A dreamy world: at the beach

Cats in the sun I

Cats in the sun II

I'm here

The photographers

Tennis player

In line for ice-cream

A dreamy world

.... every Monday, a trip without moving, a breath of inspiration for a creative week.

Lemons + Quince (Marmelo in Portuguese, hence the Marmalade)

Lovely coffe + hand crafted furniture shop

In bloom, Visconte da Luz Park

Antique Post (Correio) box

Reading on Baia Beach

Love from Cascais, Portugal.
Cristina

Dreamy Monday

I'm lying on the bed next to mancub and feel his heartbeat, I see his lips slightly moving and I smile uncontrollably. I wanted to sleep, I even fantasized a bit about it on our way home, but here I am dreaming with open eyes about writing, reinventing myself, about traveling, learning to print by hand and a lot of other awesome stuff.

Sean and I have been around Cascais today as it was sunny, well it was actually sparkling sunny and I even took my coat off wandering around checking shop windows, looking + smiling at people. I guess spring was in the air and the warmth got to everyone's hearts.

We also went to donate the clothes that don't fit him anymore - we met the couple at the station, they were happy + excited just like Marco and I were a few months ago. I hope and wish for the best to their new family, too.

I didn't have Santini ice-cream (or Eistini how Max, Petra's son invented in German) although it's super duper delicious, but carrots, yes plain old carrots mm they were so tasty and healthier.

Sean is turning to me and I feel him warm like a cat (although much, much better smelling) and even though I'm planning to work for the first time tonight in our new happy corner I just can't go away from him. He will have a bath later on and then I will tell him a bedtime story. He'll reply to me as usual: aaaw ooh ng aaaah uaa...

Estoril Craft Fair

A very popular summer event around here is the Craft Fair held in Estoril for the last 48 years, yep you've read correctly. I don't know a lot of administrative details, just that it takes place from June 29 until August 28, each evening from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. You can learn about Portuguese traditional crafts as well as cuisine + see & buy (more or less) handmade items in a range from designer jewelry and let's say wool clothing to ceramics and paintings.



What I like about Portuguese traditional arts is the generous use of the color blue (cobalt) as you can see:



Although there were a lot of cute things, I can't say I was impressed much nor inspired. I guess it was the atmosphere, or better yet people's attitude. How come?

Hiding in our booths on a chair in the back or behind the counter isn't exactly the best marketing option. So are not smiling and not saying hello. No matter how tough times are, I believe we should be the first to speak about our work be it through words or body language. We may create + sell the cutest felt plush, customers won't be interested if we look like we're guarding them with a gloomy face.

I understand how a bad day or even a bad year feels like. But if I can't make it (and also not fake it) I prefer to think of other solutions, ultimately postponing my attendance.

We should probably think of ourselves as customers too and ask: what would draw my attention? What would make me want to know more about an item? What would make me buy it?



I was nevertheless amazed by miniature houses + furniture + settings, gosh, I was glad I hadn't seen them when I was younger. You can see a bit in these two photos, for example that scissors in the sewing kit next to the girl (photo above) was about 5 millimeters. Everything was so charming that I almost wanted to live in those settings.

The lowest price for a miniature room was about €70.


I also liked the wood crafts, especially chairs, drawers, trays, boxes and toys. They're great because they're noble and safe. Plus you can paint and decorate them in your own style.

The price for a small wooden box was €3, €7 for a small chair, €15 for a horse etc.



How about you, what would you hope for when you visit a craft fair? How about when you participate as an artist? I would love to share more with you, as the subject is so rich and ever open for improvement.

Estoril Fair was nice, even though I felt like saying: and now people... one more time with feeling!

Olá, Portugal! :-)

Kittns have never been good with numbers or calculations, that is an indisputable truth. Because of that it looks like we're going to live in sunny Portugal for a bit more time. Oh, and remember those soapy reality people I was telling you about? They disappointed us even more, but we're cool cause we've also made mistakes in life and probably disappointed others, to whom we meow for forgiveness.

Being here won't be so bad actually, as the view is great anywhere you look. And if it's meant to be, who knows what goodies are set aside for kittns...



So yesterday we found ourselves in the touristic part of Cascais, heading to Boca do Inferno to see furious waves striking from the deep bottom of a chasm up to the rocky cliffs on the shore.



The show the waters put on is amazing, especially because it's completely natural + in such contrast with the stillness of the horizon. Just like a huge problem for us means nothing in another part of the world...



Then we put our feet back on the ground and went to check the almost traditional artisanry which locals showcase nearby...



... but bought just Suspiros (eng. sighs), delicious meringues that really make you sigh after you have a bite. When I was able to use reason again I thought, please somebody stop me.



Today is very windy and I probably won't wander around, but I promise I will continue to show sights. Meanwhile have a stirring weekend, brave friends!

Feira da Ladra, finally.

Hooray, this week I visited the flea market on the right day! :-) I took bus 735 from Cais do Sodre, but if you're coming from the center of the city you can take No. 28 tram which is a must as it is traditional (but also a thrilling ride as it goes abruptly up & down the hills). If you are in the mood to walk, you can easily arrive going uphill from Baixa.

You're not going to regret it, as the surroundings are picturesque and really wonderful, believe me. I wish I had a better camera to capture all the details that I've seen, but I only photographed the fascinating narrow streets and whimsical balconies. It seemed like every building and every window had a great story to tell!

When I arrived at the fair at about 9 a.m. the temperature was so hot that we all almost started a war for a spot in the shadow (I already had packed a 1.5 liter bottle of water, be proud of me mum). I spent my time looking at household appliances, pots and pans, glasses, paintings, frames, bed sheets, apparel, shoes, electronics, cosmetics, vinyls, books, pop art, azulejos (Portuguese tiles), toys, pieces of toys, jewelry, Indian fashion, furniture... Big or small, new or old, everything was there.

Feira da Ladra means The (female) thief's market and the traders show their wares in Campo de Santa Clara street, São Vicente de Fora district of the city, close to Alfama (the oldest district, you will read about it in a future post).
Besides all the charming places and feelings, here is some practical advice when going to the fair:

• hold your belongings tightly, have change and small bills;
• the earlier you go, the better the finds;
• the more you advance in the fair area, the cheaper the prices;
• negotiate;
• if you saw it and you love it, just get it otherwise you will regret not having it. :-)
  

After four hours of trance, calculation and indecision, wish lists, dreaming and making occasional friends I bought a replica Hermès scarf (which I had to have, but I don't know if I will wear), a bracelet for M. and these sweet hand crafted Mary Jane shoes from a couple who created beautiful leather works (I promised myself I would return for more).

PS. I forgot to explain the lack of posts: I've been feeling very nauseous and sleepy (11th week of pregnancy :-). I've been crafting many t-shirts and the rest of the time I've been walking around but more as exercising than visiting . Place-a-day project seems difficult to do every day, but I can extend it over a month's time, what do you say?

Baixa - Chiado, Lisboa.

Big plans today: I woke up at 5 a.m. in order to get in time for goodies at Feira da Ladra, Lisbon's flea market. The market is on from dawn till evening, but it's in the early morning when you can find, for example, cool shoes for €5. Well, a 30 minutes train ride and one bus ride later, I found out the market was only held on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Hello sunshine, hello Cristina...
Very well, I said, it was about 7.30 a.m. so I could feel the city waking up. I love mornings with their promises of new beginnings, with inviting smells coming from the bakeries about to open, that soapy clean scent on the streets... Except on Sundays, when the city looks like it's deserted! :-)

I'll have fun anyway, I said to myself as I started to walk uphill to Chiado, a fashionable area filled with cafes, restaurants and shops, the place where all the parties start. (A Brasileira cafe right next to Chiado subway stop is a very famous meeting place, for example.)


Nothing was open, not even H&M (why, why?) so I walked further down to Baixa (more closed restaurants and shops), ending with Praça do Comércio which opens with a beautiful view of River Tejo.
A cool thing about Lisbon is the contrast between its vast squares and narrow streets. It's an adventure walking up and down, getting a glimpse of daily life - like neighbors in front of the local bar whistling the day away, clothes hang to dry at each window or seeing some fragile tree just burst out and growing from a stone wall and everything just quivering of life - and then arriving in a huge square that's monumentally still. You really have to experience it!

It was noon already so I decided to head home - not before buying The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (yay, I found an open shop). I tried to take photos using the self-timer function (as no one was around), but this is what I got:

Nevertheless I hope you enjoyed reading about early morning trips to Lx (short for Lisbon) and I wish you a fun week ahead!
(Feira da Ladra, I'll be back.)

A walk in sunny Belém.

27°C today... perfect weather to walk around and smile to the world (not mentioning eating the delicious Pastéis... and strawberries). So Belém is a district of Lisbon and it's another good place to relax like almost everything around here, where the main attraction is that time stands still.

If I ruled the world by kittenwear featuring wrap bracelets

I don't have a lot of things to say about it, maybe visiting for the first time was better, maybe I just had a void where my brain was supposed to be, but anyway don't miss it if you are around! One funny thing: there was this cool building complex called Centre for the Unknown... as it was rather late and it appeared to be closed, I walked around to find what it was all about, surprise, I found no clues, none at all so it was actually a centre for the unknown!!! (silly me, thinking it would be a metaphor or something).

Boardwalk by kittenwear featuring wooden platform heels

PS. I discovered that people without a good sense of humor are dangerous.