bruma

Moorish castle last night. (Para mim não há duvida que haja criaturas magicais à viver aqui em Sintra.) Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

my windows

One of the most pretty windows we have at home is the one in the office where the view to the valley is right there close to you. The valley where hundreds of swallows (andorinhas) fly and fuss with their wonderful and playful shrieks! They wake us up in the morning and remind us in the evening that it is time for dinner.

Yesterday, we heard the Eurasian Jay (Gaio) shrieking in our lilac tree. Then she flew, in all her glorious color to the big maple tree in front. Then we wanted to hear the shriek again. We found probably the best site on the net for birds, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. On this page you can hear (click sound) the blue jay a bird I saw alot when I lived in Boston. His shriek is very similar to the Eurasian Jay.

panos

Da exposição Panos de Cabo Verde e Guiné Bissau no Museu Nacional de Etnologia aonde também admiramos estas lindas PINTURAS CANTADAS DAS MULHERES DE NAYA.

sewing**

as três bonecas

rodilha andorinha

e babete taleigo

Craft in America

detail of dolls from the Cooperativa de Artesãos do Montemuro

How I would have loved to have seen Craft in America, a documentary in three parts about the history and essence of craft of that country. My first thought after discovering and marvelling over the pictures, texts and videos is how important (and amazing) it would be to do this here in Portugal. To document the crafts that may become extinct, those that are still kept going by few, or crafts thriving in this country and the opportunity to hear what the craftsman has to say about his or her work; Maravilha.

LIKE THIS

AND THIS

os aventais da Rosa

Quando pedi à Rosa por lenços antigos ela disse que tinha e que também ainda possuia os lindos aventais que usava quando era nova, feitos à mão por ela. Amiga da minha mãe, imaginei os dela parecidos com aqueles que a minha mãe usaria aos 16 ou 18 anos. É que a minha mãe quando foi para os Estados Unidos deu os lenços e aventais e outros bens que pensava que já não-lhe faziam falta. Quase como um gesto de deixar tudo para trás que lembrasse a vida vivida aqui.

Afinaldecontas

If you come to Sintra, Portugal be sure to stop at Tania´s pretty shop with gifts and souvenirs that are anything but ordinary. What a breath of fresh air for Sintra. Good luck, neighbor!

HERE is Tania´s blog for her shop.