Monday Murals - Redistribute for a world of solidarity

 I love murals and street art. If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme is for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  Once you start looking you will find murals everywhere.  The "Monday Mural" meme goes live on Monday at 12,01AM, Perth,Western Australian time. Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters. Looking forward to your mural finds this week.   Thanks Sami 

On our way to the East Side Gallery - an open air gallery on the remained section of the Berlin Wall in the Kreuzberg quarter, this was the first mural I spotted as we came out of the Underground train station where we alighted - Schlesisches Tor, and just before crossing the Oberbaum bridge.

The colourful map of the world mural was painted in January 2021, and is called "Umverteilen für eine solidarische Welt" or "Redistribute for a world of solidarity", and can be found at Falckensteinstraße 46.

The artists were: Marycula, Junx and Anja Ha.

Australia

                 

                

European Holiday - Portugal 3 - Algarve

Also joining Tom with his signs from around the world. Please check this link.

We arrived in Vilamoura in the early afternoon. My parents stayed with my sister Isabel and brother-in- law in the apartment they own there, while Jose, I, Karina, Thomas and my sister Luisa stayed in an Airbnb apartment, in the street just behind my sister's apartment.

Top: Our apartment block, my sister's building, the tall one, can be seen behind.
Bottom: view to the front of our apartment

Our 2 bedroomed Airbnb apartment was comfortable, roomy and nicely furnished, with a pull-out couch in the lounge for my sister Luisa.

We enjoyed 8 days of family time going to the beach (only once) as we preferred the pool...having lunch and dinner together either at my sister's or in restaurants and meeting up with family and friends who live in the Algarve.

First day at the beach

A fun ride and slide at the beach for the 5 of us (younger ones)

The pool at my sister's apartment block

The pool at our apartment block - seagulls drinking at the pool

The happy family out to dinner

We had a fun evening at an English owned Karaoke bar - Parkys - where we went for a drink, to listen to music and dance. My two sisters and I tried our hand at singing (very badly) in public for the first time, but we had great fun.     

My mom, me, my sister Isabel and sister Luisa at the back, dancing at the Karaoke bar

Parkys- always ready to kick off your Saturday

A couple of nights we went to the Vilamoura Marina, to have an ice-cream and walk around. Too crowded as usually in the warm summer nights!

The whole family met up with our friends from Perth, who were also holidaying in the Algarve, in their apartment just across from the beach, in Armacao de Pera .

Then we all drove to the historical town of Silves, about 20min away, where we had lunch. Some had the "Cozido a Portuguesa" a heritage dish - a boiled stew with a variety of meats, potatoes, cabbage. I'm not a fan actually, so I ordered grilled squid with potatoes. 

Our friends and our group outside the restaurant

The town of Silves was the old Moorish capital of the Algarve region. The castle on top of the hill overlooking the city, was occupied by the Moors between the 8th and 10th centuries. 

Walking around the mains street facing the river, I found a lovely park with lots of statues, and I lots of murals too :)

The statues depicting scenes of daily life of Arabic people who lived in Silves during the 11th century reign of Al Mouhatamid Ibn Abbad, the governor of Xelb (Silves), who was also known as one of Andalusia's best poets.

The statues are carved in a local stone, standing on stainless steel islands and some islands are inscribed with Arabic texts.

Park with statues inside a pond

The castle above the town of Silves

Praça Al Mouhatamid Ibn Abbad - this square where the statues were, serves as an entry into the city, and is named after the Governor of Silves in the 11th century, who also reigned in Seville (Spain) and died in Marrakech (Morroco).

After lunch, our friends returned home and we drove on until Praia da Rocha, (Rock Beach) 30 minutes away - known for the rock formations in the water and vast sandy area. Karina and Thomas still went for a quick swim, while we wandered around and sat at a cafe having a drink.

Tourist train in Praia da Rocha, a snail shell "Love I want to move" (for a building company) and a Tapas and Wine bar with a double meaning - in Portuguese it means "bad of knife", but if you read it quickly you will get "motherf****) We had a good laugh when we read it twice :)

On a different night, we picked up Jose's older brother and sister-in-law who live in Faro, the southernmost city in the Algarve, and took them to dinner in Olhao, a fishing town 10km away. They choose a Fish and Seafood restaurant, the food was superb, but again the portions were huge!

I liked the boat shaped planters along the streets, and the sardine tin rubbish bins

With Jose's oldest brother and sister-in-law

One of my parent's oldest friends from Mozambique days, who after living in England retired in the Algarve, joined us for lunch at my sister's place, and one of Karina's and my niece's friend, joined us for dinner one of the evenings also at my sister's apartment. 

My sister Luisa, our friend, my parents, me and my sister Isabel

My Dad, Luisa, Mom, Jose, Isabel, Karina, K's friend, Thomas and I

Jose and I had booked to renew our Portuguese passports and ID's - which had long expired but couldn't be renewed in Perth as we didn't have a Consul for a long time.... and we did those in Loule, an inland town about 20min drive from Vilamoura. We had to go there twice, once to do them and three days later to collect them, and of course we visited a few things around the town.

The Municipal market was huge, but only operated on Saturday

Various statues around the town

There was a small castle but seemed to be surrounded by construction

                               

I was keen to visit an out of the way small town, and one of return trips from Loule we visited the inland village of Alte. It has a population of under 2000 people and is known as one of the Algarve's most typical and unspoilt villages.

It was so charming, with its whitewashed houses and cobbled streets, I fell in love with it! 

There is a waterway, which they call the Big Fountain and there were lots of people relaxing on the margins.  It was a very hot day and after a long walk the bar at the end of the riverway was closed!

Along the walk there are plaques with poems by Cândido Guerreiro, a poet and lawyer who was born in Alte.

 

We then drove into the town centre, walked into a cafe which happened to have a beautiful view over part of the town, and we had a freshly squeezed orange juice and an almond pastry, which is typical of the Algarve where they have lots of almond trees.

        

Jose and Thomas flew out from Faro, a week before Karina and I left Portugal - Thomas flying via Marseille before returning to Cologne to celebrate his dad's birthday and Jose returning to Perth, via Frankfurt.

The day before, Karina and Thomas invited us all to lunch at the beach restaurant - Forte Novo - in Quarteira, the town next to Vilamoura, just 10km away, and we had the most amazing fresh fish.

Fresh delicious fish at Forte Novo restaurant

 The day after Jose and Thomas departed, the rest of the family drove back to     Lisbon, as the following day, my niece, husband and 2 kids who live in San     Francisco, would be arriving from Switzerland where they had been spending time    with her in-laws and the following day my other niece and 2 kids would be arriving from Luanda, Angola.

And I end this very, very long post with a last photo of my parents and their 3 daughters. 

My parents, my middle sister Isabel (back), my youngest sister Luisa and I (front)

Monday Mural - Elephant and Himalayas

I love murals and street art. If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme is for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  Once you start looking you will find murals everywhere.  The "Monday Mural" meme goes live on Monday at 12,01AM, Perth,Western Australian time. Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters. Looking forward to your mural finds this week.

Thanks Sami 

Two more murals in Berlin's Kreuzberg District - on the corner of  Franz-Klühs-Street and Wilhelm street, adjacent to the Theodor-Wolff-Park, near the two murals I showed last week, and within walking distance to Hallesches Tor underground station.

Painted in 2016 by German artist Jadore Tong AKA S.Y.R.U.S.(Save Your Rich Untouchable Soul) who is based in Berlin.

While you play basketball you can admire the vibrantly painted elephant who's holding a balloon of the world. At the bottom of the mural are the words "Peace, Unity, Love and Wisdom". The artist took 4 weeks to complete the mural with some help from local artists.

Around the corner at the front of the building the mural Himalayas was also painted by the same artist.

European Holiday - Portugal 2 - Cascais

Joining Tom's signs - to check other signs from around the world please check this link.

The day after our return from the centre of Portugal, my younger sister Luisa arrived from South Africa on the 6,30am flight. My middle sister Isabel, Jose and I picked her up at Lisbon airport.

After a long, long wait, her bag hadn't been delivered to the carousel and she was asked to contact the "Lost and Found" counter to report it. She was told it was possible her bag hadn't been put in the same flight and would probably arrive the following day, and she was given a claim number and a phone and website to check.

Sign at Lisbon airport

We then drove to my parent's house, where we had a family breakfast and then my sisters and I went to a nearby shopping centre so we could buy some essential clothing items for Luisa.

After 2 days, checking the website, calling the airport, still no bag! 

Someone suggested she go to the airport and actually check the "lost luggage room" and see if she could spot her bag. Off we went to the airport again! She checked, and checked and nothing, but on her way out she decided to go to the carousel where her luggage had arrived and as she walked towards it, she spotted her bag standing all alone just two carousel's away from the original one. 

Crazy that the airport people don't collect all those "stray" bags and take them into that "lost luggage room". What might have happened is someone grabbed her bag and a few steps later realized it was the wrong bag and just left it there instead of taking it back to the original carousel, creating a stressful situation for others!!

Name of restaurant (We are a treat - chicken Guia style)

       

That night the family had grilled chicken for dinner at "Somos um regalo" in Cascais, with my uncle, wife, daughter in law and 2 granddaughters, all visiting from the United States where they live.

Grilled chicken with chips and tomato salad

             

Rooster and Chicken Toilet signs at the restaurant

         

After dinner we walked around Cascais and then stopped at the famous Santinis for Ice-Cream.

A delicious ice cream for all

I accompanied my sisters to a newish supermarket in Cascais - Auchan- (a French multinational), that blew my mind away. It was built on the site of a former smaller supermarket. I had never seen such a huge supermarket with such a massive choice of articles like cheeses, wines, bread, fruit and vegetables (that I didn't even know), fish, nuts, yogurts, juices... I was going from aisle to aisle in awe, like a kid in a candy shop!  

Auchan supermarket - on the top floor are the restaurants and a lovely outdoor eating zone and garden

Pink silicone baking articles, cheeses and more cheeses, nuts, spices by kg, yogurts of all kinds

And from the underground car park entrance they had recycling stations for things like coffee pods, batteries, electronic equipment, oils, ink cartridges and even cork bottle tops. In the car park they have "green parking bays" by the doors, marked with a leaf.  Very advanced I thought!

Two days after my sister's arrival, our son-in-law Thomas arrived from Cologne at midday and because Karina had an online work meeting, Jose and I picked him up.  As we went early, I convinced Jose to drive me around the suburb just behind the airport so I could photograph murals in the area. He's well trained by now 😃.

That evening Jose and I had dinner with a young couple who we originally met in Perth a few years ago, and now live in Sydney (who were also on holidays in Lisbon), plus her parents and the parents of another Perth friend, at Adega das Gravatas in the inner-city suburb of Carnide. 

The restaurant was huge, very quaint with loads of ties (gravatas) hanging from the ceiling and on walls. Even though it was a Thursday I could hardly believe how popular and full the restaurant was!  Again, the food was delicious, but the portions were gigantic!

Ties hanging from the ceiling, Jose's steak, my Octopus dish, fridge counter full of delicious desserts

There are so many different styles of tiles (azulejos) in Portugal, mainly covering old buildings.... I must have taken photos of over 50 different ones.

The following day the 9 of us left in 2 cars to spend 8 days relaxing in Vilamoura, in the Algarve in the South of Portugal. 

25 April Bridge crossing the Tejo (Tagus) River from Lisbon to Almada on the way south

Christ the King statue in Almada - inspired by Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

Next episode:  Relaxing in the Algarve