Paula Rego does not consider herself an artist since she "has never worked with oils." She says that to be an artist you must paint with oils. She is more comfortable with the term "drawer." Whether she considers herself an artist or not seems to be a rather moot point as her work seems to tell a different story all together. Rego was born and for the most part raised in Portugal and embarked on her artistic career at the early age of 4 years old. When I first came across her work I was instantly drawn to the terrible beauty of the surreal imagery that seemed to draw you in as much as it pushes you away. "Olga" for example depicts a male German immigrant dressed as a maid with a child seductively or not tucked into his/her lap while a train has just passed by on its way to Auschwitz. Her work is often mysterious and fantastical. She draws largely on Portuguese folk tales, childrens stories such as Mother Goose, Red Ridng Hood, and Peter Pan. She also is inspired by such works as Kafka's "Metamorphosis, Martin McDonagh's "Pillow Man" and the "Sin of Father Amaro" by the 19th century Portuguese writer Eça de Queiroz. Her work is also largely autobiographical. Her prints and work are often filled with scenes from her "bourgeois" upbringing complete with maids, well dressed mothers and grandmothers, and the reoccuring figures of neat little girls conscious of their social class. These images from her childhood are often juxtaposed against undercurrents of sexual transgression, cruelty and unease.
Rego was born in 1935, the only child of a prosperous middle class family. Her parents left for England when she was young and she spent a brief spell under the care of her grandmother and her maid who both regaled her with countless fables and stories. Rego grew up during the dictatorship of Salazar where Portugal was a place of political repression and cultural suppression. A Portugal in which according to Rego, "Men were running the show. Upper class women went to church and played Canasta while working class women worked like donkeys." In works such as "Celestina's House," her childhood seems not so much a distant memory as a vivid portrait constantly haunting her subconscious for good or ill.
One of the best places to see Rego work and prints is in Cascais at the "Casa das Historias."
The Casa das Historias is a recently commisioned building by the architect Eduardo Sota de Moura. Moura is one of Portugals most important and current architects. He worked alongside Álvaro Siza Viera, at the latters architecture firm in Porto. The building was commisioned by the Mayor of Cascais. The Casa das Historias is a perfect class in Mouras work with its bold shapes, accentuated by intricately patterned terracotta exterior. Moura built the museum with the intention of balancing the space between the ground and the surrounding tree tops. It's Yin/Yang, natural vs manmade style is a mix of elements from traditional Portuguese homes and modern structures.
Casa Das Historias Google Map

Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, Cascais, Portugal from Pedro Kok on Vimeo.

Casa das Historias by Eduard Sota de Moura in Cascais




Celestina's House by Paula Rego



Dog Woman by Paula Rego



"Olga" by Paula Rego







Paula Rego in her studio

The rain is finally letting up and the weather has been good enough to contemplate some outdoor time. Lately in Lisbon, I have been noticing small pockets of bicycling enthusiasts popping up all over town. There are even some vintage bike stores opening up and a messenger servive called "Camisola Amarela," who are largely responsible for this small but burgenoning pedal "crush." It would be safe to say that Lisbon is not a very bike-friendly city, with its slippery metal tram tracks, thigh punishing hills and irascible Portuguese drivers, you could even say the city goes out of its way to extend the middle finger to anyone brave enough to try to lay rubber to its road. So I want to salute those daring souls who I see out in the streets risking their lives in order to bring a little bit of Amsterdam , Barcelona, or even New York here. While I myself am still not ready to push out into the streets of Lisbon, I will do my part by attempting a route that is completely flat, next to the ocean and ends with caipirinhas at the beach. The best part is that I don't even need to own a bike to do it. Catching the train at Cais do Sodre to Cascais( a small beach town about 15 kilometers from Lisbon) I can pick up a bike the city lends out for free, provided I leave some form of valid identification. There are a couple of "kiosks" emblazoned with the words Bicais in the city where you can pick one up but the easiest is right in front of the train station in Cascais. Once I have my "hog" I head for the ocean and follow the coast line out of town. There are proper bike paths and the scenery is incredible and after about 8 kilometers I will arrive at one of my favourite beaches in the Lisbon area, Praia do Guincho(if it is a particulary windy day be warned that it will be 10 times windier once in Guincho). Today I ride! Leaving my computer and house slippers behind, today I ride with Joaquim Agostino(Portuguese cyclist) on my mind and try and make him proud with each downward push of my pedals...

You can see my whole route and map, brilliantly detailed by Bikely.com here.

Scenery along the way from Cascais to Guinco


The Atlantic vs Rock Formations





Photo of Joaquim Agostinho. He was champion of Portugal in six successive years. He rode the Tour de France 13 times and finished all but once, winning on Alpe d'Huez in 1979, and finishing 3rd twice. He died after colliding with a dog whilst leading the Tour of the Algarve.

We are well into 2011 and while maybe this was the year that I should have impelled myself to start eating healthier, get more exercise and generally do a better job of looking after my body. There is one nefarious piece of slow roasted pork between two pieces of bread that sits on my shoulder whispering sweet greasy nothings into my ear which has made this resolution impossible. He goes by the name of "Bifana." A bifana is a sandwhich of sorts, comprised of strips of pork cooked in a red wine sauce and accompanied by mustard and spicy "piri-piri." In Portugal you can say that there are five basic meals a day. You have breakfast, lunch, dinner and packed in neatly on both sides of lunch you have snacking or "merendas." The way to snack properly in Portugal is not unlike the way in which a ninja carries out an assasination. It´s quick, relatively messy and without guilt. There are numerous ways both savoury and sweet in which snacking can done, but today we will focus on the most cholesterol raising method. In Lisbon there are no shortage of great places to eat a great bifana, and part of the fun of eating them is constantly trying new places in search of that perfect one. If you were to stop ten people on the street and ask where to get a good bifana you would probably get 10 different answers. While I have many favourite places all over the city to get my fix, there is one place in particular that I would like to share. Beira-Gare, across from the Rossio Train station , is a good place for anyones first bifana experience. The bifanas are good and it's large window stuffed full of other Portuguese snacks will satisfiy even the most pereverted of food vouyers. Don´t forget to ask for mustard and Piri-piri sauce. Beira Mare location

As I sit here staring at my computer screen trying to think of something to post, I find myself doing what I normally do when I find myself with a lack of inspiration. Instead of buckling down and focusing intensely on the task at hand, I start fiddling with my records and surfing the internet. The first record within reach was a strange single called "Just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in," by Kenny Rodgers which was used in the Cohen Brothers, "Big Lebowski." I have always found this song strange because it sounds like nothing else "Kenny" has ever made. As I was listening I got even more distracted and found myself on Wikipedia reading about the song. Besides learning that the song was supposed to reflect the effects of an LSD trip and be a warning against the use of hallucinogenic drug use, I learned something much more important. Kenny Rodgers is...Portuguese, well ok, he wasn´t born in Portugal and probably can´t cook "bacalhau à bras" but he is of Portuguese decent and he does own a chain of grilled chicken restaurants. Inspiration at last! So, in honor of "The Gambler, " I decided to compile an audio-visual tour through the history of Portuguese music. Portugal has become internationally know for its melancholic sounds of Fado. Fado is Portugal´s equivalent to the Blues in the U. S. or Flamenco from Spain. A music born out of poverty and heartbreak, hardship and longing. It´s Portugal's contribution to the global music scene. But because of the cultural importance Fado has taken on in this country, a lot of other really amazing and just as culturally important music often gets slighted. So below is a small sampling of some of my favourite Fado, Rock, Experimental, Electronic, Folk and Hip-Hop, amoung other things, from Portugal.

Amalia Rodrigues is the most iconic of Portuguese Fado Singers.



Carlos do Carmo the Frank Sintra of Fado.



Carlos Paredes, the man with a thousand fingers, get my vote of for one of the most
talented musicians to come of of this country.



Roberto Leal is a Portuguese-Brasilian Singer. In an opinion poll conducted by
Datafolha in Rio de Janeiro, asking what was the first famous Portuguese person
people could think of, Roberto Leal came in first, with 15%, ahead of
Pedro Alvarez Cabral (9%) and Luís de Camões (4%).



Somewhere between Pink Floyd and the Moddy Blues ,
10,000 Anos Depois Entre Venus E Marte by Jose Cid is one of the
best progressive rock albums of all time.

António Variações, his recorded works blended contemporary music genres with

traditional Portuguese rhythms and melodies, creating music which for many is

symbolic of the liberalization that occurred in Portuguese society after

the Carnation Revolution

Blasted Mechanism is a Portuguese electro-rock band known for its highly
theatrical live shows involving elaborated alien-themed costumes as a backdrop
to their music.



Sara Tavares composes in Portuguese and Portuguese-based creole languages, born
in Portugal with Cabo Verdean Roots.



Sam the Kid, Portuguese Hip Hop Artist and Producer.



Sam the Kid using samples from Carlos Paredes



Clã (English: Clan) is a Portuguese Pop-Rock band of a mixed nature in terms of
style, ranging from moments of pure balladry, through jazzy details, to enthusiastic
pop songs.



Madredeus. Their music combines traditional Portuguese music (many times
erroneously associated with the subgenre of Fado with influences of modern folk music.
The lyrics are often melancholic and related to the sea or travelling or absence,
continuing a tradition of songs that dates back to Medieval times.



Buraka Som Sistema is an electronic dance project from Portugal,
specializing in a fusion of techno beats with the African kuduru
genre, and are generally credited with creating the "progressive kuduro."



Micro Audio Waves, minimal and electronic artists.



Orelha Negra is a Portuguese Instrumental Hip-Hop band, that is one of my favourite Portuguese groups at the moment.

Lisbon...A City Of Disquiet

Fernando Pessoa in the Streets of Lisbon

Streets that never change?

Living History

Some writers, Like Kaka with Prague, become inseparable from their cities. Their words are pulled from the smells, sounds, and forgotten backstreets of their surroundings. 50 cents, a cup of coffee and a supercharged imagination can transform even the most mundane city happenings and its inhabitants into fantastical works of literature. Literature where reality and fiction combine on paper to form an identity or soul of "place." In Lisbon, there is one writer that immediately comes to mind...Fernando Pessoa. Living in more than 15 places all over Lisbon, due to financial constraints or just the instability that comes with a young Republic, Pessoa barely left his beloved city, capturing a photograph in his tome of poetry "Lisbon Revisted." He spent his days wandering from cafe to cafe gathering material from all that passed before him. I found myself thinking of Pessoa today as I was on my way to work and caught a glimpse of an old barber shop, a throw back to another era where getting a hair cut was more a consultation about life and less a consultation about which conditioner to use. A place where razors are sharp and the smell of "aftershave" hangs in in the air like thick water soaked balls of cotton. Lisbon is chalk full of places like this, from shoe repair shops that have shoelace stocks that could be archived for historical record to specialty button stores. Lisbon is unique in that it´s past can be seen on display in a sort of living museum. While at the same time Lisbon is teeming with modern design culture and is constantly on the border of becoming too "hip" without knowing it. From sleek new cocktail bars to concept sneaker stores, there is no lack of creative energy here. It´s the fact that these two distinct eras can co-exist which makes this city the place I love. As I watch the constant stream of new construction of designer hotels and luxury apartments I find myself wondering how long this will last. As a city moves forward a part of the past has to make way for the future. But, somewhere along that line of development there is a perfect moment when the two worlds, past and future, stand side by side and in unison tell their story.

It´s all in the details

The city of Lisbon is prompt up by history, beauty, irony and details. The smell of chestnuts roasting in winter, the anonymous wardrobes draped over balconies and in front of windows, the mystery of a missing tile, or a decrepit wall brought to live by an inspired work of art. It takes thousands of small details to add up to one favorable impression. In this sense Lisbon is impressive and never ceases to amaze me. I have been living here all my life and still feel as if I am visiting this city for the first time. -Lisbon Lover

Azenhas Do Mar , Portugal





Afternoon Break in Azenhas Do Mar

In Lisbon there is always hope. After so much rain and biting cold, this week has come as a revelation. The Sun decided to stop procrastinating and offer us a few glorious days of fantastic weather. It´s easy to tune out somtimes and forget your surroundings. Like a conversation overheard on a bus, you never really start paying attention until someone pulls a gun. On my way home from work, I was confronted by the loaded barrel of an aqua-marine reflection out in the distance. It was the ocean. It caught me by suprise, almost if I had forgoten its existence, as if Portugal was some landlocked country not bordered by almost 1800 kilometers of coast line. Last weeks rain and clouds had temporarily erased it from my memory with giant swathces of grey. I knew at once what I had to do. I drove... I drove until I could match what I saw off in the distance with what I could smell up close. I headed north out of Lisbon, past Sintra until road ran out giving way to sand and water. Azenhas do Mar is a small white-washed village hugged by cliffs that drop dramatically to the Atlantic. In the past it was a small fisihng village and since has become a favorite destination for adventurous tourists and locals alike. In the 50´s a man made sea water swimming pool and restuarant that sits dangerously on the oceans edge were constructed making it an even more popular destination. Maybe I should use a word other than popular, because while there is a constant trickle of visitors it still remains a relative secret , just off the "beaten path," to most. When I arrived I was instantly greeted by the sound of crashing waves and could not resit the call to strecth my legs. So glad I did. Sometimes you just need to see what's in front of you to remember how beautiful life is.

Azenhas do Mar Google Maps

"A Carioca" near Praça Luis de Camoes


Coffee selection at " A Carioca" in Lisbon



There an old saying, "never drink coffee at lunch. It will keep you awake all afternoon," and on my walk home today I was reminded of this quote and of what I miss most whenever I leave this Luso-Iberian capital. Coffee! I know there are lots of places around the world with good coffee, like Italy where "baristas" traffic in a weird currency somewhere between artistry and methamphetamine dealer and there are lots of places with bad coffee, like England , where I think it is less a caffeinated product than just toasted milk. But, something about having an unpretentious, brain awakening , not too hot nor too cold cup of coffee here in Lisbon always comforts me. In Portugal coffee is a part of everything. So much so, I often wonder what deadly chaos the country would careen towards if the magic bean were to suddenly disappear. If you are Portuguese then your average caffeine intake is about 3 cups a day. Waking up, mid morning break, after a meal, after work and socializing with friends all present themselves as a perfect occasion for imbibing. Good coffee is everywhere in Portugal, it makes it way here via Sao Tome, Timor and Brazil amoung others which at one point in time were Portuguese colonies and still enjoy thriving trade today. Every cafe, snack bar, restaurant and even cinemas have an espresso machine, so a fix is never more than 10 meters out of ordering reach. Like any good drug, to order it correctly you need the proper vocabulary. Below is a list of ways to order and if used correctly will instantly give you street cred or at least an elevated heartbeat.

• Bica: Espresso shot
  
• Café Pingado: A dripped coffee, served in a glass with a hint of milk.
  
• Meia de Leite: Half milk and half coffee
  
• Galao:A Café Longo with the ratio of 1:3 milk in it. It can be foamed and/or steamed.
  
• Garoto: Garoto also means "kid" and this drink is mostly milk and a favorite for children(I know that sounds crazy) It is made like a Galao but the coffee has been run through twice on the espresso machine and is weaker.

Our Lisbon Guide

Today it´s freezing outside, so I thought I´d think of all the places i really love in Lisbon and share them with the ones that are coming to Lisbon, the ones that are here, and the ones that have been here.

Obviously i didnt put everything in the guide, that information you have to find me and talk to me personally, or just ask Julian Assange, maybe he knows more about Lisbon than i ;)

Our Digital Lisbon City Guide

All this t-shirts were 100% handprinted and done with love

Get one (or two ;) and help me going through the rainy days

Obrigado

Girls

For the girls i choosed the blue by a reason. First, you all know that i love to surf, and to surf you need the beautiful ocean, and in the ocean you have the waves. Well the waves can be strong, unpredictable and they can hurt you, but they can also be magical, perfect and always beautiful, and for me that's just like girls/women are. This is why i choosed the blue for the girls.

Everytime i will be out there in the blue ocean, we will be closer ;)

Choosing the colors

The always complicated choice of the colors for the t-shirts was easy for me.

I choosed the red because of the energy that we have and that every one needs, to achieve whatever they want, the only thing is if you are in Spain with this t-shirt just run from the bulls ;)

And the dark and light grey are two colors that you can use with everything, a little bit like we should be with people, no matter people are different from you, you should get a long with them and smile to the differences

Get one t-shirt for you or someone you love and help us get through the rainny days

Folded and ready for you

Folded and ready for you, all these t-shirts were made with lots of love, fun and Saudade.

You can get them in here, or send us an e-mail, call us or do whatever you feel to do to have a t-shirt or to give to someone you love. ;)

The first tee

The first official Saudade t-shirt to be printed, i dont have words that express the feeling i had in that moment.