Wandering through Lisbon - family and beach time

I usually spend at least a week in Portugal visiting some of my family and going to the beach in the central region of the country. This year, however, I only spent a long weekend in Lisbon, so I was not expecting to do any of these two things: see any of my family and go to the beach. So it was a very pleasant surprise when I ended up doing both.

On Saturday, I met with one of my aunts and a cousin who live in the extended region of Lisbon. I was treated to a homemade lunch (my aunt is one of the best cooks I know), then a short expedition to a beach in Ericeira followed by a visit to Mafra and ending with a delicious dinner (frango no churrasco, barbecued chicken like I only find in Portugal).

We stopped at a place called Aldeia do Sobreiro on the way. It is a place dedicated to ceramics where you can find a small miniature reproductions of a mill and different rooms showing how people used to live in the past. I couldn't resist making a very quick sketch there, the only one of the day, as I didn't want to bore my family.

On Sunday I met with one of my co-workers who was in Lisbon with a friend for the weekend as well and we went to the beach in Carcavelos. The tide was high, so the beach was very narrow and people were almost lying on top of each other. Not my favourite type of beach, but I was so happy to be able to actually go into the ocean that I did not care at all.

Carcavelos is located on the Atlantic coast, not far from where the Tagus river ends, so the water was cold, but fairly quiet, quite different from the beaches I am used to around Figueira da Foz, where the waves can be very strong and the water's temperature a bit colder.

It was amazing to be able to bathe and I had fun seeing my friends getting in the chilly water. The temperature can be challenging when you are not used to the Atlantic at all, but once you are inside it is perfect.

I had time to make a quick sketch while my bikini was drying. The lady on my left offered me the perfect framing. When I first came out of the zone, I noticed that I had gathered a few admirers, her included. Sketching is always a great icebreaker.

We ended the day at a tiny restaurant around Chiado with a lovely bottle of vinho verde.

I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

Wandering through Lisbon - sketchcrawling with the locals

I might be quite predictable on this, but one of my favourite parts of Lisbon is Alfama. I love its small streets and corners, and the fact that it reminds me of a village. That is why I arranged to meet Eduardo Salavisa and other sketchers from Lisbon at one of its viewpoints, Portas do Sol.

Before that, however, we spent some time at Largo dos Trigueiros, where we met with Pedro Loureiro and Pedro Alves. They were on their lunch break and took the opportunity to sketch with us. I was not very productive then. Between taking a quick bite to eat and getting to know the Pedros a little, I was not really feeling inspired to sketch at that moment.

After this sadly very short encounter with these two talented and friendly sketchers, Eduardo and I headed to the meeting point at Portas do Sol to start our sketchcrawl. We were a tiny group, only Zeta joined us, and headed down the stairs to our first stop at calçadinha da Figueira.

Down, down some more, we stopped at Igreja de S. Miguel where I started to sketch the view up the stairs. Three boys were playing, one of them racing down the stairs of the church on his bike. His curiosity got the better of him and he came to see what we were doing, quickly joined by his friends.

 

Gonçalo, aka Piriquito (parakeet), Vítor and Diogo were very impressed by our drawings and I sketched them, so I would have a memory of them in my sketchbook. Unfortunately, I didn't quite capture Piriquito's likeness (I aged him at least 10 years!), but he seemed to like it, specially when I added a few dots to his cap. Children are very forgiving that way.

 

After this fun meeting with the boys, Eduardo and I stopped at Pois, café, a café next to the Sé.

Eduardo showed me a few more interesting places, good bars and cafés and we finished our sketchcrawl with a beer at Café Tati near Cais do Sodré.

   

Thank you so much for this pleasant afternoon, Eduardo!

Wandering through Lisbon - unexpected encounters

I spent a few days in Lisbon last week, soaking up some much needed sun and meeting friends and family. It's always a pleasure to go back to this beautiful city with its old charm, friendly inhabitants and (usually) great weather.

I arrived on Thursday in the early afternoon and set out to do one of my favourite things: wander around aimlessly, see where I end up. The call of my stomach being quite strong, I stopped at this place called Cister for lunch.

There was a football game on one TV screen, a telenovela on another. Welcome to Portugal! :D

I somehow ended up near Príncipe Real where I saw this fascinating building. The sketch doesn't do it justice at all, but it was really beautiful.

I particularly liked the cupolas with the spikes.

 After a while, I noticed that there was an unusual amount of activity, specially in the areas of Chiado and Baixa where most shops are. Apparently I had chosen the day of the annual Vogue Fashion's Night Out to arrive.

Shops were open until late at night and there were concerts and special offers all over the city. Lisbon was buzzing with activity and excitement and there were beautiful people everywhere.

Some elegant gentleman took a picture of me while I was sketching this

I was planning to go people watching and sketching after dinner at a restaurant called Relicário near my hotel, but I got side-tracked by my friendly neighbours, a group of jolly elderly people from Bermuda.

They were Portuguese descendants and were on their first trip to explore their ancestor's original country. They were very curious about how you said things in Portuguese and I was happy to teach them a little.

I was bemused that one of their surnames was Da Silva, my mother's maiden name. I like the idea that if we were to dig far enough in the past, we would discover that we are related. The world is so small after all.

They loved my sketch and even paid for my dinner

The following day I was meeting Eduardo Salavisa and some other sketchers from Lisbon in the afternoon. I had some time to sketch the elevador da Lavra on my way to our meeting.

I love to stumble upon one of these cute yellow fellows

More on that in my next post.

Holiday in Portugal - Urban Sketchers in Lisbon

On my last day in Lisbon, I met with a few Urban Sketchers from the area.

I was in contact with Rita Caré, who organized a meeting of Urban Sketchers Portugal at Museu do Carmo in the afternoon with whoever showed up to sketch.

She was also kind enough to forward my contact to all the members, asking if people would have time to meet me during my stay in Lisbon.

That is how I met Teresa Ruivo, with whom I spent the morning of that day sketching around Praça do Comércio / Terreiro do Paço.

Teresa sketching the other side of this view

We then sat at Café Martinho da Arcada, which has a lovely terrace under some of the many arcades of Praça do Comércio.

The waiters were very nice, too

Teresa then took me to Mercado da Ribeira, where we sketched some of the stalls and I then went for lunch at the adjacent food court. Teresa told me that the market has been revived thanks to this food court which attracts a lot of people. It was indeed a great place to have lunch, with a great variety of food to choose from.

Yummie fruit just begging to be eaten

In the afternoon, I headed to Museu do Carmo, but as I was still a bit early, I sat down to make a quick sketch of Largo de Camões.

Largo de Camões is one of my favourite places in Lisbon

I had never been to Museu do Carmo before, so it was a really lovely surprise to discover this old church with its amazing blue sky for a roof.

I was told that the roof fell during the earthquake of 1755 and was never rebuilt. Today it is used as an archaeological museum and popular meeting place for Urban Sketchers.

Every church should have a blue sky for a roof

Before leaving, we sat to do some sketching behind the museum. I loved this facade full of azulejos. So typical of Lisbon.

Three different types of azulejos on this facade

I spent great moments with these lovely people and can't thank them enough for their kindness and availability. My only regret is that I didn't get to sketch any of them. Next time.

It was time to go back home to reality and finish my Portuguese adventures of 2015 with a plane sketch, how else?

Too much time for hatching...

Holiday in Portugal - Lisboa again

Of all the cities I have visited so far, Lisbon is probably my favourite. So much so that I ayways try to take a few days from my holiday in Portugal to spend there.

Every year, I tell myself that I should at least try Porto for a change, but every time I end up in Lisbon. I'm probably missing out on Porto, but I can't help it. Maybe next year.

I am starting to have my habits in Lisbon. I usually stay at the same place, have breakfast at Balcão do Marquês down the street...

This place has a great selection of pastries and is always busy

 ...and one last dinner at the Great American Disaster (I know, not very Portuguese, but the place is so sketchable).

It's like being in an episode of "Happy Days"

This time, however, I got a few unexpected surprises. First I met my cousin Samuel, which never happens, and he took me to an abandoned restaurant from where you have an amazing view over the city. The place itself would merit a whole sketching afternoon, but the view is indeed special.

You have a breathtaking panoramic view over the city from here

One day I spent exploring the Alfama, following an alternative route I found on the internet, which started at Miradouro das Portas do Sol and continued through the narrow streets of this very iconic neighbourhood.

Too many details to get lost in, haha

Alfama is like a group of villages in the middle of the city. You can hear life unfolding all around you. People calling each other for lunch, children playing, music on the radio, laundry hanging on the balconies, dogs barking, etc.

I loved all the antennae in this place

As I was sketching on Rua Norberto de Araújo, I was approached by a Bulgarian tv crew filming a documentary on Lisbon who asked me if they could film me. I guess I looked photogenic sitting on my stool, eating my pear and happily sketching away. And I thought "After appearing on Australian TV for a documentary on Strasbourg, why not appear on one about Lisbon for Bulgarian TV?"

Soon I will have a cameo in documentaries all over the world

My sketching trip through Alfama ended at a restaurant called Pateo 13, a place I had heard of recently but didn't think I would actually find. At Pateo 13 you can have the best grilled sardines in Lisbon, seated at tables in the middle of the street. It feels like being at a village fair, the atmosphere is great and the waiters very friendly. Definitely worth it and a great way to finish the day.

The waiters were very surprised that I was Portuguese :D

Lisbon never disappoints.

My room was on the third floor

Holiday in Portugal - exploring beaches

Alentejo's coast has beautifully dramatic landscape with many small beaches at the bottom of big rock formations ; all very photogenic and, if you stop to think about it, potentially dangerous.

People need to keep an eye on the tide and the rocks need to be controlled for stability.

One of the small beaches in Porto Covo

Between two dips into the waves of the Atlantic I whipped out the sketchbook and pens to  draw my fellow sunbathers.

I was surprised at the number of women going topless. I don't know whether that is a new trend in Portugal or whether they were mainly tourists.

I felt a bit like a Peeping Tom when sketching them, but, hey, that's part of the urban sketching experience, too, haha.

Beach people are great subjects

I love how relaxed and carefree people look...

His position reminded me of a pasha

...but above all I love the ocean! If I had the beach nearby, I would probably visit the ocean all the time.

The water in Santo Antré beach was stunningly colourful

Sadly, our trip had to end. But we still made a few stops on our way back home, thus extending our Alentejo experience.

I managed to squeeze in one last sketch at Santiago do Cacém...

There were many cats around

... and a wobbly one in the car. 

Not too bad, considering the bumpy road

Any occasion to sketch is a good one. I challenged myself to fill the whole sketchbook, remember?

Holiday in Portugal - além do Tejo

In the middle of all the family gatherings, we planned a trip to the south of Portugal. No, not Algarve, Alentejo. More specifically the part near the Atlantic coast, the Costa Vicentina and thereabouts

We spent a few days in a casa de campo (country house) not too far from the coast, where we could experience a bit more of the Alentejo, in the middle of its vast open countryside of hills and plains, cork oaks and big country houses, its hot weather and clear star-filled nights.

A typical Alentejo scenery

Alentejo has a lot to offer. Quaint little villages to explore, interesting museums, etc. We went to the Museu da Farinha (museum of flour) in São Domingos, a family-run museum, where our guide was the heir to an old converted mill. It was a pleasure to listen to his childhood stories of times past.

A small selection of what you can see at the Museu da Farinha

Vila Nova de Milfontes was for me the occasion to see the ocean for the first time this year. Here you can actually choose between bathing in the ocean or, if you prefer calmer waters, in the Mira river.

One of my favourite things about Alentejo is its very characteristic use of colour in architecture. You typically have little white houses with coloured borders around the windows, doors and main walls. Lots of bright yellows, blues, greens, etc. Even churches have adopted this style. 

I just stopped mid-track and had to quickly sketch this quaint little church

Adopting the Alentejo rhythm also means to take it slow and have leisurely siestas during the strongest heat of the day.

Luckily the hotel our country house was attached to had a swimming pool with beautiful parasols, so we could enjoy the hot afternoons chaparro-syle.

Under these parasols, it almost felt like we were in the tropics

Or we could choose to lie down in the hammock, slowly rocked by a pleasant breeze.

Not easy to get proportions right when lying down in a hammock

Stay tuned for more Alentejo impressions soon.

Holiday in Portugal - family gatherings and lots of food

Even before my arrival, my holiday promised to be busier than my work schedule, full with lunches, dinners and other social events with the extended family. It's far from a complaint. I love to spend time with my aunts, uncles and cousins.

I would also love to be able to sketch them all. But since they are a pretty lively bunch they won't stop quiet for me to do so.

It usually goes something like this:

My aunt Lucinda is very conveniently sitting next to me, so I take out my sketchbook and pen, and discreetly start sketching her. Maybe it is because I only see her so often, but somehow I always forget that she is one of the people with most facial expressions per second I know. 

She complained that I made her look old

So, obviously, the result is inconclusive. It does, however, attract my aunt Maria's attention who requests that I make a portrait of her next. A very willing subject, she manages to hold still for the 10 minutes I need to sketch her. Hurray! 

Great model and amazing cook!

The dog is resting, perfect subject to sketch next. Alas! I barely have the time to start on the head that he changes position. As if he knew what I was up to, he keeps moving and changing position. Even the dog won't cooperate when he is resting!

Rex, the restless dog

So when animated subjects are this taxing, what do you do? Focus your attention on the other usual suspect at the table: the watermelon, a much more cooperative subject if you don't wait too long. In the blink on an eye it is half gone! 

Can't blame anyone for wanting some of this delicious watermelon

It is so much more relaxing to sketch inanimate objects At least they won't run away. Or will they?

I won this one at a raffle

Holiday in Portugal - long way home

As pretty much every year, I went on summer holiday to Portugal, where part of my family is and my parents have a house.

Like most Luso-descendants, I have a great love for Portugal. I always look forward to spending some time in this beautiful country and discovering a bit more of my roots.

Unlike my parents, I have given up driving the 2000 km to get there already a few years ago and prefer to take the plane. It's far less tiring and less of a hassle.

There are, however, unforseen events, like the 1.5 hour delay I was announced when I checked in my luggage. Bummer.

It was a great occasion to start the Stillman & Birn sketchbook I got from Stephanie Bower, though. My goal was to fill it during my vacation, so with so much time on my hands, I started with scenes from the airport.

I don't know about other sketchers, but the first few drawings in a new sketchbook are usually a bit disappointing, so I'm only posting a small selection here.

Lines of people checking their phones before boarding the plane

I changed seats a couple of times, looking for something or someone interesting to sketch. I ended up sitting in front of an elderly French couple who were very conveniently distracted by their book and phone.

He had a very sketchable face

Below you can see their feet. I love making the occasional sketch of what I see when I look down.

Like my new trousers?

I used to prefer to sit by the window on the plane, but lately I have realised that the "sketchable view" is actually less interesting there. This time I was sitting by the alley, with a great view of a man playing Tetris. 

As I was sketching him, I kept looking at his game and feeling gradually nervous for him. He kept arriving perilously close to losing, but then always seemed to manage to get back at a safer level.

I was almost as engrossed in watching him play as I was in sketching him. I never thought it could be interesting to watch someone else play Tetris.

His Tetris skills were impressive

When I arrived in Lisbon, I had the luxury of finding my family waiting for me to take me to our second home. Here is a sketch of the back view of the house, the one in the patio.

The ghosts of laundries past

My mother chose to hang the laundry halfway through my sketch, which slightly annoying at first, but a happy accident in the end. Home sweet home indeed.

Where to start?

I was on holiday these last few weeks. First in Portugal, to visit family, and then to Brazil for the 5th International Urban Sketching Symposium which took place in Paraty.

I know: I'm lucky like that.

I have sketched so much during these last few weeks that I don't know where to start sharing. So I guess the easiest way to proceed is chronologically, and so, with my week in Portugal.

I took the small Laloran sketchbook we received at last year's USk Symposium in Barcelona and dedicated it exclusively to my time in Portugal, before and after Brazil.

I have to say I loved that sketchbook! The paper is great, the book is beautiful and the pocket size, which I thought I would find limiting, was very handy.

Laloran is a small company from Sintra, Portugal. I highly recommend their products, which you can order online.

Here are some of my favourite sketches from that time.

At home with the family:

I loved the shadows of the laundry. Very peaceful scene.

One of my aunts has a new puppy. Cutest thing ever! 

It wouldn't be a holiday in Portugal without a trip to the beach.

On August 15th there is always a celebration in honour of Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte (Our Lady of Good Death), with many folclore groups performing.

I tried to capture the variety of the traditional costumes. There was even a guest group from Italy.

I spent a short time in Lisbon before heading to Brazil. I mainly went to the area of Belém, one of my favourite parts of the city.

There was an exhibition on treasures recovered from the ocean at the Museum of Archeology.

My first attempt at sketching the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Such a complex building! 

I also spent some time at the botanical garden nearby. I spotted a dragon tree. I had never heard of it, so was very curious to see it.

I found this beautiful bust of an African woman. Couldn't help sketching it.

I made this last sketch after my trip to Brazil. I tried to apply some of the things I learned during one of the workshops at the symposium. More on that in a future post.

Unfortunately, this post would be far too long if I posted all the sketches. You can find the rest of my drawings from that time in Portugal in my Flickr stream under the link to the dedicated album.