AUGUST! HOLIDAYS! / Sidewalks of Lisbon series

Dear readers, we have arrived at the blessed month of August—the almost sacrosanct holiday month here in Europe! To celebrate, and before I get back to musical and flute-y subjects, here's a photo in a series I have inadvertently produced, of sidewalks in Portugal. The photos often include the famous "Calçada Portuguesa" Portuguese paving—here in the polished, indoor version—and the shoes of pedestrians, another southern European mania. It gets under your skin! 

Pure style in Lisbon's Santa Apolónia train station— welcome to Lisbon!

Going out with (verismo) style!

To finish a brilliant season, the Lisbon Opera House—soloists, orchestra and choir—will present Mascagni's famous one-act opera "Cavalleria Rusticana", the first verismo opera, dating from 1890, tonight and tomorrow at 9:30pm. Verismo basically means that there are no ten-minute arias sung while someone dies; if you die, you die FAST! The performances will surely be extra true-to-life as they are part of the July Festival outdoors on the square in front of the Opera House—very picturesque, as well as occasionally windy and noisy—near the Chiado area (see photo below), tuk-tuks and all.

Along with well-known, wonderful Portuguese singers, the production features a fellow American-Expat, Mary Elizabeth Williams, singing the role of Santuzza with both astounding power and subtlety—such an inspiration!

For those preferring creature comforts, Saturday's performance will be broadcast live on Portuguese TV—either way, enjoy!

Tuk-tuks at the top of Chiado, near the Lisbon Opera House