Chapel

It seems to be a simple ruined house, seen from the distance. But when we're near it assumes a religious air. And the name of the street leaves no doubt: Chapel Street. The only building in this street. I don't know how long it's been here, but this was a chapel. A beautiful one.
I took these photos last week on that cold day when the water seemed so smoky. On the way back to Ourem I always used to look to these ruins. I decided to stop and touch them on that day. I didn't resist.
I felt so good. It was cold but I was wearing a comfortable coat. I just wanted to spin with open arms and shout: yay!!!!!

Softer

Now that the tornado seems to has gone after having destroyed much in my town, I feel more relaxed to show some of our Christmas decorations here.

It was so good having my child jumping around me, giving his opinion and giving solutions to this and that.

Every year I have the same purpose: decorating Christmas tree in a different way, in a modern way, with a simple but showy decoration.

But I soon quit.

I cant't resist to my old balls, ribbons and lights. This yellow ball for example, exists since my first Christmas tree. It has resisted to all these years, more than 30. I still can smell it...

By that time Christmas tree was a real pine tree that my mother and I cut together, before the night came for nobody notice us. Otherwise someone might think that we were stealing pine trees. And we returned home to fullfill it with the odor of the pine. It was fascinating to seat on the floor and staying looking to the flashing lights. How wonderful...

My mother always used to make the presepe. These were the main figures. Joseph is all glued thanks to a cat that I had that loved to play with broken pieces. We did the presepe this year too. It was not my intention. I just planned to put the main figures and the hut and cover it with moss. But I couldn't resist to my little son's appeals and we started unwrapping the pieces that were in the bottom of the box, some of them with a very old wrapping paper... Even without the moss we could "build" a village. Now we have to wait until they open our forest, which became destroyed by the tornado, to make a better composition and give it more realism. Now I am the mother doing the presepe. Now it's me who have a son around, fascinated and vibrant with all that has to do with Christmas. It is so beautiful... Each passing year is better.

I saw it

We had a turbulent day today, here in Tomar. It was scary. I'd never seen a tornado before, only on television and it was worrying to see how much damage it caused and it was only a small one! It made a loud noise, the leaves flew in the air and got into our houses, the pigeons flew uncontrolled with the rolling wind, we could hear the people screaming, and it was scary to hear the ambulances all around. Traffic was chaotic. Everything was chaotic. As we were deprived of electric energy, we couldn't listen to the news anywhere and felt lost in these happenings. I just felt more relaxed when I picked my son up at the kindergarten and saw that everyone was ok. The weather forecast is not very optimistic with the coming weather but we hope that it won't happen another tornado.

Correction: due to the lack of means of communciation, I didn't know that my nieces were in the attic of a building when the tornado passed by. Beyond the panic, only one of them was hit by shrapnel in the leg and had to go to the hospital. Poor girls. But they're ok now.

Olive oil mill

Today was the day to go to the mill and bring some olive oil. That one with color, smell, texture and taste like the real olive oil. Oh my God...



It was really good to smell that perfume in the air and see that golden color gushing into the bottles. My little son was so excited. He wanted to see everything, to know how everything worked, he loved to watch the machines working and asked tons of questions. And he was keen to help us with the bottles. He was so happy to see something new and good. It was really good.

Old year, new cup

Rainy day. Day to decorate the house for Christmas and to worry about my little son's fever. But he's been brave, since he wanted to participate in everything and even helped with his opinions. Great son.
Pause. I'm always breaking dishes, so we often put new dishes on the table. Now that we're almost in the end of the year, it is time to go to the bottom of the trunk and search for the old coffee cups. They have so maaany years. I'm not sure but I think that they've been kept for almost 30 years! I'm becoming old, ain't I? But I liked them. They are old but new to our eyes. Perfect to taste a deserved moment of pause... Until my little son calls again, of course.

Cold

Taken from my window in the morning. I preferred that the white grass was snow, but one has what can be... Cold, very cold.

Fire in the water

I love my work. Because it allows me to go through beautiful sites and still register them with my camera. And I love the cold. Well, maybe I don't love it that much, but I really like it.

I was going to Fátima today and noticed the smoke coming out of the earth. I knew that there were streams around there. I could not resist to stop by.

It was fantastic to see that. I was jumpy. I just wanted to leave my car and work behind and start breaking new ground around there. I was so excited that I even was not feeling cold. And it was cold!

I guess that there are some places in these hills where the sun doesn't go during the winter. The road is constantly wet and we have to drive very carefully.


Before arriving to Fátima I saw someone taking photos in a bend in the road. I found it funny and thought to myself: has he got a blog too? I looked in the rearview mirror and I just could see some piece of white on the base of the mirror. I thought to myself again: such beautiful clouds. He also must love clouds just like I do. I decided to find those clouds from the high point where I went to.

Well, I was wrong. Although the quality of the photos is not the best, what I had seen and that man was photographing was the snow on top of the mountains.

It was so beautiful. I tried to know where were those mountains but no answer was satisfactory. Alvaiázere? Impossible. Sicó? Idem. Lousã? No. The last answer was Pampilhosa. Maybe. I just know that it was wonderful.