Bellinzona in Switzerland

 

The land of three castles (Castelgrande, Montebello, Sasso Corbaro) that have been Unesco World Heritage Site..

 

greetings from there!

Henrique

 

Take the bernina express! (Switzerland)

“The Bernina Express is an express that crosses the swiss alps from south to north.”

I heard this frase in milan, and I realized immediately that it was an adventure for me! After a few weaks, there i was...

You need to take the train from Milan to Tirano, and although there are connections, it’s not an easy journey, it takes too much time concerning  the distance; the price it’s ok... by regional trains 10 euros is enough.

 I made my reservation online, just 2 days before (http://www.rhb.ch), you cannot buy them in tirano!  You really need to have a seat reservation , for 8euros.

  When you reach Tirano, the bernina express it’s different from other trains, this one has panoramic windows! The interior is very comfortable, and during the journey you can listen to the description of the places in English; also, the crew on board speaks very well..

The views outside are amazing, I’d never seen nothing similar in my previous trips; the train reaches unto a place called “Ozpizio Bernina”,  2,253 metres above sea level! It’s like a magic carpet on train form, you really cross through the clouds! The scenario varies on fairytale landscapes, from glaciers to palm trees. All the towns you pass by are beautiful, when you discover the hidden Swiss.

After, I returned to Tirano by bus, and caught a train to Milan..

Remember this little text next time you travel to Swiss.

See you poetry,

Henrique

Angela in Bologna...

Once upon a time, there was a city that had more than 200 towers... and who would
imagine that? Today, it still exists, though you can see only a few of them, like Due
Torri, embraced by the city as the apple of its eye.

It can be a challenge but forget the map, just get lost between the infinite columns
and arches, the very veins and arteries that guide you to its heart - Piazza Maggiore.
Imagine yourself in a medieval era, enjoying every single detail of its paths and who
knows, maybe even discover the 7 secrets of the city.

Photo by Angela Silva

Every corner screams history through its monumental constructions, with incredible
sculptures protruding from it. The red-hot colours of the city warm you up while the
porticoes keep you from melting under the sun or getting soaked in the rain.

It is heartening that Bologna can be so attractive and yet still unaffected by tourism. You can really feel unnoticed among its residents. Take advantage of that!

First thing to do, feel the dolce vita when you go to Coffee Terzi where its coffee grains are freshly ground and you can see the sugar slowly fall into a fantastic expresso...

Park your bicycle somewhere near bar Camera a Sud to meet friends and begin
your night with a glass of wine in a comfortable atmosphere where books, antiques,
illustrations and photographs are all around you and easy to reach.

Who has heard of Spaghetti alla Bolognese? In Bologna it's a myth, they would actually say
it does not exist! The nearest idea to it is to order Tagliatelle al Ragù and divide one Piatto dell'Amicizia, where everyone can eat from the same plate, an idea to enjoy at 
Osteria Dell'Orsa.

Don't go away before passing by Osteria del Sole , well known for its concept "bring your snacks, we have the wine", which must have impressed other portuguese, who left written tiles with10 drinking commandments, like nº10: “Who swears no more drinking...has the death penalty”.
 
I wouldn't disobey!

Words aren’t enough to describe how Bologna mi é rimasta nel cuore!

Photo by Angela Silva

Verona, City of Lovers

When you arrive to the Verona, it’s normal find local guides offering their services, promising you a “love tour” to the city. For me it’s not a good solution, the city has more poetry to see besides the famous places of Shakespeare masterpiece Romeo and Julliet. 

At your birth arrive, the ancient spring winds of Verona welcome you to a cosy, countryside feeling, in spite of the graceful, cheerful city light atmosphere. Romance spreads out throw the streets and there’s a nostalgic aroma hidden at every corner.

The starting point is the Roman Arena, located in the heart of the historical center – where old and new meet as a balance throw time and space. There are Opera Concerts at the Arena all year long, and you can get an easy ticket from across the street.  Get yourself a map and lead towards the main square “Piazza delle Erbe”. Have a taste at “Ristorante alla Torre”, at lunch time, enjoy a sweet piadine with nutella and mascarpone while strolling aside the wonderful renaissance architecture surroundings.

 

Finding Juliet’s balcony is easy business, all paths lead there. After the passage along with the love sayings, quotations and proposals (where lovebirds share their affection with everyone by sticking a bubble gum with names and dates, or even written post-it’s and lockets), you’ll find a textile store on your left, with a curious old man whom’ll offer to embroid your name in perfect calligraphy, drawn in a piece of paper, next to a red lined heart. This will obviously cost you something, if you wish to bring something a little bolder with you.

As the evening approaches, don’t mind visiting the Museu Civici di Arte di Verona, and lose track of time within the roman remaining’s and find a lovely panoramic sight view at sunset.

See you soon

Henrique

On demonstrations

29th March, Barcelona

When travelling around, I really try to blend into whatever country's I am in's culture. That means that, should I know of a demonstration or a strike that is coming up, I try to gather information about it and then join it. One actually learns a lot about what is going on in the country, what are people's concerns and so on.

The thing is, demonstrations in Portugal tend to be, as I came to realize, not only pacific, but also cheerful. We scream and criticize - but we do also sing and dance. We also have absolutely no tendency to destroying governmental buildings or state possessions.

In Barcelona, that's quite not the case. I went to the demonstration on the 29th of March and I saw garbage bins being set on fire, bank windows broken, and massive amounts of police and firemen arriving to put an end on all of it. It was somewhat scary, to be entirely honest.

I think us Portuguese got too used to having pacific revolutions - with carnations, no causalities, and so on, and I must admit I was in shock with the amount of aggressiveness I experienced there.

I am not going to express my opinion on state, police, or demonstration matters. My sole purpose is just to point out how strikingly different something can be between bordering countries. And the truth is, I love learning about different ways of handling things, and cultural differences in general.

And then, I was commenting this with my friend Filipa, who lives in Germany, and she said:

"I have also noticed it: Around here fighting for anything's rights is also no piece of cake. For instance, at one point they were against sending nuclear waste to Siberia - and therefore decided to place CONCRETE around their ARMS and the RAILROAD to make sure the train won't pass. Because if it does, they will get amputated.

The police then has to come with a special intervention brigade, taking a whole day to release all the arms and legs that are stuck onto the railway. That buys the demonstrators some extra time to think of following actions."

I must admit my simple Portuguese mind was blown by the simple fact that anyone ever even thought of this - let alone adopting that as a common practice.

See you soon.
- Teresa Lima

Greetings from Germany!

Mannheim

Mannheim

Heidelberg

- Teresa Lima

Sunday's Fado

If you’re one of those persons who just hates Sundays - one must never depreciate the art of procrastination – and if you happen to be in Lisbon, I might have the solution for you.

Hop on the tram 28^th and hop off at Graça, walk a few steps forward and you’ll arrive at Tasca do Jaime.  Every weekend afternoon they play ‘fado* vadio’, which means that anyone can get up and sing. The result is always unique and unpredictable, the fun is guaranteed and the owners will make anyone feel at home. That’s how we felt last Sunday – 16 of us from all over the world – in a journey that made us lose track of time. I tried to draw the guy on the Portuguese guitar, but I swear he looks better.

Oh and you’ll be forced to try the magnificent ‘pasteis de bacalhau’ (codfish pastel), the specialty of the place. It's heaven.

If you already have plans for the afternoon, fear not. At night, you can visit Tasca Bela, in Alfama. Although the mood is different, it’s also quite an experience. Even if you can’t understand the lyrics, they’ll make your heart beat faster. If you happen to be in Lisbon, or staying with us at the Poets Hostel, give it a try. I can assure it will be worth it.

*fado - Portuguese folk song, recently proclaimed Intangible world heritage by UNESCO;

Nuno Dias