Flood

Photo taken by myself. Along the river Thames, there are several locks. Forty five, to be more precise. In Oxford, there is one. It's a very popular destination, particularly during the summer. Unfortunately, during the Winter, as you can see, the risk of flood is quite high.

Photo taken by myself. The boat houses are very popular in this region. I wonder how they can cope with the cold and humidity...

New city, New country, New job... a New Life

During the last 4 years, my life changed in a very dramatic way. I'm no longer living in Porto, Portugal. I'm living in the United Kingdom, in the beautiful city of Oxford. I have to confess that initially, my first instinct was to change the Blog's name. However, my photos, my comments, will always be the product of someone raised in Porto. Someone who is deeply proud of the his hometown, of his country, of his ancestors and history. I will never be able to think, to see or to feel the way an englishman do. I'm portuguese. I feel things in different way. Not better, just different.

Photo taken by me. This photo was taken in the Cornmarket Street. Two horses pulling a wagon and advertising a local brewery.

Music from the Andes...

Photo by myself.

Yesterday I went to the downtown. I heard a strange music and saw a small crowd ahead. It was a group of musicians from Peru. One, was wearing some feathers "western style". I think they tried to give some kind of "ethnic glamour". Despite of the nonsense, they played quite well!

Back to work!

Photos by myself.

"Vila Campina" - A great hotel (only 8 rooms). You must book in advance if you want to stay there. Super friendly and professional staff! We loved it, and we will return.

A traditional boat. This photo was taken in the "Parque Natural da Ria Formosa" (a national park), witch has one of the best family beaches of the world (according the Condé Nast Travel magazine).

My holidays are over (at least until the end of September). We went to the south of Portugal (Algarve). It is a very popular summer destination in Europe, with great beaches, warm waters and lots of seafood and fresh fish. This region has a lot of moorish influences (starting by the name "Al garve"). I'm feeling a little bit depressed to be back again and start working...Do you also feel the same? Where did you went on your holidays?

Salamanca

Photos by myself.

This is Salamanca's main square (Plaza Mayor). If you know Venice and it's main square (St. Mark), you will find a lot of resemblances. If you want to have a nice (and expensive) breakfast, a lunch or just watch the crowds, this is the place to be. There are lots of small coffee shops, and you will watch the people choosing different spots according the hour (the sun and the heat will literally melt you down), always looking for the shadow.

Here, you can see my son, watching the river Douro (the spanish call it "Duero"), on the bathroom window. Even he (he's just 3), was amazed by the beauty and the serenity of the hotel.

A long weekend

Photo by myself.

We went for a few days to Salamanca, Spain. We've found a wonderful hotel, named "Hacienda Zorita". It's located near the city of Salamanca, and it's known both for it's wine production and for being the place where Colombo slept before going to Madrid ask for the navy fleet to the Queen Isabela. I took this photo inside a little church, and as you can see, there are a lot of wine barrels inside!!! It's an old tradition of the Dominicans monks. The hotel also has a great restaurant with 2 stars of the Michelin Guide (yummy!!!). If you can can, you should try this!

The big green wall

Photo by myself.

This photo was taken near the sport center (Palácio de Cristal - "Crystal Palace). The gardeners made a natural fence, using granite blocks and plants. It worked just fine. You can see behind the plants part of the sport center building (it looks like an UFO!).