Shelter

Espinho market - on a Monday

For today's Jake's Sunday post challenge I have chosen three different kinds of shelters from my Easter break in the north of Portugal. 

The first photo is of just a tiny part of the huge market that takes place in the city of Espinho every Monday. Just about anything can be bought there and the tarpaulins provide shelter for goods, sellers and customers.

Torreira, Aveiro

My second shelter is a very special bus stop shelter (I think), complete with water fountains and tiled panel depicting scenes from the area! I have never seen anything like it!

Train station south of Porto

My third photo is of a shelter with a wrought iron structure. It is on the platform side of a train station in what used to be a very grand suburb south of Porto. 

This train station will be the object of future posts because it is quite exceptional, as you will see later.

Pretty in Pink

From the old part of Algoz

Just a few chimneys from my chimney-spotting hobby.

Armação de Pêra beach front

All in shades of pink, hence the title of the post.

From S. B. Messines

This one is old, but has recently received a face lift.

Also from S.B. Messines

 More recent models.

From Alcantarilha

This model is quite common, but quietly elegant, in my opinion.

Related posts: C is for Chimneys, Algarve style

Stairway

Thanks to this week's challenge at Jake's blog, I spent 2 happy hours on Saturday walking around Albufeira and taking photos for this and future posts. 

The theme is "stairway" and if you want to join in, just click on the water dragon image on my right sidebar to see the rules at Jake blog.

The old part of the town of Albufeira is full of stairways but I decided on just two. 

If you go up this first stairway and walk on for a few minutes, you will eventually be rewarded with this view of the Praia dos Pescadores (Fishermen's Beach). It's where they have the New Year's Eve concert and fireworks.

If you want to see what the beach looks like from another angle, you can always go up to the top of the cliff you see in the distance. To do that you have to go back down the stairway in the first photo and then start walking up narrow streets. Or, you can try a very modern stairway.

 Yes, it's a moving stairway - an escalator, outdoors!

It's a very long escalator! 

And when you get to the top you have this view!

Happy Birthday!

Zimbabwean flag, photo by Neelix, in Wikipedia

Yesterday I had a post ready to publish today.

But then Sky News reminded me that today Zimbabwe is 32 years old - on 18th April, 1980, Zimbabwe was born.

So I just had to reflect on aspects that I find incomprehensible.

Could someone explain how life for simple Zimbabweans has improved since 1980?

Could someone explain why 90% of the population is unemployed (according to Sky)?

Could someone explain why the farms appropriated from white farmers cannot produce the same quantity of crops they did before?

Could someone explain why Mugabe wants to redistribute farms, companies, etc. which are still in white/foreign hands?

Could someone explain why he doesn't begin by redistributing the wealth he has accumulated over the past 32 years?

Could someone explain why he is now calling a halt to the violence? 

What has he been doing for the last 32 years?

Happy Birthday, Zimbabwe!

May your future be all that your people really deserve!