Porto eye candy

From my recent trip this October... How I love this light and this ocean!

a little bit of Porto II - window life

a little bit of Porto I

Porto in August. Love. Porto anytime of the year. Love.
One of the main things I love about photography is getting to live the moment twice, three times, forever!

Porto ♥ :: windows by the river

Porto by the sea

Home is blue skies in January.

Home is the Atlantic kissing our land.

Home is the sea reflecting the light as a magic promise of all its treasures.

::inspiring Mondays::

Sunshine. 22ºC. More sunshine. Little brother. Parents. Cats. Cuddles. Family. Sunshine. Excellent food. More sunshine. The sea. Sunshine, of course. Can you guess where I’ve been? Home, where all batteries get recharged! Porto, Portugal!

I went home for Little Brother’s birthday. Finally, I could sing happy birthday and give him a cuddle and eat a bit (or a lot!) of the birthday cake. I love Skype, I do, and I use it every day, but nothing beats the real thing. I laughed and chatted and laughed some more. We discussed ideas and strategies and materials and the way forward. I went out photographing windows and cutesy houses with Dad. I went out photographing the sea and then the river with Little Brother. I had girly chats and pasteis de nata with Mum. I saw my little cousin’s belly button and heard about second grade and bike rides. I went out and had nice conversations well into the early hours without falling asleep. I ate amazing food and had excellent wine. And I soaked up the sun until I had a permanent smile on my face which should last for days.

:: Little Brother ♥

:: the parents.

:: birthday cake! Yummy!

:: sunshine.

:: my aunt bringing me brigadeiros to the airport because I asked her to!

:: cat love!

:: the sea. the smell of the sea.

:: Portuguese food.

:: my flight companions giving me their apple juice

:: one more hour in Portugal, courtesy of the hour change this weekend. ta mucho!

It is cold and rainy in Oxford, but I’m ignoring all of it and focusing on the little memory of sunshine I brought bottled up for special occasions. Like today, where I miss home that little bit more because I have just been… funny how that works, huh?

How's this Monday working for you? Hope you are having a lovely start to the week, wet or dry, sunny or otherwise!

going home

Little Brother sent me a beautiful photo from Porto by the river... all the email said was "quem vem e atravessa o rio...". I dare say that every Porto person feels a little tingle when they hear that... especially when one's Little Brother is calling us home. Almost there!

::inspiring Mondays::

Photo: Fireworks in Porto on S. João by One of My Friends Because They're Good At This!

Sunshine. Thank you Monday, it's been fabulous! Please visit often, you're welcome here. 

This weekend was S. João (Saint John) in Porto. Last year, I thought I would photograph it this year, but life had other plans and I stayed in the UK instead. Whilst I had a relaxing weekend, oh what joy would it have been to join in on the fun at home, take to the streets, share the joy and forget life for a night, over grilled sardines and a lot of walking! I couldn't be there, but my reporters provided me with photos; I am well connected!

So as I was saying... I had a relaxing weekend, made far more relaxing by the fact that my laptop charger died a death and I could not be online at all. So I knitted instead; the green cardi that I can't wait to finish. And watched tv, fast and slow. And cuddled with Mister JJ, as I'm cat-sitting at the moment. 

:: sunshine ♥

:: running. solo. it felt good.

:: chatting to my parents. I love it how I love it.

:: an email this morning telling me how that person was looking forward to... inspiring Mondays!

:: watching the wind outside. so soothing. 

:: new projects. with food. 

:: my friends. again and again, my friends.

:: cycling to work this morning ♥

:: a new phone. 

:: friends who let me use their photos when I couldn't be there to take my own!

:: chatting to LMrJ just before sleeping... ♥

How was your Monday? Inspiring, I hope. And promising. And if not, may you find some smiles here. Help yourself, take one, it's free ;)

Photo: Releasing an illuminated flame-propelled balloon on S. João by One of My Friends Because They're Good At This!

Thursday blues

Foz, Porto, Portugal

I sit with a cup of chamomile tea and my laptop and I feel I have nothing to say. LMJ is not here today, it's just me and we all know she's the funny one. This will be a nostalgic post. If you want haha and other silly things leave now and return tomorrow. You have been warned. Stay at your own risk.

***

I'm prone to nostalgia and soft thoughts of vague longing and gentle gestures. I miss the sea. I miss the sea everyday and I miss the sea a bit more when my head is so full it feels empty. I miss the sea a bit more today. My hands pause on the keyboard, the nostalgic music on makes me smile. I'm predictable. I'm also quiet. I miss the smell of the sea. I miss its sound. The sea soothes me. I used to sit on the beach for hours just emptying my head of thoughts I had and thoughts I should have never had. Just sit there. For no reason. For all the reasons in the world. And today I wished to have gone to the sea and just sit there until I felt nothing. And then I could start all over again tomorrow. Sitting here, so far away from the sea, I close my eyes and I'm still not there, and my throat has a little knot, but I close them anyway and I can almost feel it and it's cold and fresh and I can indeed start it all over again tomorrow. 

::inspiring Mondays::

Little Miss Joey is back. And LMJ would like to apologise for the sudden leave of absence. Of course there is a perfectly good reason as to why I have been missing from this cosy space, but not a good enough reason as to why I did not let anyone know. So... LMJ has been away. I have been to the wonderful Low Countries (only to realise I could live there!) and then home to Portugal for a little bit of warmth. Yes, there were times I had internet access. Yes, there were times when I could have blogged. Yes, I did think that would happen and hence failed to say bye bye for a week to everyone. No, it did not happen as LMJ had planned and instead she had a wonderful rest from the real world and this one. Forgiven? I hope so. Otherwise, I'll do the cute puppy eyes!

I cannot bring myself to plan my posts really far in advance. One of the things I enjoy most about blogging is indeed just to write whatever is on my mind that day and share the images that keep my eyes bright at that particular time. Whilst this is great, it doesn't really work when on holidays. And especially not when I thought I would come here with beautiful images of my roadtrip (yay! more on that as the year progresses, judging by the speed at which I post edit photos) but then didn't. Live and learn, Joey, live and learn.

:: yellow roses and sunflowers in a bouquet. for me. with a note. or two. ♥♥♥

:: Tommy. squeeze! ♥

:: chatting with Little Brother. all the time. about everything and nothing. and some.

:: family.

:: skype.

:: air travel. isn't it wonderful?

:: sunshine. and warmth.

:: sunshine. even without the warmth.

:: Portugal. 

:: Porto.

:: grilled sardines.

:: laughter! 

This has been a wonderful Monday. Wonderful! And it got even better when Bella, from the 52 Photos Project, did a little feature about LMJ here. Head over there and explore her websites, it's pure eye candy!

And how was your Monday? Do share, as I really *really* enjoy reading what you're up to :)

::home is:: sunshine

Portugal. That is home. Back at home. Home is the sunshine and the sea and the smell of the sea. Home is strolls by the beach throughout the year. Yes, home is also bakeries, well done for remembering without any prompting.

In 21 days, I will go home. Yay me! The occasion is a beach holiday with the little brother, Mum and Dad. I'm really looking forward to these 10 days relaxing with them. And you will be too, when you see all the amazing photos I'm planning on taking and read my even wittier comments on the different shades of sunlight tanning me throughout the week. Yes, I'd be looking forward to that if I were you, because we all know how inspiring the sun can be for one's creative spirit. On day one, I will be a pretty pathetic yellow-ish emigrant returning home, but by the 10th day I expect to be a golden brown healthier looking version of my current self. Fingers crossed for moi, if you're not too jealous.

I'm counting the days to going home. And I'm counting the hours until M gets here. With a little bit of E with him. Home is Portugal and home is all the places where I've left a bit of myself... home is the people I love.

inspiring Mondays

Some days are a bit more difficult than others to go by regardless of their ranking in the week. On that note,  this Monday flew by on the wings of endearing moments, good writing and good old rants with friends.

The fact of today is I may regret having said I'd always tell something about me on inspiring Mondays, but because I'm feeling generous today I'll throw in another one: I didn't wear perfume until I was 30 and randomly came across Chance by Chanel; I've since changed to Coco Mademoiselle also by Chanel. It's love.

:: Parents. Mum's descriptions of life at home. Dad's audible smile when I said I would like to go on holiday with them for Easter, could he sort something out?
:: Little brother. knowing we will always have each other.
:: still sunshine, bright and clear.
:: people smiling at me
:: getting the later train back in good company
:: dinner with friends. what a nice night it was.
:: M's cute panic at a spider. but she wasn't loud, oh no, that's for wimps.
:: lying in bed so very tired but still writing inspiring Mondays.

Photo: oh how I miss those long summers at home of reading and watching time go by at the beach

two to come

I have to say I'm really enjoying this little adventure with Little Miss Joey. I'm photographing more, and hopefully better, I'm discovering things about moi and my alter ego (what a grand thought!), I'm improving my writing skills in English (or so I like to believe), and let's not forget the successful world domination through wittiness, possibly the very single reason I write this blog.

As with most things one enjoys, one likes to get better at them. The Queen's English is next on my list, but back to topic now... To write a better blog, the world of google tells me I have to think of my audience. Now that seems like an easy enough thing to do; I have 5 readers and I know them all = success. And it gets even easier if you conduct a poll. So I have. I asked Dobbin what he wanted to read about. And he told me. Park this thought.

I'm a great fan of reading/writing columns. Why? Because they are usually about nothing (my speciality) and they tend to come out on a specific day (keeps the I-love-some-routine bit of me happy).

Join the previous paragraph with the parked thought and voilá! you have two new columns to look forward to.

Photo: Porto, beach, a path... Little Miss Joey is on a path to something...

::inspiring Mondays:: (on a Tuesday)

I went home for four days. Home is Porto, Portugal. Also home to Port wine, old houses by the river, Francesinhas and tripas (I leave you to figure out what those are, some work is necessary to better appreciate gifts). Amongst other things! And that is why I missed "inspiring Mondays" on the Monday. But Tuesday is my Monday this week, so for me this is just as good...

So, the fact. I actually wrote down in my MK I should always reveal a fact about moi on inspiring Mondays. And that is today's fact! Quite simple, but a fact nonetheless.

:: home. being home. feeling home.

:: sunshine. sunshine. sunshine.

:: little brother.

:: Mum and Dad.

:: squeezing Tommy (my cat).

:: getting to see Pulga before I left (our oldest cat... she spent a few days in hospital with no visits... she came home a few hours before I left... she's sweet and feisty still in equal measure and has the cutest cat expression ever!)

I'm back on the island now. That's the UK if you just appeared here from nowhere and are incredibly curious to know where I live. I've been back less than 24 hours and looking at the photo above I'm wondering what I'm doing here. Seriously. That's Porto in February... I'm still wondering... nope, no answer as of yet. I'll work on it. While I think of lemon drizzle cake, even if I cannot have it just now...!

Little note: inspiring Mondays' hearts started to annoy me; a bit too 8 year old girl for my liking, all those hearts in a column. I prefer them in moderation.

Another little note: this :: means I really like it. these likes are not in order of importance.