on the road: winchester

5 june 2011

- we love winchester, don't we?

that was my answer to mike's invite for a walk in winchester. it was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon and the day had been gray and cold and rainy, perfect to stay indoors. but mike insisted we needed some fresh air and a walk. there we went. we walked through the city, then down by the river, and into the water meadows. oh, my! it was healing. once in a while a few drops of a shy rain but it didn't bother us at all.

after the walk we had dinner at 'fishers pond', a posh pub in colden common, hampshire. it is on way from winchester to southampton. there were many people (families) there eating dinner. by they way, i've heard many times the english use the word 'tea' to say 'dinner', and i find it a cute trace of their english identity. the food at the fishers pond is good, but not different from anything i can have right here at my lovely cowherds (also a posh pub), but the view from the lake is worth the trip. i wanted to eat something succulent; so i ordered chicken and ham pie, and mike had meat. we once again had a wonderful time in winchester.

below you see photos from our walk and the last one is the view from the pub. got this information about the lake:
"Fisher's Pond itself is an artificial lake held back by an earth dam at one end and adjacent to Marwell Zoo. The pond was constructed to allow the then Bishop of Winchester to have fish supplied to his table, especially in winter. The pub is a former cafe." from mike catell's flickr.


just as we left the river and going towards the water meadows

the water meadows

the water meadows

 

view from inside the fishers pond pub



manha tao bonita manha

19 may 2011

i went to bed last night thinking of going for a walk at the park this morning. i woke up this morning feeling my life would get stuck if i didn't go for the walk. i checked out the weather: 5 degrees and a beautiful sunshine. for a moment i felt tempted to stay indoors but it was clear to me i needed and did want the walk.

am thankful to the birds singing to me everytime i walk at the park and i feel so much better, i breath fresh air, my digestion improves right away; the list of benefits is endless. i get answers to some puzzles that have been keeping me company, i clear my head.

tao bom caminhar na manha tao bonita manha.

in an easter state of mind (?)

24 apr 2011

Easter Mass at St Edmund's Church, 24 apr 2011

 i went to the Easter Mass today at 11am at St Edmund's Church, my local Catholic church, which is a 7-minute walk from where i live. i have been alone for about four days now. this has made me enter into an introspective mode, sometimes it is as if i am not here. at church today it was clear to me that my mind was elsewhere. it was quite intriguing and fascinating to observe myself becoming distracted from the Father's sermon and everything else that was going on around me. i felt as if i were in a bubble, isolated from the other people from church,  and my thoughts had only room for my brother Venicio, who is in brazil.

every time i visit a historical place, an old building, an old church (any new church around?), or i see any important piece of art i think of venicio and my thinking is that he should be there in my place. i must say i appreciate art and history just as much, i really do, but am not as knowledgeable as he is regarding these things. this was the first excuse that came to my mind about my absence of mind at church, but in reality it goes beyond this obvious association. it is sunday Easter today and i feel sad for being alone and so far away from my family. venicio came to my mind only as a token for my connection with my family. he was sort of floating around in my thoughts for quite a while. parallel thoughts were of the many great easter days we've had as a family in brazil, there included spending the whole day together, eating the best food (always some cod made to an original portuguese recipe that my sister kassandra masters so well) plus the chocolate eggs and the warmth that cannot be translated into words. i am crying now. thank God i did not cry at church.

the venicio thinking was gone for a moment and i then thought i was doing good, for i had been there for a long while and still very patient and relaxed. what a strange state of mind. what happened to me? when we were to light our candles i lit mine and offered to light three other people's candles. for this i received some grateful and sweet smiles, from the three men i helped out plus two ladies. these were smiles that warmed up my heart.

i was not exactly back and forth in my 'elsewhere' mood, but i was never totally present to the church service today. towards the end of the mass the Father said everyone would go home with an Ester egg, which was to be distributed on our way out. my heart jumped and i thought to myself: 'life is fair afterall'. i felt like going home at that very moment. nobody gave me an easter egg this year, which is not bad at all, truth be told. i was at once filled with hope, anyway. my hopes did not last long. on my way out i shoke hands with the Father, who said 'Happy Easter'. he had a basket with some small easter eggs in it. i asked for mine and he said i would have to be wearing shorts to have one. he should have made it clear the eggs were meant for the kids only. i felt like saying, 'nice to meet you, my name is frustration.' it was kinda obvious that the church could not give eggs to everyone, as we were such a crowd. whatever! i decided i deserved easter eggs and bought myself one from nestle and one from guylian, the belgian chocolate.

i came home and cooked and ate, but i don't want to write about it now. the day is finished and it was nice that in the afternoon i went for a walk at the common and it helped me relax. my walks at the common are magic. after the walk i was sitting on a bench for a while. there was a funfare at the park today, together with the predictable crowd it always attracts, especially in a gorgeous spring day like today. i am now in a scarlet o'hara mood: 'tomorrow is another day'. but i am fine, much better than it may look like from the post. i called brazil and spoke with my mom, my sister kassandra and my nephew joaquim. i tried to reach venicio but his landline phone might be out of order or something. well, couldn't find my brother who occupied my thinking today at church. i feel ready for the coming week.

how was your Easter? how have you been these past days? please, tell me tell me :-)

in a summer state of mind

6 apr 2011


park across from civic centre public library - see the ice cream guy!

 i have to say it has been an amazingly beautiful day with temperature between 15 and 18 degrees celsius. it is spring, but quite summerlike today. i am getting ready to go to switzerland for four days this coming friday 8 april and walked uptown this afternoon to sort out some things related to the trip such as getting some swiss money, buying my coach tickets to and from heathrow, and buying the presents to my hosts there.

i left home at about 1:30pm and went straight to have lunch at supreme, the chinese restaurante and had the same old dish: wonton noodle soup. it seems like my eyes only see it iin the menu. i also had a portion of dumplings. they were all really good, but i am thinking of sort of learning to cook the soup because i think i could spend less money then. when i got to supreme it was 2pm. after that i went to the tourism office to get some souvenirs to my friend. then, national express for my coach tickets. after that, i walked up to london road. on my way to london road i passed (walked) by the park across from the civic centre public library (photo above) and saw that some people are today in summerlike mood. so nice! the ice cream guy wastes no time. things are rescheduled here if the day surprises us with a beautiful sunshine, which should always be appreciated. i love it, too.



at highfield campus, between the staff club and hartley library

 happy happy me stopped by the post office at london road to get some swiss francs. i had a plan to go to uni to buy some uni coffee mugs for my friend but was not so sure i was doing it today. however :-) , as i left the post office there comes the U1A bus. i had no doubt and went to highfield. bought what i wanted from the shop, including some bottle water to refresh from the heat, and found these people, probably students and staff, by the grass. it is so relaxing, because it is a beautiful day, the sun is out there, but it is not super hot. i saw many other people sitting and eating outside and under the sun in some restaurants and cafes while walking in town. so summerlike! time has come for pimms, the english summer drink. i'll have one tonight. cheers!

at the gym: one two three . . .

27 oct 2010

i started today going to the uni gym at the jubilee sports centre, in highfield. i did 4km in 50.36min on the treadmill and am now dead tired. i walk quite often at the common and i do walk to and from uni everyday, but being on the treadmill is a completely different challenge. i guess i burned a bit less than 300 calories, but it really doesn't matter much now. what matters to me today is that i did go to the gym and made a move towards a start.

last year i paid the membership for the whole year but went one day, looked around, felt absolutely lost, did not really know where to put a finger, where to look for help although there was a person at the counter, did not know where to leave my belongings, well, did not know. . . so i left as i entered the room, with my backpack on my back and nothing done.

this time i booked an induction to the facilities and i was the only one out of eight who had also booked to show up to it. the guy, an Iranian man called Ali, showed me the equipments around, showing me how to use them all. it was a basic, not full of mindblowing surprises to me, but still quite relevant instructions. we had a chat about speed limits, heart beating, calories, and all that came up to my mind at the time of the induction. he showed me the lockers where i can leave my things while exercising and how to use them. he also promised to design a programme for me. Ali gave a good view of the many, really, many, possibilities one can have in just a gym room. it was not a good idea that i came last year at rush hour, alone, and lost. maybe i did it to screw up the plan.

i saw Ali on my way out. i'll try and come when he is in next time. he said he'll design a suitable programme for me to follow. he was pleased to find out i am from Brazil. here is a tropical heart hoping for stronger beating. the exercise today has left me drained. wish i could sleep for an hour now. i think i'll go home :-) but i already did my share at the treadmill. rule number one: exercise. rule number two: rest. this is the precious lesson i learned from my personal trainer in Brazil.

autumn at the common

23 oct 2010

once again the common is getting more colourful and amasingly beautiful with the arrival of autumn. this morning i went for a great walk and was lucky to get some rain. oh My do i love it. breathtaking! this is such a privilege to have this opportunity to live so close to this park, which is my heart with its singing birds. love it. i can't tell how many photos i have of the park. this is one of the many i took this morning.

good morning, gorgeous september sun

2 sept 2010

just came back from an invigorating walk at the common. the sun is shinning outside and it is not cold (13 degrees just now). i walked for 70 minutes. i don't always go fast, i speed up and slow down many times. i see people come and go. i have been descovering new avenues, sometimes literally 'avenues' at the common from my walks, sometimes metaphors for 'avenues' other than the concrete ones but not less important to me.

i walk, i breath, i feel awake, i listen to the birds, i think, i smile, i feel i am having the beginning of a good digestive process because of the moves, and it feels good. today i found a new path. i try to vary the paths i follow but essentially my walks start with no fixed plans, and i like it. sometimes i walk for a while in one direction to then realize i haven't walked for a long time. in this case i go towards other directions, but i don't care really where and for how long, i just understand that sometimes when i 'apparently' feel tired is the moment i am getting mostly warmed up for the activity, and this has kept me going. i love it. i feel very happy.

i will now get ready to go to uni and sort some things out. later on have lunch with my dearly friend Diana, who arrived yesterday from Romania. yey!!!

update at 2.47pm: got back from lunch with Diana at the crown inn at about 2pm. once again, great chat. i am glad my friend is back, but not for long. she's going to new york this coming tuesday and will not be back until the 24th. it is going to be a field work trip for her research. i think she'll also attend a conference.

the gentle rain

20 aug 2010

sent out this sms this morning when i was back:

morning
just had a nice walk
on the common
with drops of light rain
on my face and arms.
it felt great.
have a safe journey.

warming up for the day

6 july 2010

what can be better than starting out the day with an invigorating walk by the river? just a little before 9 o'clock in the morning, with my mom, under the vast shade that also offers a breezy wind. free to go when i got up, had breakfast, and decided to do it. it feels free to be free and to enjoy life. priceless.

hectic sunday: family lunch & walk & pizza

4 july 2010
family lunch:

at Kassandra’s, with everyone again: Manuela, Andre, Vanessa, Caio, Danilo, Laiane, Jota, Mother, me. . .

i took ten photos with Caio by his request; we watch an 'agua-com-acucar' film on tv as if it were really interesting. we need to do things together to keep together, and agreeing on points we would normally disagree is part of the deal. loved those magic moments. more endless chatting with more than one speaking at the same times, obviously. good to see Vanessa has time for her family. she is so young and started not long ago working as an oncologist. cherished moments in my memory. i also think this get togethers are good for little, imaginative caio. he was fascinated with kass' big collection of magnets he got about ten i his little hands and asked her: 'aunt kassandra, if someone comes here and asks you to take your magnets for a day would you allow them to do that?' soooo precious! he helped kass on this and she said no, because she loves her collection of magnets from places she's visited.

oh, how could i forget to mention the food? it was fantastic. we had green salad, rice with beans, and bbq. everything, everything, was freshly made and tasted delicious. ice creams and fruits for dessert. oh Lord, save me from temptations for they may lead me to undesirable roads. i fear this time in teresina is leaving significant / visible marks on my person.

walk by the river:

about 5pm i was off for a walk by the river with my mom. walking after stuffing oneself is especially useful and helps release the guilt, plus the ay was beautiful. i am not going to list the endless advantages of walking, by the first ones that come to my mind are: helps me sleep better, breath better, feel my body, some aches go away, and it makes me smile, especially if i get to see people i know along the walk. the specil one i know and whom we met this day was kassandra - LOL! yes, she went from her place and we all met by the river.

pizza:

in the evening i went to La Pizza with mom, jota and kassandra. you can have a dreadful idea of the amount of calories i have already consumed in less than 48 hours after i arrived in Teresina. this is all so challenging, and i am a week soul, this is the plain truth.

spring in the common

30 apr 2010

i can't help but find the spring here so so beautiful. atchiiiiiim! these photos are from today in my walk through the common park, going to uni. this is the landscape i see everyday. i haven't taken the us at all lately, just enjoyed the beauty of the day, of the trees, the singing of the birds. the spring changes our life in so many ways. there are always people in the park, walking up and down, walking their dog, on a stroll with their kids, alone, exercing at the park's bench, as in the photo here. i love it. i have taken a few photos :-)

the cowherds, one of my favorite pubs, is right there in the park. they put this note warning customers who have an intention of taking a glass with them to the park. the basic policy from everywhere is that safety comes first. always. then fun is naturally granted.

Clive the clever

28 Oct 2009

Clive the clever & the gold run at the Common

I have a hectic day ahead and decided to gor a little walk in the Common, again following my sister's advice. i hade a sore body, and feel very much out shape, i mean, i AM in a unique / bizarre shape at the moment and i wonder if this is physically only.

well, in the very entrance to the park i saw this man running. i try sometimes to run a little, even if for 5 seconds only, as part of my plan to carry out 'unimagined tasks' :-) . as i attempted to run this smiley man crossed the walking track to speak with me. he said something like:

'never run on this, always run on the grass. i am 80 years old and i've been running for 40 years. if you run on the hard surface your knees are gone after 20 years. always always try the softer ground to run. try and buy the best shoes possible and run or even walk in there (pointing to the grass). it is wet, your feet are going to get wet, but it is much better than spoiling your knees.'

Chilly morning at the Common

Sunday 18 October 2009

i went this morning for a very nice walk at the Common, this awesome park in the city. you can in a way get to it from so many different areas. I am in the Hants now, and when i walk for some 20 something minutes i get to Shirley. sooo cool.

when i left the flat it was making 3degrees, very cold indeed. but as you walk for a little while the body warms up and the first impression turns into something more relaxing. i went to bed almost 3 o'clock in the morning, as i was reading a nice article by Dick Allwright about one of his many studies in Brazil. i wasn't really very tired bu decided it was time to go to bed anyway because i had this walk for the early morning today and i know if i come to uni it is very likely that when i leave it here it is already too dark for a walk in the park. plus today i am planning to go to church, to our 6.30 mass in highfield campus.

when i was back from the walk i cooked myself some pasta (fusili) and added stir fried mushrooms and pesto sauce to it. i will have it with vegetables. by the way, the most practicl way of eating veggies aroung - ha!! i bought this bag with four individual packs of a mixture of veggies. i keep the bag in the freezer and whenever i want to eat it i just warm it up in the microwave oven. what else can a lazy soul ask for? but it is good, trust me :-)

the walking this morning was a suggestion Kassandra gave to me the other day. she said i should take a nice walk in the park over the weekend, especially because we are happy for 'things' that are going so right for me these days. YEY!!! therefore, i devote this happy walk to my sister, my lovely sister.

sooo much love, but now i'd better go back to work because i go by deadlines all the time - hellooo!!!