There is a place you must visit if you come to Lisbon, the Castelo de São Jorge or Castle of St. George. Currently, we can only admire the ruins of the original castle, known as Castelo dos Mouros, located in Lisbon’s highest hill, the hill of St. George. From its remains, visitors can admire some of the best views of Lisbon on the Tagus River estuary.

Besides the towers, watchtowers, moats and yards full of peacocks, there is a recommended attraction for those who have never been in a dark chamber. It is one of the most emblematic and ancient towers that still stand, the Tower of Ulysses, which is located in the dark chamber, designed by Leonardo da Vinci in the sixteenth century and the only one country.

What is exactly the dark chamber? This is a lens system that produces an optical effect, through which the scenes taking place outside the tower are reflected in a concave white screen. It is a term first conceived by Johannes Keplerin in a treaty, which explains the operation of this device, precursor of the telescope, although the Arabs in the late tenth century were already aware of this optical phenomenon.

Leonardo Da Vinci, encouraged the development of the dark chamber with the aim of deepening the functioning of the vision, adding a lens to the hole through which light enters allowing sharper images.

What the visitor can admire is a black-painted room in complete darkness. There is a reflected image falling on a mirror placed at the top of the tower, in a concave white surface, allowing a 360° view as if we were in very top of the tower. If you turn this surface or move around you can see all the different angles that this device captures.

The projected image is in color and very bright, reflecting what is taking place outside of the tower in real time. Because of the focal distance between the main lenses, the result makes the objects located at great distance appear to be close.

And we can play with people who are walking down the street, we can take the cars and return them without suffering any damage, we become voyeurs for several minutes.

This attraction has a limited capacity so that all people can enjoy it; the sessions usually last between 15 and 20 minutes. A guide explains how the system is showing us the history of the city through this wonderful optical property that allows us to see beyond our eyes.

The history of the dark chamber is a scientific and a recreational one, it served to enliven the party of the nobles.

Ara

Lisbon in Portugal is full of wonderful secrets. Rent apartments in Lisbon and make sure to visit the emblematic St. George’s Castle and go to the Tower of Ulysses to enjoy second to none panoramic views.

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Translated by: Hans
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The list of books which mention Lisbon is a long one. So many of them hope to trap the essence of the city in their pages, and very few achieve it – but even smaller is the number of books which, just like Duchamps’ tiny pharmacy syringe which contained the air of Paris, have actually encapsulated that special poetic, and devastatingly melancholic essence.

Echoing the maxim of Valery that a poem is never finished, it is abandoned, the Book of Disquiet is a work undoubtedly, and unavoidably unfinished. Its cosmology is not dissimilar to those which posit infinite, parallel universes in perpetual expansion, with its equally endless nature.

The book’s authorship has been attributed to book keeper’s assistant Bernardo Soares, of all the many people from the times of Pessoa, after his own confession, which came the closest to fitting the mystery of the book’s content; “whilst the personality is not mine; it is not different to mine, it is a mutilation of it.”

A deeply paradoxical mutilation in any case, as life has trouble breathing without an identity, and so Soares emerges from the pages as a kind of mystic without faith, a dreamer who doesn’t scorn or criticise those paths with no pure reason; a writer who writes his autobiography in prose; an autobiography without events, in the form of a diary full of aphorisms and digressions which cannot hide or embellish the poet which lurks between the lines.

Pessoa himself, in the wistful, sad, enigmatic prologue to the book, presents to us the moment of meeting him. Both had been distracted, and curious about a fight which had taken place on the street, in a food house which looked like a restaurant, in a city with no train, which they both frequented.

Around 30 years old, his pale, pallid face gave off an air of vague suffering – a suffering which had over time crystallised to the point of indifference. Soares was a solitary figure who barely went to class, or joined any groups or clubs, or established any meaningful bonds with anybody. With the exception, that is, of Pessoa himself, to whom he only approached in order to leave him the very book which we see today, fifty years after his death.

Perhaps that’s why it is like we are listening to a voice from the grave when we lose ourselves in the fascinating, beautiful pages, as he talks to us, with hypnotic melancholy; with a slow, beating rhythm, of the rain, of the loss of faith, of the gods, of ancient cults, of the musical quality of cars, of the world of tobacco, of the pain of happiness, of the flight path of the seagulls, the resting places of the soul, of tiredness, exhaustion, of the notion of life as a Whole which weighs upon the shoulders of thought…

Paul Oilzum

The four hidden letters in the Torah are said to form the secret name of god – revealing him as the true protagonist of the book. There’s no better book to get stuck into when you rent apartments in Lisbon

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Translated by: Poppy
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It’s a trend increasingly common for companies and banks to devote a portion of their profits to the support of projects known as “social responsibility”, ie financial support to arts and culture in the broadest sense. This new trend, motivated by a need for companies to show their active involvement in the territory where they conduct their business, has arrived in Portugal in the forms of innovative cultural centre and very active in the territory, which has led – from its beginnings – to a real explosion of art in the capital city.

It is called Culturgest and is undoubtedly one of the most interesting artistic projects of Lisbon’s artistic world. This is a huge cultural centre that offers a long series of activities all year round for adults and children, art professionals or amateurs who want to simply attend shows or events. Culturgest is a foundation created by the Caixa Geral de Depósitos, Portugal’s public bank, with the aim of supporting contemporary art in all its different manifestations. Cultural and scientific events are organized and presented devoted to the dance, theater, music, opera, new circus, cinema… There are regular exhibitions of visual art as well as an intensive educational program of seminars, conferences and training courses.

Culturgest is located in the headquarters building at Caixa Geral de Depósitos, at Rua Arco do Cego, Floor 1, and its official website, where you can find the annual program of exhibitions and activities is www.culturgest.pt.

Moreover, this cultural centre offers other services such as room hire, film projections, and tutorials. It has a permanent art gallery which displays works of plastic arts mainly from the twentieth century, and other spaces were temporary exhibitions are opened- often monthly. Culturgest also has a bookstore known as “Ler Devagar”, where there are often literary talks and readings.

Among the artists who presented their works in the Culturgest spaces there are Chris Marker, Zul Zelub, Eddie Prevost, Luis Tinoco, Amanda Duarte, Mona Hatoum, Asier Mendizabal and Nora Aslan, and a long list of “emerging” international and Portuguese artists, who present their work in group shows.

Another space connected with the Culturgest is Chiado 8 Contemporary Art, opened in January 2002. This is a project of the World Fidelidade insurance company which, taking advantage of the strategic position of one of its buildings, decided to participate in the Chiado rehabilitation initiatives through the creation of an area of dissemination of contemporary art and its programming is in charge of Culturgest since March 2006. During the first three years the curator in charge of this centre was Ricardo Nicolau, while today (until 2012) exposures are curated by Bruno Marchand. Chiado 8 Contemporary Art is located at Largo do Chiado, No. 8.

menschauser

If you wish to know these interesting spaces of the Portuguese capital city, we suggest you to rent apartments in Lisbon and walk the city by taking part in its projects and cultural activities.

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Translated by: salome antigone
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Husbands and boyfriends are like little children. They throw their socks under the bed, put empty jars back in the fridge and you have to remind them to wash their hands before dinner. But that’s the way it is and always will be. Yet, writer Amy Sutherland wanted to model her partner like a piece of play-doh in the Perfect Husband. She explains you all about it in her book ‘What Shamu taught me’. Here are the most remarkable training tips.

First of all, she states that you should train your husband in the same way you train a young puppy. So stop nagging. Instead of telling him 6 times a week that he is a pig and doesn’t do nothing all day long (which she puts on the same line as ‘punishing’ a puppy), you should reward him. If he takes out the trash or makes the bed in the morning, praise him and compliment him, as if he were Mozes and just split the sea. For the record, i thanked my boyfriend and gave him an attaboy this morning when he put his cup in the dishwasher and he looked at me as if i were nuts.

Also, you should teach him with small steps. Say you want him to do the laundry. You explain everything calmy, and when after his first laundry you discover he ruined your favourite black bra (Calvin Klein, with lace) because he put it together with the towels at 60 degrees… you have to praise him that he even managed to put the soap in the right tray. “Look for small bits of progress instead of expecting something brand new all of a sudden” says Sutherland. I did it my way and went completely crazy. Which didn’t help much either.

Ok, so maybe it worked for her, but for me this is clearly not the right way. And you know what? I’m happy with the man i have, and even though the things he does can irritate me sometimes, i wouldn’t want to change him. In the same way i would not appreciate it if he wanted to change me (“Honey? If you don’t buy any new shoes this week, i’ll give you a biscuit!”).

Now rests only one question. Where did the writer get all this wisdom? The Shamu in the title of the book refers to an orca from Sea World, San Diego. Shamu was the second female orca ever captured, at the age of 4. She lived only 6 more years, while orca’s in the wild generally become 50 years old, some even 80.

Sutherland watched and observed with animal trainers, and learned their techniques to subdue the animals. Personally, that didn’t impress me. There is a reason why they call the animal killer whale. A beast that weighs more then 12000 pounds belongs in the wild, not in a tank throwing a ball to a trainer. So she expects me to break my boyfriend’s spirit, to control him and make him do whatever I want, just like a killer whale in captivity? Thanks but no.

Nothing blows away little irritations like a holiday. And if you want to see some fishes, how about a visit to the Oceanarium of Lisbon? Lots of tropical fishes, but no killer whales! And for a perfect stay, rent the best apartments in Lisbon.

Das Nacoes Park – Amusement and Theme Park

Rua nova dos mercadores 2 06 03 B, Lisbon
Tlf.: +351 218 949 066
Website: http://www.portaldasnacoes.pt/

Jardim Museu Agricola Tropical, Lisbon

Calçada do Galvão
Lisbon 1400 Portugal
Tlf.: +351 21 363 7023
Website: http://www.iict.pt

Santa Justa Elevator, Lisbon
It is called “Elevador do Carmo”. It is a lift that join the areas of Baixa Pombalina and Chiado en Lisboa.
It is built in Santa between Justa street and Praza de Carmo, next to the archeological museum.

Rua do Carmo
Lisboa, Portugal
Tlf.: +351 21 361 30 54

El 28, the tourist tram of Lisbon
The terminal for the tram 28 is found in Martim Moniz square. You can hop on and off at the following stations: Baixa, Chiado and Estrela

Companhia Carris de Ferro de Lisboa, Rua 1 de Maio, 101 – 103
1300-472 Lisboa, Portugal
Tlf.: +351 213 613 000