patrícia furtado

When I was studying, I used to cruise downtown Lisbon on a daily basis. Nowadays, I don’t go there often anymore. When I needed to go in that direction, a couple of days ago, I decided to take the camera with me, let it dress me as a tourist again, and take some casual snapshots to post here.

It’s amazing how having a camera on your hands can change your attitude so much. Things that have been there since long, had certainly crossed my eyes, but never grabbed my gaze until now.

I assume lots of observant people grasp those colourful details without the need for a purpose. Not me. If I don’t force myself to lookout, my distracted mind will turn my attention inwards and I’m as good as blind.

I can’t help but to have mixed feelings for Venice. Much like a theme park, it’s ridden with loud American tourists, the food is not so great but very overpriced, as are the gondola rides, and you can’t find any decent ice-cream. Also, it literally reeks of old and decay, it feels like it all could crumble down at any moment, and you’re likely feel seasick by the end of the day.

However, the beauty and charm of this living ruin tend to make you forget all that, once you step out of the touristic bustle of the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge and get lost into the small and almost deserted alleyways and canals, where you can be surprised by picturesque views and architectural gems every corner you turn. Venice is such a cliché, it can even turn you into a romantic person while you’re there. No worries, it wears off…

Here we are again, another August spent in Lisbon.

Eight years ago, however, someone thought it would be a good idea to have a holiday in Italy in the hottest of months. And four more agreed. Crazy or not, the five of us landed in Rome and slowly made our way up to Milan, swimming through a crowd of tourists and pilgrims (yes, it was 2000, the year of the jubilee), stopping in Sienna, Firenze, Bologna, Venice, Verona and Lake Como.

I bumped into these photos yesterday, while tidying up the office, and got a bit nostalgic of this awesome holiday with friends.

So I decided to scan them and post them here. Everywhere but Venice on #1. You can guess what will be on #2, can’t you?