[ Chill out ]

Heading back from Lisbon I got the chance to chill out in Leiria. It's been so many years since I went there - since I was a kid camping nearby - that I was a bit curious to find out how it was.

It's always a cool surprise to see when people take care and thing about the people that live there when planning the development. Great walking space, city promoted cycling, revived buildings like this market place that was converted into a restaurant, cultural and chill out area, wi-fi hotspots all around the city centre, just a very cool place to hangout and chill out.

And if you have the chance, try out the gourmet bakery in the Rodrigues Lobo Square. You wont regret it.

[ Spotlight ]

What a lovely evening this was.

Although we're not in our territory, we had the chance to show a bit of Lisbon around to a friend we just met this morning. Turns out that she's from Barcelona, a city we just love, she has the coolest blog: http://iminlooove.blogspot.com, and also a very refined sense of taste from what we could pick up from the little time we spent together. Well, here's a small thanks to Carla for a lovely evening, and we'll be sure to take you up on that invitation and drop by Barcelona the first chance we get!!

One of the places we went to after dinner was Chapitô, and we were just getting in the car when I saw this... Is it the Moon shining down, or the spotlight beaming up?...

[ Gotan ]

Yesterday was the Gotan Project concert in the Coliseu do Porto, bringing back memories of the unforgettable first time I saw and heard Gotan "en amoureux". The theater is one of a kind, so is the show, and the company... well, don't even get me started...

This is, without a doubt, my favorite band of all times. The perfect mix between beat and melody put together in a visual show that really unusual to see. Paris, Buenos Aires, the feel of being in a night club listening and dancing the tango, all the sensuality of this classic music with a contemporary flavor...

I could go on and on trying to describe it, but the best thing is to see and listen to it. "Tango 3.0" is the name of the third original album, and a great offspring of "La Revancha del Tango" and "Lunatico".

[ Walk ]

It's one thing to know the path, another thing is to walk the path. This was a pleasant one in the seaside at Porto, but not all of them are so easy.

The fact is that you really never know where the road will take you, you can only imagine what's around the bend, so it always pays to stop and look around once in a while, make the best of your journey and don't take anything for granted.

[ Mask ]

Here's a question that's older than time: why do people wear masks? Why does 'yes' mean 'no', why does 'I'll try' mean 'I don't care'?

I really don't what the future holds, but the present is showing me so many weird things about human nature, I can't even begin to express... I keep picking up and saving the rocks that are bouncing off my head, but it's getting harder and harder... But one thing is for sure: the day when I'll be the one handing out the punches is so close, so very close that I can feel it. And what a day that will be...

Another beautiful graffiti in Porto.

[ Faithless ]

"I'm hopeful but faithless... Where does religion fit in?", asked a good friend of mine recently. It really doesn't. You can only believe in yourself, in your judgement, in your perception of what happens around you, of what happens with you.

I am hopeful. I guess I will always be, no matter what. Faithless? Not really. I have faith in love.

This was taken in Krakow last October.

[ Indifference ]

 

This has been one of the roughest weeks ever, and unfortunately, the first of many to come... But my spirits are high, and "under the bludgeonings of chance, my head is bloody, but unbowed", in fact, all I can think of is Indifference:

I will light the match this morning, so I won't be alone Watch as she lies silent, for soon light will be gone Oh I will stand arms outstretched, pretend I'm free to roam Oh I will make my way, through, one more day in...hell How much difference does it make How much difference does it make... I will hold the candle, till it burns up my arm I'll keep takin' punches, until their will grows tired Oh I will stare the sun down, until my eyes go blind Hey I won't change direction, and I won't change my mind how much difference does it make how much difference does it make.. how much difference... I'll swallow poison, until I grow immune I will scream my lungs out till it fills this room How much difference How much difference How much difference does it make How much difference does it make... Pearl Jam - Indifference

[ Light my way ]

 

Just a little more of what Porto has to offer on the seaside. A true walk of light, and this photo is actually an exception, because usually you would see couples of lovers swept away by the romantic scenery, lost in long lasting kisses...

"I remember When we could sleep on stones Now we lie together In whispers and moans When I was all messed up And I had opera in my head Your love was a light bulb Hanging over my bed Baby, baby, baby...light my way" U2 - Ultravioltet (Light my Way)

[ Wildlife ]

The other day, I was talking about my special relationship with seagulls...

... well, maybe the seagulls aren't the only ones I have it with...

These were taken last monday during a walk near the seaside in beautiful Porto, a perfect place to relax and get your thoughts in order, especially in such a gorgeous sunny day.

[ Storm II ]

Remember the [ Storm ] post? Some people find them exciting, some people find them frightening, but no one remains indifferent to an event like this.

This little girl screamed in excitement watching the wall of water rise several meters above her, while her grandfather, an obvious Porto sea wolf told her calmly "don't worry shorty, the sea wont harm you unless you turn your back to it...". That is true in so many ways.

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” M. Robinson

I just love the ending I'm working for.

[ Dungeon ]

Somethings you can't find without taking an airplane somewhere... This was the coolest dungeon like restaurant I found in Krakow last October. Only typical food, great ambiance, and it's under one of the best hotels in the city.

Krakow has it's own sort of magic, like Prague, for example. It's the sort of city you could turn into a medieval one just by taking out the cars and replacing them with carriages. So much history, so much legacy, you can almost taste in the air.

[ Urban forest ]

If you get to know me, you'll find out almost immediately I'm a urban person. I love the fuss, the city lights, the busy people going by, the energy that flows from that collective awareness... and I also love looking for the small details in a big city that remind to us that nature, new architecture and vintage buildings can be put side by side with art and work together perfectly...

Although Barcelona is the living breathing example of this perfect marriage between art, nature, architecture and gorgeous people, Lisbon isn't very far behind... depending on how you look at it.

Can you guess where in Lisbon 'Urban forest' was taken?

[ Fall ]

I must admit I miss the light filled days, the warmth, feeling the sun's rays touching my skin, but Fall and Winter have always been my favorite seasons.

With the sun shining so bright outside, here's my tribute to them.

[ Hanging out ]

Taken January 27th, in Praça de Camões, Lisbon.

From where I was standing, it seemed like the begging of a beautiful friendship between those two doves, enjoying the beautiful blue sky, and just hanging out...

[ Meditation ]

Only seven updates this month... I'm truly embarrassed... The rainy days haven't stopped yet, and besides March was a month of great change, turmoil, work and meditation...

This photo was taken yesterday, in 'Meditation Street' here in Porto, just before rushing to Lisbon to meet a friend. I'm so glad some quality graffitis have been popping up here and there, and I'm so glad I took the time to take a look at it.

Life moves pretty fast, and if you don't stop to look around from time to time, you can miss it. Some of the meditation I've been doing is just about that: projects, taking opportunities, the past, the future, and above all, fighting for your happiness. The battle for happiness is a tiresome thing, something no one can do for you, something that you have to do every day!... But then again, the ultimate prize is yours and yours alone, and trust me, what a sweet prize it is...

[ Anatomy of a Sunset ]

My fascination for sunsets and sunrises is not new, not even on my blog... I mean, the last post I did is over one week old, and it was a sunset! Right after I did that post, Monday 15th, I got out and went to meet a friend for a coup of coffee, parked my car and saw this:

I'm starting to grow a bit of a relationship with the seagulls... Their sense of timing is just perfect, and they always seem to drop in when I need them to, turning just another sunset into a special one... But this sunset was far from over. I lingered there for a while, enjoying the noises of the ocean clashing against the shore, the seagulls greeting me with their chant, and those minutes spent there breathing in the calm and quietness allowed me to witness this sunset turning into something unique...

This was the precise moment when the Sun caught the clouds on fire, just when it touched the ocean on the horizon... This photo made my day. And when I thought this sunset couldn't get any better, the sun disappeared into the ocean, and turned this sunset into something completely different...

... the contrast between the bright sun and dark ocean dimmed, the breeze soothed, and everything stood still for a while... everything except my seagull friends that kept giving me a hand with this set... 55 photos taken from 6h32pm to 6h49pm... 17 minutes of shooting that led to a week preparing the Anatomy of a Sunset, and the first Light Persists desktop background...

Chose your screen resolution and download your copy from the following links. I made them in 1,6 proportion (for most Mac users), and 1,33 proportion (for most PC users), but if you need a custom resolution, please contact me at lightpersists@gmail.com, and I will be more than happy to provide you with a cool non distorted version of this background. This mail address was created for you, and it's available on the top of the right side menu. Use it wisely, write at your own risk, and remember, I will reply...

1,6	1,33
800 x 500	800 x 600
1024 x 640	1024 x 768
1152 x 720	1152 x 864
1280 x 800	1280 x 960
1440 x 900	1440 x 1079
1600 x 1000	1600 x 1200

[ Staring at the sun ]

Taking this photo last friday before heading off to shoot the fashion event at 66 Avenida Brasil, I could almost hear my mother saying "don't stare at the sun! it's bad for your eyes!!"...

Sorry mom, I rather go blind.

[ Demons ]

Exactly one week ago I was talking about the way that night time was perfect for clear thinking while everyone else is busy battling their demons... but that doesn't mean I don't have demons of my own to fight.

Tonight was one of the darkest nights I remember. With the small number of hours I spend with them, when me and my demons decide it's time to settle some scores it tends to get ugly, and I admit that tonight they almost won... Something like these photos taken last May in Jamaica, only without the piña coladas with rum and missing "Three little birds" sounding in the background...

[ Golden Heart II ]

Yesterday I was reading a post from a friends blog concerning graffitis where he mentions the "beautifully crafted grafitti (...) which used to populate the streets of Barcelona a few years ago (before the city hall apparently decided to wage war on them, pasteurizing the cityscape for tourists from tv-land)"... That is a war that luckily hasn't begun yet here in Porto, even though it is very hard to find gorgeous graffitis like the ones I found in Barcelona or Madrid back in the day...

This one I stumbled upon last Saturday while strolling on the busy and cosmopolite Miguel Bombarda street here in Porto. Could it be more perfect? Trusting the date, it's been untouched since April 2009. But then again, you really have to respect something as beautiful as this!... Relating to a previous post where I explained my profile picture, I can't help to grin when I see such a gorgeous illustration of how, even when immersed in darkness, a Golden Heart is always able to retain it's beauty, valor and power.

[ Future ]

No one knows what the future holds, but some of us, a few selected ones, feel the present in a way that has never been seen. This blog has been about Light, that pure light that goes around our hearts, that warmth that comes from the Sun, that glow that comes from the Moon... but it has also been about darkness and the night, something I deeply respect...

History separates the skillful sailors from the unprepared ones, and the skillful ones look at a cloudy sky with the same respect they look at a bright blue one...

The skies are cloudy today, but over them, there's a bright sun, waiting to find a gap and break out, and a storm never grounded a seagull.