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WEEKEND GETAWAY
Alice in Sintra-Land
in PTZINE | 2014
Had alice’s rabbit hole led her to sintra, chances are she would probably have felt even more bewildered than when she landed in wonderland. sintra does that to you. you see it in the faces of the people venturing out of tour buses or the unassuming train station that is, after all, the portal to a mindboggling journey to what could well be called the Portuguese wonderland.
As a lisboeta, i’m proud to say i have visited sintra consistently and systematically, during all stages of my life, through really tender childhood, throughout my rebellious teens, into early adulthood, where (I like to think) I find myself now. I clearly remember what I felt when I was first there, and it’s a feeling that never left me, but has grown with me every time i happen to venture inside this rabbit hole. so, once again, here we go:
WHALE WATCHING
Pico - A Mandatory pitstop
in PTZINE | 2014
Besides being a breath-taking, lusciously green volcanic archipelago planted right in the middle of the Atlantic, the Azores are also a mandatory pit-stop on the great transatlantic underwater highway, and you’ll never know who or what
the tide will bring in. From carefree dolphins to awe-inspiring whales, nothing seems to be off-limits.
While this is true for the whole archipelago, it is even more so for its mostnatural, rugged and untouched island – Pico. The waters surrounding Pico areknown for being the most important whale sanctuary in the world. They shelterup to 27 of the 60 species of cetaceans known to man – almost half, that is! You can see anything from the majestic blue whale (the largest animalthat has ever lived, bigger than any dinosaur), to the native sperm-whale, to theendearing orca, the so-called panda of the seas. So no wonder Pico is considered one of the best whale-watching spots in the world. But it’s not “just” whales. During an outing you are sure to see...
VINTAGE ROYALTY
The real deal!
in PTZINE | 2014
If there’s one thing that is starting to become a part of Lisbon’s brand is its vintage culture. I mean, where else in the world can you find shops from 1789 still in business, and looking as smart and elegant as in the day they first opened doors?
In some ways, Lisbon seems to have been frozen in time, which translates into XIX century products and shops that, as time went by, have gone from outdated into vintage royalty.
The beginning is always a good place to start. So welcome to the beginning
of life as we know it: this is A Vida Portuguesa - or Portuguese life - a shop that
tells the story of our day-to-day lives through products that pierced time and
stubbornly, against all odds, survived. But keep in mind: this is not a museum,
nor an antiques shop, nor vintage-looking replica’s shop – this is the real deal.
PORTUGUESE FOOD
It tastes so good!
in PTZINE | 2013
Portugal is a gastronomic blast! What to say about a country that dips its feet on the (almost!) Mediterranean but has its head turned to the rough wide Atlantic, looking at it straight in the eyes? And, like a daring young Don Juan, it goes frolicking around the shores of the world, winning over the hearts of all sorts of gastronomic maidens… So, welcome to Portugal, an eclectic, rich, powerful and yet laid-back gastronomic sensation. This stew took 3200 years to simmer, and is tasting good!
In First, let us state the obvious: this little corner is all about the sea and the wonderfully fresh gifts it showers us with. With a 850 km long coastline and two archipelagos floating in the middle of the Atlantic, it is no wonder that Portugal is deemed to have the best fish supply in the whole wide world!
CRISIS IS OPPORTUNITY
Portugal Strikes Back!
in PTZINE | 2013
When in Portugal you’ll feel a sort of electric feeling in the air, like a very high pitch sound that has been lowering its frequency to make a statement – Portugal is on fire! Well, not literally... but the image that comes to mind is something of a Fenix reborn: you can still see the smoke, the ashes and then the Fenix itself, with its striking outburst of colourful feathers floating around in the air. This is Portugal, old becoming new, past becoming future and crises becoming opportunity.
Portuguese fire was close to devastating, but it was cathartic. It was sparked by a harsh economic reality-check that came upon us not too long ago. But realizing our faults also pointed out our strengths – and when you’re really down, there’s no other place to go to but up. And so we did.
VISUAL IDENTITY
Portugal's Street Style
in PTZINE | 2013
Centuries before the hype of street art, our streets were already adorned with the best art has to offer. And if there’s one thing regularly said about our cities is how flirtatious they look, with their colourful attires and beautiful tile covered façades winking at you from every angle ... Because people don’t usually expect to be so bluntly and yet nonchalantly seduced. It’s Portugal’s charismatic but yet laid-back allure that does the trick.
First let me explain this boastful introduction. I have read, not without surprise and a determined (to make me look stupid) demi-tear in the corner of my left eye, the article Frank Bruni wrote for the New York Times about “how he fell for Lisbon”.
PORTUGUESE HISTORY
The Golden Era
in PTZINE | 2013
If you look closely, Portugal is a beautifully drawn Europe’s profile. This is not my wild imagination running loose, but one of the most vivid images I keep from the years spent in History class: a renaissance anthropomorphic European map with the Iberian Peninsula serving as Europe’s head. Looking at Europe it does seem like the logical and anatomical way to go, but at the time they were drawn, these maps were also a faithful reproduction of Europe’s zeitgeist. And this, to me, as a proud Portuguese, is the most beautiful and poetic mirror of the history of a country that was fated to be the eyes to the world.
This beautiful profile we later came to know and love as Portugal has been at the sight of great civilizations (and vice-versa, I suspect) since the beginnings of time as we know it. With its bold nose sticking out in the most adorable ...