New blog it is.

I've decided to shut down The Shade and Brush. Or at least stop writing there. It never had the best name to start with, and portuguese people find it hard to pronounce. Everytime I need to tell someone what's my blog name, people get a bit confused so for now on, my name is my blog's and all is easier.

I migrated the last photos so you don't feel lost.

July and August was like this:

The dance show:







Mão Morta at Optimus Alive, Lisbon 2010







Mão Morta at Paredes de Coura, 2010







And the submarine that cost millions to the portuguese tax payers.

LX 9-6 series


Today I got to leave work at half past six. This is photo #01 of LX 9-6.



I'm trying to bring this blog back to life. I feel I don't have the time to use the internet anymore and Facebook takes away all the time I had left for blogging. I guess I should just quit playing farmville and do more interesting things.
One thing I used to love in London was taking photos while going to work or back home. I always thought it's transports had this unique feel... almost every photo i'd take on the Tube, looked good (I said almost).
And that's very hard to get in Lisbon! Or I can't see Lisbon in the same way.
Anyway, yesterday I left work early and then I went for a walk in Baixa (downtown).
I took a whole bunch of photos and will post one every day.

This is photo #02 of LX 9-6.



Lucky for me, the yellow line now intersects with the red in Saldanha. And the new platform is very nice. It's got phrases and drawings of Almada Negreiros (I may be wrong, please enlighten me if I am). Lisbon's ahead of London in this. The metro stations are all different and artistic.
You can pop in the train and visit them one by one. They reflect the best of portuguese artists and architects.

This is photo #03 of LX 9-6.



Something tells me that a lot of guys will like this photo.

This is photo #04 of LX 9-6.








So I got of the Metro in Baixa and walked all the way to Terreiro do Paço. This is a beautiful plaza, but for the past 12 years has been under construction for various reasons. In 1997/8 started the works to extend the Metro line to Sta. Apolónia. The works lasted for many, many years. Then they finished these works and started new ones, this time to improve the sewage system. And when we thought we could enjoy the praça again, BAMM!! the Pope comes to visit and the city hall decided to spend a few more dimes in embellishing it for the Pope mass.






After I took these shots a security guard came to me and told me in some sign language that I couldn't take photos in there. I was inside the ferry station, a place that's been full of tourists lately. I stood in the same spot for over 10 minutes, playing with the camera. Obviously I looked like a spanish/french/dutch/german terrorist and they thought I could harm the place somehow. The way I was approached was very funny. The guard came from behind and touched my shoulder. then I looked at him and he did this face of "my lips are sealed but no no, no camera, no camera". Even after I appologised in Portuguese, he kept communicating in his way...
strange people. At least he was polite and never asked to see the camera.



It's the end of the day and people stand waiting for the ferry to dock.
I prefer to cross the river by train just because it's more comfortable and clean but I love the river Tejo. It takes only 10 minutes to cross to the other side but those 10 minutes are therapeutic. Plus, it's cheaper...



I guess he was just tired.

This is photo #11 of LX 9-6.



I stood up and pretended to take pictures of Cacilhas through the window.
I'm still waiting for the day when someone gets mad at me for pointing the camera at them.


This is photo #12 of LX 9-6.







The last ones of the batch.
These are photos #13 and #14 of LX 9-6.