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California 2019 – Maybe our last long trip?
In 2017, Jim and I started talking about a trip to California. My ageing hippy consciousness kept telling me to go and visit the places I grew up in films and books. I also now have a couple of dear American friends, one of whom lived in California and helped with ideas for the trip. I don’t know why I didn’t write much as the journey progressed. Somewhat saturated, I guess it has taken time to reflect on the colours and stories. We visited friends along the way, a couple I only know from Facebook and a kind ex-Jehovah’s Witness who invited us into their home in Tucson. The visit…
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New – History tours of Tavira
As part of her master’s degree, Isabel Macieira has published several studies about the History of Art. She is the author of the book – “A Pintura sacra em Tavira, séculos XV a XX – estudos e inventário” (The Sacred Painting in Tavira XV to XX centuries). As a teacher between 1983-2014, she developed with various groups an awareness of local history involving the natural and built environment. So it could be said that she knows something about the city of Tavira, its heritage and architecture. Once a month or so since September 2016, she has offered a city tour to residents, visitors and tourists. The tours are grounded in…
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Flipside – Brazilian Literature and Music – the start
Snape Maltings, in west Suffolk, is the home of Aldeburgh Music, which is renowned as an outstanding year-round performance centre. On Friday evening, the Flipside Literature and Music Festival opened with “The boys from Ipanema”, by paying tribute to the composer and essayist Vincius de Moraes and the musician Antonio Carlos Jobin. They “boys” (actually two men and a woman) sang and played their way through a fabulous and clear explanation of Bossa Nova, illustrating the entwining of Greek myths and African rhythms. Author and composer, Jose Miguel Wisnik, Arthur Nestrovski, a very talented guitarist and Paula Morelenbaum, one of Brazil’s great singers, entertained and enlightened an appreciative audience. The…
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FLIPSIDE in Suffolk
Last year we went to Brazil and one of the highlights of the trip was the Paraty FLIP book festival. This weekend some of that glamour, joy and humour of FLIP, will be in Snape Maltings in Sufflok and I am going to bask in the experience. I received the press release this week and here are some of the highlights. “Brazilian literary stars Bernardo Carvalho, Milton Hatoum and Adriana Lisboa, Ana Maria Machado, Patricia Melo and Ferréz, are just some of the headlining authors taking centre stage in Suffolk this weekend for the inaugural FLIPSIDE Festival of Brazilian literature, Music and the Arts. As they line up alongside UK…
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A few photos from the launch of the Copacabana – Panoramas of Rio de Janeiro Exhibition
ompleme
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The route of cork
Did you know that there is an interpretation room in São Bras do Alportel Museum, dedicated to Cork? The town has a long history of its production and extraction as well as the creative use and development of the product. This room is where the Cork Route Tour starts, if you sign up with the Rota da Cortiço Association. They offer a range of tours for the young and those less agile. Many cork trees, along with carob and olive trees were destroyed in last July’s fires. Cork farmers have lost not just one crop but many years of cork harvests. Although they are replanting, the new trees will not…
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Books, London Book Fair and Tavira reading “flash mob”
A couple of years ago a few book enthusiasts organised an event for young people at the Library in Tavira. The idea was that children of different cultures would come together and share their favourite books and read in their own language from those books. Children practiced their reading aloud to an audience and each other and on the performance day they were very excited about being heard and being able to read their treasures. This last week in Tavira, there has been a celebration of reading and young people from many of the local schools have organised themselves with the help of their teachers and the Library to read and create…
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Maria João in Tavira for improvisation workshop
A unique opportunity is available to work with the colourful, Maria João in Tavira on 25 and 26 May 2013. “She is the best contemporary Portuguese jazz singer” so says Tela Leão “and will be coming to help people explore jazz improvisation”. “16 people have already signed up and there are only 4 places left” . Maria will be sharing her extensive knowledge and the tactics she uses to improvise. For the 6 hour workshop spread over two days (Sat /Sun) the cost is 50 Euros. Maria speaks English. As its improvisation the language used is less important. It is the sounds that will pull the workshop together. The…
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The Romans in the Algarve
The March talk for the Algarve Archeological Association featured Catarina Viegas and it was called “The Romans in the Algarve”. Catarina Viegas who is based at the University of Lisbon spoke in English and gave an informed and detailed talk, with excellent slides. Her studies, which formed her PhD, focused on just a small part of the pottery found in the Eastern Algarve. She told the group that from just those small fragments a vast story can be revealed, which uncovers a civilization’s way of life, echoes of which can be sensed in the present.She started her presentation by recalling an early pioneer of archeology of the region, Estacio da Veiga.…
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Diggers and Dreamers – Making a difference in Tavira
The three day “Festival of the Tree” organised by the Tavira Transition Movement, took place in the Library in Tavira and in Mata Santa Rita, during the weekend of 22-24 March. The main attraction of the festival was Aviram Rozin from Sadhana Forest Auroville, India. People from many nationalities came together, to learn from his successes and failures. He shared techniques for growing trees whilst conserving water. His work in Sadhana Forest, near Auroville, India, began in December 2003. The vision then was to transform 70 acres of severely eroded, arid land on the outskirts of Auroville. He has succeeded beyond what he hoped to do and people are taking…
