Lisbon Blog
Mar 10
Lisbon Half Marathon on March 21st
icon1 lisbonblogger | icon2 Lisbon | icon4 03 10th, 2010| icon3No Comments »

When spring comes, Lisbon invites everyone to the race of the year: the Lisbon Half Marathon, of about 21kms. In addition, the city organizes a mini marathon of 7kms for the amateur people. On March 21st, the Portuguese capital will sweat like never…

Half-Marathon-Lisbon

It may be an original idea to discover the city in a new way: running this Lisbon half marathon! If you’re in Lisbon on this date, go ahead and participate in its popular life touring the city in a race along with some 38,000 people. The Lisbon Half Marathon will start at 10.30 from the April 25th Bridge, which crosses the splendid Tagus River. Last year, Martin Lel of Kenya won the men’s category with a time of 00:59:56, and the American Kara Goucher was the women’s winner with a time of 01:08:30.

There is also a Running Expo that will be opened. These exhibition grounds are specialized in athletics and will feature many stores devoted to professional races. From the 17th to the 21st March more than 60,000 people will visit this exhibition.

And do not worry, because this Marathon is not very difficult. If you do not want to take it so seriously, there is a mini marathon that offers a shorter and non-timed race. The arrival is located at the foot of one of the most important monuments of Lisbon: Jeronimo’s Monastery.

If you do not want to run you can calmly walk through the city and discover its countless magical places… give a surprise to your partner and bring him/her to Portugal. Rent Apartments in Lisbon, an affordable and comfortable accommodation awaits you after your expeditions.

Mar 5

Star Wars fanatics who in line all night in theatres to watch the new adventures of Han Solo, the Clones or Chewbacca! If you are depressed because you can’t glimpse in a near future any brand new episode of the most famous saga in film history…cheer up and, please, hold back your euphoria, we don’t want you to have a heart attack: George Lucas is determined to keep his double trilogy alive in everybody’s mind for long, long time. His latest trick is ‘Star Wars: In Concert’: a magnificent multimedia performance with a 90-piece symphony orchestra— scores of elite musicians synchronizing with mathematical precision and with a wholeheartedly dedication to the perfection of the music before them.

star-wars-concert

Then there are the images from the Star Wars movies playing on the screen suspended above the musicians, with visuals crafted by massive teams of artists. And all of it — every note, sound and laser blast — originates in the human imagination. The audience also could enjoy other famous works by composer John Williams, like ‘Jaws’, ‘Superman’, ‘E.T.’ or ‘Indiana Jones’.

A motley audience
The show, which is a success wherever it goes, is a true multi-media experience, featuring a giant, specially constructed LED screen, onto which the film sequences are projected.

And, of course, the audience couldn’t be ‘normal’, in this case. Although there are many parents with their newly-bewitched children. Disguised people as Darth Vader, Jedi or Imperial Soldiers and, yeah, with the unavoidable Lightsabre.

It becomes virtually impossible for Star Wars fans not to enjoy this show, which was produced by Another Planet Touring and Lucasfilm.

If you are a true fan, then you’ll do your best to not miss this great show. The appointment will take place in Pabellon Atlantico of Lisbon, 22 and 23 of March. Book Apartments in Lisbon, the best choice for your stay in the beautiful city…….and may the force be with you!

Feb 19
Sex and the Death Penalty
icon1 lisbonblogger | icon2 Lisbon | icon4 02 19th, 2010| icon3No Comments »

At this point in the XXI century, sex should be a pleasant and free practice – providing that it does not damage the physical or psychological integrity of one of the implied persons. Unfortunately, not everyone can freely enjoy sex… Many countries punish with the death penalty practices such as adultery or what it is even worse, homosexuality.

Sex-and-the-Death-Penalty

The media publishes horrific headlines reporting that X number of people have died in government hands and under the protection of the law. And what is their crime? Love? Supposedly, homosexuality is a free sexual practice amongst people of the same-gender; a sexual identity as legitimate as any other, that in no way should be punished, and much less with death. Neither should a person pay with their life for having sex outside of marriage.

Fidelity - or infidelity, is something every couple should tackle alone. Why should the government interfere? The saddest part is that in many countries not only is adultery punishable with the death penalty, but some women are even stoned to death for it. Are we really in the 21st century? Even if the adultery is the result of a violation, the woman will be stoned for it. How awful!

Sexuality is defined as the set of practices, behaviours and anatomical, physiological and emotional conditions related to seeking sexual pleasure and reproduction. The full development of sexuality is essential to the individual, the interpersonal and the social wellbeing. Therefore, it should be lived and enjoyed in a free and healthy way, with no restrictions or punishments.

But how is it possible that in certain regions of the world sexuality has regressed so much? Many past civilizations such as the ancient Greece or the ancient Rome saw homosexuality as a legitimate and common practice. Religion has played a negative role in that matter.

Let’s take a look at today’s world. In what state is the health of our sexuality? We could say that is rather delicate. While it is true that in many countries the free practice of sex is normal, so is that in many others there is still much to do… And although in many countries homosexuality is no longer punishable with death, under no circumstances do gay people have equal rights as straight people. Sex education fails in the modern world: enough repressive ideas, we want no more contradictions. Let’s fight for a free world where egalitarian rights are our goals (always based on respect towards others). Let’s fight for a free and responsible practice of sex and all that it entails.

Portugal is a tolerant and respectful country, where everyone lives their sexual life in a free manner. Enjoy your most passionate sex life in the Portuguese capital. Rent Apartments in Lisbon and let yourself be carried away by pleasure without limits.

Feb 9

When a tourist arrives to an unknown city, it is usual that he is a little bit confused and he is not clear about which are the venues that he has to visit but, sometimes, he goes beyond logic and asks a few funny questions, so to speak.

Tourists

A study made by a hotel booking website, as well as Tourism Offices of the most important European cities, has revealed a list of the strangest and weirdest questions that tourist have made since 1995.

In Madrid, for example, the agent tourist had to listen to questions like: “At what time is the Cibeles closed?”, when it’s one of the most famous statues in the city, in the open air, and you can go to visit it at anytime. Or foreigners mistake La Puerta del Sol for La Costa del Sol. One of the most surrealist questions is “where is the beach in Madrid”?

But of these kinds of questions are asked in other European cities. Let’s take Rome for example. There, a tourist asked at what time were the races at the Coliseum, or if he could go to visit a gladiators fight. Funny, isn’t it? What about this: “how much does it cost to sleep in the catacombs? People dare to ask anything!

These situations wouldn’t exist if visitors prepared their travel schedule a little more carefully and did a little bit of research. Imagine the staff’s faces when they are asked these silly questions! Surely they have to try very hard not to laugh. But, don’t worry, there are many more. Tourists’ imagination is endless. In Sweden, they even asked this marvellous question: “at what time do the elks walk?”, in Portugal, if Lisboa (Lisbon in Spanish) was near Lisbon (in English) or if traffic signs there were the same as in England.

Netherlands doesn’t escape from these funny and strange consultations either.
One visitor wanted to know “where the historical centre of Rotterdam was”. Actually, it doesn’t exist because the Nazis destroyed it during World War II.

But one of the most bizarre questions was asked in Ireland. The confusion of tourists leads them to ask things like “where can we find a wood with goblins?”, “Are there any cell phones in this country?” or “Is English the only language in Ireland”?

And finally, the icing on the cake. In France, staff at a Tourism office was left scratching their heads when someone posed the following question: “Can the boats on the Seine sail or are they just for decoration?” Another bewildered one, dared to ask where he could find the lady that smiled, referring to La Mona Lisa, and someone else wasn’t clear about Hotel Gay Lussac in Paris and wondered if it were just for homosexual guests.

Alright, all this is very fun, but we hope that if you decide to visit rent apartments in Lisbon, please make sure you get enough information to not appear on the next list of the strangest questions!

Feb 3
Honey, you smell like a Whopper
icon1 lisbonblogger | icon2 Lisbon | icon4 02 3rd, 2010| icon31 Comment »

Since ancient times, both women and men have used fragrances. The Egyptians created perfumed balms, and were also the first ones to bottle perfume. In both Greek and Roman society, perfume played an important role in the culture of bathing and body care. The ancient Arabs had access to a wide variety of spices and herbs, including Jasmine, and developed the technique of evaporation. Nowadays, the perfume industry moves around billions of dollars. But to keep up with the growing market, you have to be creative and innovative. What do you think of a perfume with a scent of beer, hamburger or sweat?

hamburger-cologne

About a year ago, Burger King launched its own perfume. It was called ‘Flame’ and it is said to combine “the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat”. I’m not sure if I would want my husband to smell like a hamburger or barbeque sauce. But if something like Calvin Klein is not manly enough for him, maybe we can try the ‘Eos’ perfume (nicknamed the beer perfume), which is completely co2 neutral. Instead of using petroleum, it is made from the waste products of an organic brewery: rancid beer grains and about 50,000 different types of bacteria. It comes in a male and a female version, but (un) fortunately it doesn’t smell like beer. The male version, however, has a hint of cognac.

How many different perfumes do you use every day? A study conducted in the Netherlands revealed that the average woman uses about 14 different perfumes per day, some woman even up to 20. We use shower cream, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, deodorant and hair spray. Also home fragrances become more popular, and during our daily chores we come in contact with a number of perfumes: detergents, soap, etc. This could lead to serious skin allergies. If you want to hold the smell of the perfume longer, it is recommended to use layers: use shower cream, body milk and later perfume with the same scent.

And can be said about the ‘famous’ perfumes? The top 3 best selling perfumes are Chanel No 5 (Every 30 seconds, a bottle is sold), Calvin Klein Eternity and Prada Eau de Toilette. But that’s not what we are talking about. The company ‘My DNA Fragrance’ launched a line of perfumes, made out of the DNA of famous people. They work together with John Reznikoff, who has the biggest collection of celebrity hair locks. The latest perfume is that of Michael Jackson, which is described as a ‘strong scent’. Elvis Presley is a best seller, but also Napoleon and Marilyn Monroe have their own fragrance. Completely bizarre!.

How about you? Spring is coming; it’s a good time to experiment with some new fragrances. Just one month ago Ana Salazar, Portugal’s most renowned fashion designer, launched her new perfume ‘Vintage’. Rent the best apartments in Lisbon, and discover her exclusive shop in the Baixa district.

Jan 29

Typically, love is associated with beautiful feelings such as hope, joy or excitement, but it’s not always rosy however much love or infatuation there is. This can be applied to the long distance relationships. Though it is true that when love is real, the distance should not be an obstacle, maintaining a constant interest and avoiding that one or both members of the couple suffer is very complicated.

long-distance-relationships

Nowadays long distance relationships are on the increase thanks to the latest technologies. The chats have made it possible for people from opposite ends of the world fall in love and start a long distance relationship.

The major problems of long distance relationships appear to be mistrust, confrontation risk, possible infidelity, and so on. The lack of being close to one another can cause the relationship to cool off over time. Distrust is the worse. The fact of ignoring the everyday life of the other mate, not being part of his/her life and daily activities, can be a problem for the relationship. Also, the risk of a possible infidelity is much higher if we consider that everybody has physical and emotional needs that are not covered 100% by this type of relationship.

How does one solve these problems? Are the long distance relationships sustainable? The experts are categorical: yes, they are absolutely sustainable; the keys are good communication and mutual trust. If these two attributes are the foundation of any relationship, with distance in between they are more than indispensable.

To prevent the problems, define your terms in advance. This way you will settle and avoid many conflicts and confusions. Just define your expectations in advance. Surely, eventually, one of you will have to take the step in moving forward with the relationship. Surely, with time, one of the two will have to move to his/her lover’s city to continue with the relationship. Otherwise, it will just remain stagnant.

The key is to work on it. Do not let the relationship die: call them by phone, send letters or emails, talk via chat, use the web cam to see each other - today’s technologies make things easier! Flexibility is another important virtue to know how to cope with a distance relationship and since many couples have different schedules, it is difficult to communicate: she is from Israel, and he’s from the U.S., for example.

Try to enjoy every single moment that you spend together. Take the opportunity of any physical contact, because then you will miss it so much! What if you meet at a neutral city? The Portuguese capital is the perfect place! Rent Apartments in Lisbon and enjoy your time together. It will be unforgettable!

Jan 25
What is beauty?
icon1 lisbonblogger | icon2 Lisbon | icon4 01 25th, 2010| icon32 Comments »

Oh, this is so beautiful, so sweet and so wonderful! How many times a day do you see beautiful things? Many times we associate beauty with the view: with the symmetrical harmony of the body of a beautiful model, with an idyllic landscape, with the grandeur of a historic monument, with a famous work of art, etc. And why is it that what I find beautiful, you don’t? Even before Jesus Christ, men were asked about its essence and it seems that even today there is no general and fixed definition about it.

beauty

Ask two different people what beauty is and they will probably differ or wouldn’t know what to say. To begin, we may ask if we understand that beauty is something visible or is rather something abstract or whether it is transient or lasting, objective or subjective.

A ring may be beautiful, because it has a diamond and it’s made of gold. But when a child gives you a ring made from wild grass, and he approaches you with a huge smile, the ring can be very beautiful too. The poetry of tragedy is also beautiful because it speaks about emotions and passions.

In the fifth century BC, Xenophon, a military man and Greek philosopher, started what was the beginning of discussions about the concept of beauty. He said that beauty could be divided into three categories: the first one is the ideal beauty, based on a symmetrical harmony; the second one is the spiritual beauty, referring to the soul and the third one is the functional beauty, which says that things are beautiful when they are useful.

What if beauty were ugly? Gandhi was not particularly handsome, but he had a huge inner beauty, and it was reflected in one of his quotes: “But all my life though, the very insistence on truth has taught me to appreciate the beauty of compromise”. Many films tell the story of a beautiful girl who does not love the most handsome boy because she falls in love with an “ugly” one.

There are people who do not appreciate the Guernica painting by Pablo Picasso because they dislike the subject of war and death, but this painting is usually defined precisely as the most beautiful of the twentieth century, because it carries the essence of our history in all its glory.

To keep wondering what the beauty is, we suggest something to you: a trip to Lisbon, because the Portuguese capital is also a gem. Rent Apartments in Lisbon and relax, they are cheap and comfortable.

Jan 19
How do you cure love sickness
icon1 lisbonblogger | icon2 Lisbon | icon4 01 19th, 2010| icon3No Comments »

Of course, love is one of the most beautiful things in the world: butterflies in the stomach, your whole body is shaking with excitement, you are flying on cloud nine… and then? Well, as you see everything through rose-coloured glasses, you can also fall off this cloud nine very fast and very deep. Lovesickness is just one of the most horrible things in life: spending the days without stopping to cry, uncountable tissue boxes, a lot of chocolate and ice-cream, depressions and a lack of enthusiasm. But, my dear friends, in spite of sadness and heartache, lovesickness also provokes positive aspects. You should only learn how to appreciate them. But how exactly can we get closer to the light at the end of the tunnel?

lovesick

Your partner leaves you after many years of an intensive relationship, you´re desperately in love with someone, who doesn’t feel the same way, or you are in a relationship but you can’t stop thinking of another very special person in your life… As you can see, lovesickness can occur in different ways. The question is how to handle it and what you can learn from all these heartbreaking pangs of distress. Here’s a few details for consolation: On average the worst pain will be got over after four weeks and a broken heart will be cured normally within 15 months.

The first step of getting over a break up is without a doubt to stick to what you feel: Let it all out! Whether by screaming, crying, writing or playing music…you can express your sadness in many different ways. The most important thing is not to bottle everything up, because doing so you will explode soon or later. The next step is to banish all kinds of memories from your ex. Almost everyone has a little box under the bed or in the attic containing cuddly toys, love letters and fotos of romantic moments of the past. Believe me, one day you’ll be able to open that box and smile instead of crying, while looking at those old times. So what about now? Now you should only think of yourself, and this has nothing to do with egotism. Pamper yourself, entertain yourself, start new projects you always wanted to do, think positive and start each day with a big smile on your face. To always have a bad conscience and rack your brains over what you have done to your ex, is just very silly. Everyone is responsible for his or her own life, so concentrate on yourself!

Good friends and family help perfectly as mental support for overcoming this crisis. Even though you feel so alone at times and lonesome with your problems, there’s always someone to lean on. Take lovesickness as a new beginning! Give your life a new direction. Be Yourself: An original is always worth more than a copy.

Do you need a change of scenery? What about a little trip to one of the most amazing European cities where uncountable lonely hearts have already found to each other? The Portuguese capital offers you entertainment, fun, culture and love. Rent the economic and comfortable apartments in Lisbon and enjoy your life! Chin up!

Jan 15

The Book of Apocalypse is one of the most famous books of the Bible. Although many people do not know, this is the last book of the New Testament, which refers to the Seven Seals and the Prophecies of the Lord. Not only that, but in the first four Seals it shows the four famous Horsemen of Apocalypse. Each one rides a horse of a different colour, symbolizing four different prophecies. Thus, the First Horseman rides a white horse that will bring false Christs and false prophets; the Second Horseman rides a red horse that will bring wars; the Third Horseman rides a black horse that will bring famine and the Fourth one, with a yellow horse, will bring death.

Death, 4 seal Apocalypse

The Fourth Seal of the Book of Apocalypse opens the text with the emergence of the fourth and final Horseman, riding a pale yellow horse, whose carrier is named Death. The yellow colour is associated with diseases - including cancer, hepatitis, severe malnutrition, or leprosy, with weakness, with plagues and with the death itself. The victims of the Fourth Rider have a violent and premature death and are carried into Tartarus by Hades, which always rides together with the “Death” Horseman. However, the good Christians die in peace and go to Paradise.

The Fourth Prophecy threatens that 25% of the planet will fall under the yoke of death. And indeed, many evidences have shown throughout the history that a quarter of the population dies due to causes mentioned in the Fourth Seal: hunger, mortality, plagues and diseases.

There have been many plagues and diseases that have ravaged the planet over the centuries, causing the death of millions people. Even today, despite the significant scientific advances, new and old viruses take the lives of many people. For example, in the sixth century, the bubonic plague caused a hundred million dead across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. At that time the Earth population did not reach the billion… Then, in the fourteenth century, the same plague killed about 65 million people in the old continent. Even today it has not been completely eliminated, and in Africa, Asia, South America and Australia there are about 100 or 200 deaths annually due to the bubonic plague. Another terrible plague was smallpox, which until the advent of the vaccine killed one in four sick persons and contagious 60% of the world population.

Since the sixteenth century they have appeared more than 30 worldwide pandemics: the most recently is swine flu. But nowadays, infectious disease that takes more lives is AIDS, which skews million lives annually. According to the WHO, in the late 2001, about 40 million people were infected worldwide with HIV, and half died from the disease since its emergence in 1981. Today, AIDS is the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa.

The medical advances of the developed countries amaze us every day with their new techniques, discoveries and vaccines. Portugal is one of them. Discover its fascinating capital and for your comfort, rent Apartments in Lisbon.

Jan 8
The ecology taken to the sex
icon1 lisbonblogger | icon2 Lisbon | icon4 01 8th, 2010| icon31 Comment »

While it is true that this year will be remembered as “the year of the financial crisis”, it will also be highlighted the growing social commitment to the environment. Issues like the climate change occupy hundreds of front pages in the major world media. People are becoming more and more conscious of the importance of looking after our planet and, although, the Climate Summit in Copenhagen has not produced the goods, there are those who are doing their bit for this great cause.

The ecology taken to the sex

The fact is that increasingly sophisticated and new technologies, gadgets and all types of craft appear… Also in the sex world they arouse an endless number of new toys with amazing functions. In fact, the world of erotic toys has evolved so much that it is difficult to choose between so many devices of pleasure. Unfortunately, most of these devices run with batteries, which is highly polluting for the planet. Thus, while in the Copenhagen Summit the politicians sought to find a global commitment to tackle the global warming, a small Irish company has invented an ecologic vibrator.

Although it is the industry of pleasure, the sex toy market is highly damaging to the environment due to the huge amount of batteries it need for their vibrators.

So, Chris and Janice O’Connor, creators of the new green vibrator, have found an ecological mechanism to make it vibrate: a handle that when you rotate it makes the toy vibrate intensely for about 30 minutes. Incredible!

The invention, called Earth Angel, has already sold thousand units since last April and, the best of all, it is made exclusively of recyclable materials. They have explained that they want to change the way that people see the world of adult toys.

They also have thought to apply the same technology to other devices including electric toothbrushes: no batteries, and fully recyclable materials.

Would you like to join to the ecological World? Surprise your partner with a green present. And to enjoy it, nothing better than a trip to Lisbon… The Portuguese capital can be a perfect place to taste the goodness of the Earth Angel. Rent Apartments in Lisbon and enjoy as never before not damaging the environment.

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