Here’s the link Sounds and Sights of Portugal

Post from: In Love with Lisbon

Lonely Planet Portugal Podcast

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You know what? I’d love to hear you speaking difficult words such as “Inconstitucionalissimamente” (yes it’s a word).

So then - here goes…
Here is my attempt at the above word. Wish me luck and tell me how I did. I had to guess at the pronunciation

Inconstitucionalissimamente
challenge
 

Post from: In Love with Lisbon

In Response to Georgia’s Challenge

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Post from: In Love with Lisbon

Lisbon Laughs

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Yesterday I decided to have a clear-out and in the process I found a tiny Portuguese flag pin that a friend gave me a few years ago. As someone who has worked a lot with symbolism I became fascinated with the design on the flag and curious to find out what it meant.

Firstly the main colours of the flag are red and green. The green takes up two fifths of the flag and the green, three fifths. An armillary sphere is placed over where the two colours meet and over that lies the shield of Portugal.

The flag itself has been in use since 1910 when the monarchy of Portugal were overthrown. However, it was not until 1911 that the flag as it flies today was agreed officially and there was much argument around it’s design in that intervening year.

Previously, the colours of the flag were mostly blue and white which celebrated the royal family. It was natural therefore that these colours were changed to those of the republican party. Red to represent the blood of the Portuguese (and those who had died defending their country) and green to represent hope and optimism in a new era of republicanism.

photo credit: *madalena-pestana*

The armillary sphere represents Portugal’s great history of maritime discoveries. The sphere was used to navigate the oceans and was incorporated in the personal banner of King Manuel 1st who reigned during those magnificent times. The architecture of the era often included the armillary sphere as well so you can see it on Belém Tower and in the Monastery of Jerónimos.

Lastly on the flag is the shield of Portugal which sits on top of the armillary sphere. The shield has been present on almost every flag of Portugal (if in slightly differing designs). In the centre of the shield are five small blue shields with five dots in each. The dots are called ‘bezants’. A bezant is an old coin which comes from the word “Byzantian” as these gold coins were the most prized.

It is believed that these five bezants represent the five Moorish Kings that were overthrown by Afonso 1st. Afonso was given a vision that told he would conquer the opposing kings even though their armies outnumbered his. Whether or not this is historically true remains in question but it is said that he included the five bezants to remember this divine victory and honour the five wounds of Christ. The thirty byzants in total are meant to recall the thirty pieces of silver that Judas received for selling out his friend Jesus.

Seven castles on a red background surround the central blue shields and these are supposed to represent Afonso 3rd’s victory over seven Moorish kings.

Much of the truth behind these symbols is lost to history and arguments continue today over what they really represent. Like any good symbol, the images used evoke certain meanings and emotions and it is they that are the most important. Here is a land full of passion, hope and loyalty, a land with a history of discovery, a willingness to take a risk and overcome the odds. The colours are strong and proud like the land it flies above.

For a more comprehensive history see here

Post from: In Love with Lisbon

The Portuguese Flag

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Before the great earthquake of 1755, Commercial Square was the seat of power for the Portuguese royalty for around 200 years. In those times it was named Terreiro do Paço (The Palace’s Square) and was the home of the Portuguese Royal family of King Manuel 1st. After the earthquake destroyed the palace, the Marquis de Pombal saw to the uniform recreation of Lisbon and Terreiro do Paço became Praça do Comércio - Commerical Square. Many of the roads in Baixa (downtown Lisbon) were given names such as Rua dos Sapateiros (Cobbler Street) to create an orderly layout of both streets and people. Certain professions were given their own roads. Commercial Square did exactly what it said on the tin. It became the hub of commerce in Lisbon, comprising governmental buildings dealing with import and export and more.

Commercial Square has been called the ‘reception room of Lisbon’. Built on the edge of the Tagus river, the square became the warm sunlit welcome to visitors. With the port lying at one end and grand buildings surrounding it, Praça Comércio provided a regal and proud gateway into Lisbon.

As you cross from Rua Augusta into Commercial Square you walk under the Arco do Triunfo or Triumph Arch. This collosal piece of architecture was only completed in 1875 and designed by Veríssimo da Costa. Take a moment to look up and you will see representations of Portugal’s glorious history carved upon it. The Marquis has a place here, as does the famous pioneer of the seas; Vasco de Gama. On either side of the Arch are figures representing the two main rivers of Portugal, namely the Douro and the Tagus and crowning the Archway is a statue to Glory, Ingenuity and Valour, three attributes of the spirit of Lisbon. The Archway above all captures the strength of Lisbon in it how it rose from the rubble of the earthquake to be rebuilt.

photo credit: TravelHo

Within the Arch there is also a clock. Once upon a time the King of Portugal commisioned a beautiful clock tower that was part of the palace. When it was destroyed in the earthquake, it was to be another century before the hands of time once again were visible on the square. A hundred years ago the clock was replaced but fell into disuse through neglect. Last year work began on it once more to restore time to Lisbon. When I visited, a huge banner covered the restoration work.

At the centre of the square you cannot fail to miss the gigantic bronze statue of Dom José upon his horse. The horse tramples snakes beneath its feet. Whilst on my Lisbon Walk, the tour guide mentioned that the snakes were meant to represent the Jews. On either side of the base of the statue are two further figures: Triumph leading a horse and Fame leading an elephant - presumably a visual representation of Portugal’s success in the spice trade with India.

photo credit: elephantsarepink

Praça do Comércio is one of my favourite places to just sit and watch the world go by. The light here is exquisite and I love the feeling of being ‘at the centre’. Tourist buses and trams meet and leave from here, walkers congregate here and people populate the cafe’s that are dotted around the square. The most famous of these is Café Martihno da Arcada on the top left hand corner (as you come through the Arch).

History is all around you in this place. Here was once where Royalty reigned, where destruction followed where new dreams began. Here is where the last King of Portugal was assasinated. Here is where every year a giant Christmas tree stands and where many gather to welcome in the New Year.

Whilst you are visiting Lisbon, you are very likely to pass through Commercial Square at some point or other, if only because so many trams and buses stop here. I would recommend taking a half hour out of your day just to wander then sit and wonder at one the the most beautiful squares in Europe.

For further details on the renovation of the clock in the arch see here

Post from: In Love with Lisbon

Commercial Square

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One of the best places to get familiar with in Lisbon when you first arrive is the Lisbon Welcome Centre “Ask Me Lisboa”. There are seven branches in the city including one at the airport. Ask Me Lisboa is there to make your visit to Lisbon run as smoothly as possible and help you find your way around. The branch I mainly use is found on Rua do Arsenal. To get there, walk down to Praça do Comércio and turn right as you come through the archway onto the square. Walking this way will take you onto Rua do Arsenal. The Ask me Centre is on the left of this road (tip - if you have reached the Praça do Municipio you’ve gone to far). The Welcome Centre is just before it. Just look for the sign.

In this branch you’ll find friendly English speaking staff, lots of maps, arts and crafts by local artists and public toilets! The free city centre maps are an added bonus. I went in several times both to use the loo’s and to ask directions and each time was greeted with a smile and willingness to help. They also have internet access here as well as at their other branch round the corner on Comércio Square. Prices start at 1.00 Euros for 15 minutes use. Handy for updating your profile on Facebook, sending a Tweet or just emailing your friends all your photo’s from beautiful Lisbon to make them just that little bit jealous.

Ask Me lisboa offer several different types of tourist cards that can give you money off savings on transport, eating out, shopping and visiting tourist attractions. The Lisboa card is the most popular of all of these. If you are going to be travelling around a lot and intend on visiting as many places of interest as possible, this card will probably be ideal for you and could save you quite a lot of money. A three day card costs 32 Euros and will give you free access on public transport (including trains to Sintra and Cascais) and entrance into a whole host of museums and monuments. Note however that public transport is generally quite cheap so it might be wise to check out your sums before purchasing, depending on where you want to visit.

If you are unsure where to start when you arrive, or need help finding your way around, do take a walk down to one of their branches.

Ask me Lisboa have a website here which includes the addresses of each of their branches as well as details of the different visitors cards they sell.

Post from: In Love with Lisbon

Ask Me Lisboa - The Lisbon Welcome Centre

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June 10th is National Portugal Day and it is a day for people of Portuguese descent to celebrate across the world. In Portugal it is known as Dia de Camões (Day of Camões) because it is dedicated to the famous Portuguese poet Luís de Camões who died on the 10th June 1580.

Luís de Camões was the author of one of the most important works in Portuguese literature “Os Lusíadas”. This collection of poems celebrates Portugal’s epic history and the voyages of discovery which brought the land and it’s people fame and fortune.

Portugal Day is a day to remember your roots, get together and party. Listen to Portuguese music, drink a glass of port, visit a Portuguese restaurant or read The Lusiads. Let’s celebrate this wonderful country!

Happy Portugal Day to everyone tomorrow.

Post from: In Love with Lisbon

Dia de Portugal - National Portugal Day!

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First off, I apologise for the lack of posting in the last month or so. The reason is that I have had exams for my Portuguese course so I have had my head in books revising and spending hours talking to myself in Portuguese to prepare for the oral exam! Now that I have only one exam left, I have time to breathe and time to write. I have no idea how I will do in the exams. Usually in schools, children study for about 3 years before they do a GSCE in a foreign language. Really I’ve only had one and a half years of ‘proper’ studying and a year of floundering trying to figure out how to learn. That said, the first two exams were easier than anticipated - probably courtesy of listening to a lot of  Portuguese radio (Antenna 3)!

Anyway, this brings me nicely to LingQ; a site I discovered at the beginning of the year. You could say Steve Kaufmann is passionate about languages - he speaks 9 of them fluently - Yes 9! However, what is even more fascinating about Steve is that he has a profound belief that anyone can learn to speak a foreign language fluently, no matter what age you are. Discovering Steve’s website was like a breath of fresh air for me as he flies in the face of a lot of conventional beliefs. If you are over 25 and discouraged by constantly hearing “You can only learn a second language properly as a child” or “You’ll never learn it unless you go and live there” then please visit LingQ and I assure you you’ll feel a lot better!

Take grammar for example. I reckon just about everything you’ve ever read about learning languages starts with ‘read at least one good grammar book’, study verbs, learn conjugation, figure out what on earth pluperfect means. I can certainly remember reciting conjugations in Latin at school (yes we did Latin for a while because of an eccentric headmaster) and whilst I have been studying for my GCSE I have also quietly recited Portuguese conjugations to myself in an effort to learn them.

Personally I do actually like grammar and I enjoy reading how the language works. However the huge amount of rules and their exceptions can be incredibly overwhelming, not to mention the linguistic terminology.

The LingQ approach runs contrary to this. You won’t find lists of irregular verbs anywhere on the site and infact you will rarely find anything translated. Steve Kaufman has found that he learns best when he devotes himself to reading and listening to texts that he really enjoys the sound of or on subjects that interest him. He spends several months listening repeatedly to natural speech on topics of interest and simultaneously reading transcripts of these. During this process he builds up an internal picture of how the language sounds and works.

On the lingQ website you will find a huge variety of podcasts and their transcripts in Portuguese (as well as other languages). The podcasts are spoken by native speakers  (both from Brazil and Portugal) who chat about places they’ve visited, language learning, where they live and so on. As you read the accompanying transcript, you can look up words in the dictionary that you don’t understand. Gradually you begin to realise that certain words appear over and over again and before you know it, you know it! As you highlight words you don’t understand, you can create sets of flashcards as well.

In a way, LingQ mimicks the way a child learns - by listening and then copying. I recently dug out an old diary from when I was 7 years old and was delighted to find there was once a time when I didn’t understand English tenses! It’s so easy to forget that there was a time when we didn’t know our mother tongue. As children, we copy the speech of those around us, we try out the rules and sometimes get them wrong (such as “I didded it! instead of “I did it”). But these attempts show that we are starting to pick up on the rules like verbs in the English past tense often have -ed at the end.

When learning a foreign language, the spoken word is both a joy and a terror: those first tenuous stumbling syllables, the look of incomprehension on your listeners face, the blushing and frantic gesturing as words fail you. Or the tentative phrases that bring you joy as you are understood, moments of clarity, pride as you show off to your friends that you understand ‘the lingo’ (until the waiter gives you a withering look and speaks so rapidly that even someone from their own country couldn’t follow it).

I love speaking in Portuguese. In European Portuguese, people often comment on how they ’swallow’ some of the sounds - particularly the letter o. To me, Portuguese is a tasty language, one that I want to wrap my tongue around and savour. For me, speaking in Portuguese is akin to eating home-made cheesecake. I have reached a point now where I can comfortably tell you about my life, my last holiday, my job and what I would like to eat but at times I still find myself sometimes translating in my head and feeling my speech is slow and cumbersome. But for all that, I have little fear of trying and will get my point across even if it ends up being pigeon-Portuguese! Getting away from translating in my head is one of my primary objects now.

LingQ advocates a period of silence before trying to speak in your target language. Steve believes that by repeated listening, you build up the patterns in your mind and eventually this makes it easier to talk. He doesn’t put it exactly like this, but that’s my understanding of his method. Whilst I tended to listen a lot to the radio when I first started learning Portuguese, I certainly noticed words and phrases that were repeated and having heard them so often, I found myself easily able to say them.

I decided to take a GCSE course because I wanted to gain some structure to my learning and speak with a native speaker. It has of course been extremely useful to to be able to ask how to pronounce a certain word and have my pronunciation corrected. Our teacher has been fantastic and it’s been great to meet like-minds but sometimes I have felt overwhelmed with the sheer amount there is to learn and frustrated with what seems so little time to learn it in. Then there’s the trick questions set by dusty examination boards and the 3000 words to learn which seem to contain words that I’d probably never use in English never mind Portuguese. Had I not been quite so obsessed with the language, there are times when the conventional path could have taken the shine off things.

Perhaps if LingQ had been around when I first started learning, I think I would have been a lot further ahead than where I am now. However, I can’t complain because now I have discovered it I feel as though I will learn a lot more with greater speed and efficiency.

LingQ is free to use although there are paid options as well. Aside from all the podcasts and transcripts, there is also Steve’s book on the LingQ method which is a free download plus the option to have one to one chats with tutors (or groups chats). You can also submit writing to be marked by a tutor. Chats and writing submission need to be paid for but prices are very reasonable and on a points basis. This means you aren’t forced into a monthly suscription but can pick and choose what you pay for. I would definately recommend Steve’s book as it charts his journey through language learning. The book is available in Portuguese. I have chosen to read that one and only refer to the English version if I am completely stuck!

Once you have joined up, your first page is your workstation where you can see how many words you’ve learned and read and how much time you’ve spent listening. These are accompanied by targets according to your level. They are great as incentives to learn and a useful benchmark. If you want to talk to other members there’s a well used forum as well.

LingQ is a fascinating method that I believe is suitable for everyone learning Portuguese (and of course other languages as well). I strongly encourage you to take a look. I would also advise watching Steve’s videos about language learning on Youtube as well. I found it fascinating just watching him do his introductions in all of the languages he knows - inspiring stuff!. Lastly he has a brilliant blog with tons of articles on language learning which will keep you enthralled for hours.

I have never had any doubt in my mind that I will one day speak Portuguese fluently although I don’t know when that time will come. But what I am also sure of is that the LingQ method has brought that time much closer.

Post from: In Love with Lisbon

Learn Portuguese with LingQ

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Tournée de coro londrino de categoria mundial
Crouch End Festival Chorus
24 a 31 de Maio 2008
Em Maio deste ano, um dos coros de mais renome do Reino Unido, o Crouch End Festival Chorus, irá passar uma semana em Lisboa e arredores, realizando quatro concertos de música maravilhosa em Belém, na Estrela, em Fátima e em Sintra.

O coro goza de grande fama no Reino Unido, onde realiza regularmente concertos em prestigiadas salas de espectáculos londrinas, tais como The Festival Hall, The Royal Albert Hall e The Barbican.

O coro actuou recentemente com Teresa Salgueiro e já cantou e fez gravações com diversos artistas, incluindo o compositor Ennio Morricone, os maestros Valery Gergiev e Daniele Gatti e os cantores Lesley Garrett and Andrea Boccelli.

Além disso, o coro já efectuou numerosas gravações, que vão desde a música da popular série televisiva Dr. Who a múltipas bandas sonoras de filmes tais como Lord of the Rings e Saving Private Ryan.

Para mais informações sobre o coro e a sua visita a Portugal, consulte o site www.cefc.org.uk que contém indicações sobre a data e hora dos espectáculos, a fim de não perder as actuações deste excelente coro.

Contacto RP: Sally Hall, +44 (0)208 340 2212
 +44 (0) 7790 992797
sallyjaynehall@btinternet.com

Programa de concertos

Domingo 25 de Maio
11h00 Capítulo do Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Belém

Terça 27 de Maio
17h15 Basílica, Fátima (a seguir à missa das 16:30)

Quinta 29 de Maio
21h00 Basílica da Estrela, Lisboa

Sexta 30 de Maio
21h30 The Church of São Martinho, Sintra

Música
O repertório será retirado de entre as seguintes peças:

Faure    Cantique de Jean Racine
Philip Glass   Three Songs
Durufle    Motets
Durufle    Requiem + Kyrie

E AÍNDA

Tippett    5 Spirituals from A Child of Our Time Stanford    Beati quorum Via

Post from: In Love with Lisbon

A Cantar de Londres a Lisboa

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Rossio Square (Praça Rossio) lies at the heart of Lisbon and is often one of the first places tourists arrive at when visiting the city. The site has been an important place in Lisbon’s history for many centuries and carries many stories within it’s space. With it’s distinctive traditional Portuguese paving (calçada Portuguesa), fountains and statues, Rossio really does make you feel like you have arrived in Lisbon.

I recommend taking a wander to Rossio in the early morning - as early as possible. Being seated at the heart of the city, during the day it is full of hustle and bustle as locals cross during their lunch hour and tourists stop to take photo’s or sit outside one of the numerous cafe’s. Walking across the square in the early morning, you can fully appreciate the giant mosaic patterns that sweep across the ground and you have time to take in all the different buildings and features that line the square.

Perhaps the most obvious feature is the huge 27 metre column topped by the statue dedicated to Dom Pedro IV. Dom Pedro was King of Portugal for a short time but is perhaps more famous for leaving Portugal to rule in Brazil. The column was erected in 1874. Apparently the official name of the square is Praça de D. Pedro IV, however it seems that this is rarely, if ever used. At the seat of the monument are four marble representations of Justice, Wisdom, Strength, and Moderation - qualities that Dom Pedro admired.

There are two beautiful baroque fountains situated at each end of the square and it is worth taking some time to really absorb the details that have been lavished upon the making of the bronze statues. In the grand surroundings of Rossio square, the fountains bring life and movement to an otherwise imposing area.

In the past, the All Saints Royal Hospital occupied the whole of the Eastern side of the square but this was razed to the ground in the 1755 earthquake. When the Marquês de Pombal famously instructed the rebuilding of Lisbon, The São Domingo Church found itself seperated from Rossio Square where once it had been a part of it. As well as being seriously damaged by the earthquake, São Domingo church was also almost burnt to the ground by a fire. Walking into the Church you can see a distinct difference in the architecture of the upper part of the building. I am never at my most comfortable in churches I have to say and, whilst lovely to look at, this particular church seemed to exude a restless feeling; as though the wrongs that had happened there still lived in the walls.

The glorious National Theatre (Teatro Nacional D. Maria II) sits at the top end of the square and is a centrepoint for culture. It is by far my favourite building on Rossio. Constructed within the building are the Muses, Apollo and busts of Portuguese poets. The classical design uses 6 columns from the Church of St. Francis which was destroyed in the earthquake and is topped with a statue of the famous Portuguese playwright Gil Vincent. Aside from the theatre housing wonderful plays and other events, personally I am drawn to it because of the original reason it was built. The building that preceded the theatre was the Palace of Estaus - the seat of the Portuguese Inquisition. Ironically destroyed by fire in 1836, it was decided that something should replace the horror that had once been there and heal the wounds of the past. What better than a theatre to delight the people and reveal the wonders of creativity.

There are other smaller wonders to feast your senses on in Rossio square. There is a the scent of chestnuts roasting from the street seller and the call of the lottery man or woman. There is the gentle archway of Bandeira (Arco da Bandeira) that leads into the quieter Sapateiros Street and the art deco of Café Nicola. Everywhere you look in this square is history and history in the making. Lovers and friends meet here. Journeys begin and end here.

Post from: In Love with Lisbon

Rossio Square

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