Found a Home in Downtown T.O

Oskar and I have been informed that our offer was accepted on
a 1 bed, 1bath with solarium in downtown Toronto (between St. Lawrence
Market and the Distillery District) ! We are both very excited. The
closing date is July 16th. Before we move in we are gonna have
hardwood floors put in and possibly reno the bathroom.
Can't wait to start painting and decorating. These are the pics that the past owner had posted.

Day trip to Lisboa

Guincho Beach

Guincho beach is located just outside of Cascais. It is the most popular beach for Wind surfing, Kite surfing, and Surfing. It was pretty empty since we went on a Monday morning, but I did get to see some Kites in action. The 2 kite surfers Oskar recognized as 49er (boat) sailors. The winds were high and these guys were flying, I admired from the safety of the beach. I did get adventerous and dip my toe into the Atlantic, it was freezing.

Sintra, worth a second look

Returned to visit Sintra a second time, for a closer look.

Poesa de la Semana

By famed Portugese poet Fernando Pessoa.

Audible Smile of the Leaves

Audible smile of the leaves,
Just the wind at that place,
If I gaze at you and you gaze
At me, who is it that smiles
First? The first to smile laughs.

Laughs, and gazes suddenly
So as not to gaze,
At where can be sensed in leaves
The noise of the breeze as it goes.
All is breeze and disguise.

But the gaze has returned from long
Gazing where gaze there's none;
And we two stand talking on
Of what words, as usual, shun.
Is it the ending or begun?

(27.11.30)
From Fernando Pessoa Selected Poems

Some interesting facts on Women in Portugal...

-Women didn't earn full voting rights until 1975- compared to Women in Afghanistan who gained the right in 1963
-Also at this time women were not allowed to adminster their own property, and if a woman married a foreigner she had to forfeit her citizenship and inheritance
-Not until 1969 that a married woman was allowed to have a passport or leave the country without her husband's consent
-Of the more than 13,000 crimes reported annually to the Association for Victim Support roughly 80% involve domestic violence.
-Abortions are still illegal in Portugal.
-Women earn about 30% less than men in both professional and working class jobs.

Source: Lonely Planet Portual guide book

Last Nite's Sunset

Last Nite's Sunset from our balcony.

Weekend visit to Sintra

Day trip to Sintra was great. Wish that I had more time to explore as the town was quite spread out. We explored the local park where we encountered rock climbers, took a trolley tour of the city, and relaxed at a cafe that our guide book recommended. I was very happy for it was the first time that i ordered the fish soup; which came in a dark broth with chunks of white fish.
The cuisine is a lovely change from the heavy red meats, jamon, and red wines of Spain. Portugal offers local reasonably priced fishs such as sea bream, cod, swordwish, sea bass (that are most likely caught that day). The fish are usually grilled or cooked in salt, served with peeled potatos, and a veggie. Portugal also serves up many other creatures of the sea like clams, prawns, sardines, and mixed seafood soups. To accompany the fish Portugal has a large array of wonderful light wines, I especially like the semi-sparkling white.
Well, I could go on and on about the food, but instead I will highly recommend anyone who can to come and visit this paradise. Out of my travels to Europe and South America, The Portugese Coast has been my favorite by far.

Walk around Oieras

Wondered around the coast from Estoril to Oieras. Found lots of pictersque beaches, military forts, and a handful of fisherman that kept our attention for quite a while.

Old Town abstracts

Some shots around town...

Settled in Cascais, Portugal

I arrived to Cascais a couple of days ago and I already love it. I found the apartment Oskar and I are staying on craigslist. Its a great 1 bedroom located in historic downtown; just 1 block away from cafes, restaurants, the beach, and the handlain patterned stone streets that Cascais is known for.
The town is very charming and attracts alot of tour buses, but because we are so close to town hall we also get a good mix of the locals.
It's only been a couple of days since we arrived in Cascais, but I'm excited to get settled and back into a routine of artmaking, photographing, and journaling.