a partir da página em branco
E este é meu ofício de poeta para a reconstrução do mundo

Trata-se de certeza absoluta de uma grande poetisa.

Li toda a prosa poética de Sophia aos meus filhos, que gostaram muito. Não é difícil perceber a Sophia. Evidência, agora muito realçada. A beleza única das suas obras está na forma como utiliza palavras simples para transmitir ideias complexas, como se nota no belo poema Forma Justa. Gostaria de fazer o mesmo aos meus netos para ficarem a conhecer a grande escritora SOPHIA DE MELLO BREYNER ANDRESEN. Todavia, não lhes vou mostrar o Panteão. Quero uma Sophia viva. 

Quadrado

Deixai-me com a sombra

Pensada na parede

Deixai-me com a luz

Medida no meu ombro

Em frente do quadrado

Nocturno da janela

Poemas:

Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen. Obra Poética. Caminho, 1996.


As Casas

As Flores

Primavera

Happy Fourth of July!

MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA

Older posts:

4th of July- Independence Day (in Portuguese)

The Fourth of July (in English)

Knock Knock jokes

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Canoe.

Canoe who?

Canoe help me with my homework?



Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Nana.

Nana who?

Nana your business.



Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Adore.

Adore who?

Adore is between us.

Open up!



Knock, knock

Who’s there?

Ben.

Ben who?

Ben knocking for 10 minutes.

Madeira Day

Madeira Day in Caracas- 2008

Madeira Day is celebrated on July 1 not only in Madeira island but also abroad where many Madeiran descendants live. In Venezuela, South Africa, Canada and USA there are commissions in charge of the commemorations.

A special dinner is held with many people and guests from Madeira.

In Caracas (2008) ready to celebrate Madeira Day

The ceremonial hommage to Camões and Bolívar

Let the party begin!

St. Peter´s Day

Giotto.St Peter. Upper Church San Francesco Assisi

Before he met Jesus his name was Simon.

The apostle Saint Peter was the first Pope and reigned the longest of all Popes, thirty-four years, from the year 33 to the year 67.

He was called by Jesus the rock on which the Church would be built. 

Round the dome of St. Peter´s Basilica in Rome are Christ´s words to Peter: Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam et tibi dabo claves regni coelorum (Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church and I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven).

He moved the Church from Jerusalem to Antioch in 36 and from Antioch to Rome in 42. 

The basilica of St. Peter in Rome is the burial site of Saint Peter. The square fills a large part of the Circus where some of the cruelest games were held during Nero´s persecutions. 

Panel from the Central Door of St Peter's Basilica 

At his own request, Peter was crucified upside down, on June 29 in the year 67. 

His feast day is celebrated in Madeira island. I remember the “arraial” we had at home when I was a teenager, the decorations with colourful papers, and the menu that always consisted of fish (tuna fish) perhaps because Peter was a fisherman.

The fish is an early Christian coded symbol for the name Christ: the letters of the Greek word for fish “Ixthus” from the initial letters of the phrase “Jesus Christ, God´s Son, Saviour”.

(All the photos were taken from the net)

51 places to visit before dying

Berlengas

Portugal made this list four times:


Palace of Regaleira, Sintra

Shopping street in Águeda

São Miguel Island, Azores

Berlengas


See the complete list here

Ficar a ver navios

Conta a lenda que Junot, do alto do miradouro de Santa Catarina, ficou a ver, impotente, a esquadra que transportava a Família Real, quando saía da barra do Tejo em direção ao Brasil.

Tinha falhado o seu objetivo de capturar o Príncipe Regente...

Hoje em dia a expressão Ficar a Ver Navios significa frustração de expectativas.

Entrevista ao embaixador americano

O embaixador americano em Portugal, Robert Sherman, foi entrevistado no último programa da SIC, Sociedade das Nações.

Veja aqui.

100 000

The counter has just reached 100 000.

I live near the district of Oeiras, whose population is close to 34.000 people. I am glad that my blog has been able to reach, for now at least, three times that amount of people. It makes me very happy!

The post that was viewed the most by far was OK.

The top 10 countries

I would like to thank all the viewers and especially those who decided to visit the blog more than once!

Saint John The Baptist

Caravaggio. John the Baptist. Cathedral Museum, Toledo

Piero della Francesca. Baptism of Christ. National Gallery, London

The name John means God has graced. It is the most frequent name among all the men saints. However the first John was Saint John The Baptist, whose feast day is June 24.

John is identifiable in Christian art by his reed cross, camel's skin and lamb.

On the eve of Saint John´s day, the streets of Oporto are filled with people, to celebrate his day. It is a famous “arraial” where people eat (sardines are a must), sing , dance and amuse themselves. In Lisbon the same spirit of joy is shown on the eve of Saint Anthony´s Day.

The Portuguese Team

Berlin wax museum

Cristiano Ronaldo,

Just like you said, I know you don´t carry the Portuguese Team on your back but, regardless, Best of Luck from one of your fans.


Do you know why Americans call football "soccer"? Read here

La Canción Del Verano

Andes Venezuelanos

La Canción Del Verano

Y ésta es la canción de un verano

entre muchos hermosos veranos,

cuando el polvo se alza y danza

y el cielo es un follaje azul, distante.

Y entonces fue cuando vino con las brisas

que se levantan de los arroyos y de sus conchas,

la que cantaba la canción del verano,

la canción de yerbas secas y aromáticas

que arrullaban, cuando a mi lado

la sentía como una tierra que respira

y como un sueño de pólenes y estrellas

que resbalan tibias por la piel y las manos.

Entonces vino saltando

en medio de las brisas y la tarde, en grupo,

y lo primero que vi fue su traje ondeando

a lo lejos a la distancia contra el cielo puro.

Pero desde entonces no tuve ya nunca ojos para su traje.

Y no oí nada más, sino la canción del verano.

Aurelio Arturo (1906-1974)

poeta Colombiano