|
Praça de Espanha, Lisboa, Portugal - 5th January 2009
By: Katharos
Today me and Catarina visited The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
It's such a beautiful place... I had never been there and it absolutely made my day!
"A landmark in the Portuguese Architecture of the 60's, the Gulbenkian centre was designed by three Portuguese Architects, Alberto Pessoa, Pedro Cid and Rui Athouguia. (...)
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is located in the centre of Lisbon, next to Praça de Espanha, in a park covering a total area of around 7,5 hectares. (...) Opened in 1969, these buildings aim to create a pleasant, serene atmosphere, allowing several different views of the surrounding woods and gardens to be seen from the interior. (...)
A comprehensive collection of contemporary art and sculpture has also been acquired over the years, mainly Portuguese but with some works by British artists. This is housed in the José de Azeredo Perdigão Modern Art Centre.
Modern Art Centre was opened in 1983 in southern part of the Gulbenkian Park. Ten years later, as a tribute to the Chairman of the Foundation's first Board, it was renamed the José de Azeredo Perdigão Modern Art Centre (CAMJAP). (...)
Learn more at the following location: http://www.gulbenkian.pt/index.php?section=9&artId=132
Catarina used to play here when she was a little kid...
... and she also used to feed these ducks with bread everytime she'd go to her grandparent's house.
Another view of the main lake
Portela's airport is close to the foundation, look how low the airplane is flying!
I really wanted to go inside the musem and the library but unfortunetaly we got there too late and it was almost closing.
But I still got to relax a little bit at the open-air auditorium. It's huge!
"The open-air amphitheatre, with a seating capacity for around 1,000 people, is superbly set in the gardens in the park, using the landscape around the lake as its backdrop. During the day, many visitors turn it into a special place for resting, reading and meditation.
The amphitheatre also acts as the stage for dance, theatre and music, mainly in the summer."
Learn more at the following location: http://www.gulbenkian.pt/index.php?section=9&artId=310
Peek-a-boo!
I love trees
Nature is the most beautiful thing in this planet. I will never understand why some people try to harm it.
I'm glad there are places like this
What a great day! I'm exhausted so it's better to go to sleep.
Before I forget, I'm thinking about starting my adventures outside Portugal sometime in March so if you would like to host me just send a PM to my friend Catarina(Katharos), ok?
Love,
Ophelia
|
Posted Jan 5, 2009, 2:37 am Last edited Jan 5, 2009, 3:16 am by Katharos
[Quote] [View just this post]
|
|
Fátima's Sanctuary, Portugal - 25th April 2009
By: Katharos
Hi everyone!
I'm sorry I've been away but... guess what? I'm moving into another house so it has been crazy around here. Yeah, that is the reason I haven't started my journey in March as I had planned, I was too busy helping Catarina packing our stuff all over again.
Anyway...
Today is a very important day in Portugal's History! The 25th of April was a left-leaning military coup in Lisbon, Portugal, that changed the Portuguese regime from a dictatorship to a democracy and it happened 35 years ago.
Have you ever heard about the Carnation Revolution?
From Wikipedia:
Despite repeated appeals from the revolutionaries on the radio inciting the population to stay home, thousands of Portuguese descended on the streets, mixing themselves with the military insurgents. (...) Although the regime's political police, PIDE, killed four people before surrendering, the revolution was unusual in that the revolutionaries did not use direct violence to achieve their goals. The population, holding red carnations (cravos in Portuguese), convinced the regime soldiers not to resist. The red carnation is a symbolic flower for Socialism and Communism, which were the main ideological tendencies of the anti-New State insurgents. The soldiers readily swapped their bullets for flowers. It was the end of the Estado Novo, the longest authoritarian regime in Western Europe, and the final dissolution of the Portuguese Empire. In the aftermath of the revolution a new constitution was drafted, censorship was formally prohibited, free speech declared, political prisoners were released and the Portuguese overseas territories in Sub-Saharan Africa were immediately given their independence.
I get really emotional when talking about this, it's a beautiful piece of our History
Soooo, Catarina's mom has a friend who used to be in the army and his ex-colleagues organized a lunch to celebrate the Freedom Day.
We went to Fátima, a town located in the municipality of Ourém. It is central Portugal.
On the road...
Drive safely!
Aaaw the landscape *.*
After a trip of one hour and thirty minutes we arrived at Fátima. Fátima is known for religious-related activities and practices. If you are Catholic I'm sure you know all about it.
The Basilica
Again, from Wikipedia:
Fátima's claim to fame is the shrine called the Basilica, built to commemorate the events of 1917 when three peasant children claimed to have seen the "Virgin of the Rosary", Our Lady of Fátima. When the children asked for her name, she said "I am The Lady of The Rosary". The children experienced the purported Marian apparitions in a pasture called the Cova da Iria.
Catarina is definitely not a religious person but she has always liked that place since it meant her family would get together and have a great day out. I liked it too
This is the panoramic view of the Sanctuary. The weather was so uncertain! The sun was shining and right after rain was falling.
The Basilica... again!
The Igreja da Santíssima Trindade is one of the largest churches in the world and was built during this decade.
Lunch time, finally! I was starving eheh
Do not mind the almost empty glass of wine and the fact that I'm lying on the table, okay? :P
Lunch is over after 2,5 hours. What a lovely day
Now I must go to sleep, I look like a zombie!
25 de Abril sempre! (25th of April, always!)
Love,
Ophelia
|
Posted Apr 26, 2009, 1:53 am Last edited Apr 26, 2009, 1:56 am by Katharos
[Quote] [View just this post]
|
|
|