Calçada Portuguesa.....

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In the land of never ending corruption....

Today, Portuguese PM António Costa resigned after corruption allegations against members of his cabinet. In Portugal, corruption is still the country's number one internal carcinoma. Next year we will celebrate 50 years of democracy....and centuries of corruption 😡

...."Certo é que Portugal é mesmo uma Cunhalândia, o país da cunha, a terra dos pequenos e médios favores que nutrem teias de poder subterrâneo e paralelo (mas às vezes superior) aos poderes eleitos e às instituições. A cunha, o factor "C" é mesmo uma cultura nacional. Todos "dão um jeito", um jeitinho, um desenrasca. É "mexer os cordelinhos". É a nação das influências, a identidade das informalidades e habilidades, troca de favores, amiguismo, clientelismo, nepotismo. Ismos pútridos que medram nos lobbies partidários, noutros grupos de interesse organizados ou de privilegiados que se julgam investidos de direitos consuetudinários e vivem nos mundinhos onde tudo isso é desculpável e irrecusável. Numa das suas Farpas, Eça lançava:"Querido leitor: Nunca penses servir o teu país com a tua inteligência, e para isso em estudar, em trabalhar, em pensar! Não estudes, corrompe! Não sejas digno, sê hábil! E, sobretudo, nunca faças um concurso; ou quando o fizeres, em lugar de pôr no papel que está diante de ti o resultado de um ano de trabalho, de estudo, escreve simplesmente: sou influente no círculo tal e não me façam repetir duas vezes!" Talento, mérito, dom, esforço, regra, ordem, protocolo, tudo isso é luso-relativo. Variável, contextualizável. Depende."

Joana Amaral Dias in Diário de Notícias, November 5, 2023

Difficult translation....but more or less, "corruption as perpetuated national heritage"

The never ending abuse in the land of impunity....

Parede, September 29, 2023

This is a common sight in Portugal and has been so for decades. The (in)competent authorities do little or nothing to solve the problem. Very often, pedestrians are obliged to step out onto the road, risking their own lives. I lived in this village for more than 30 years ago and the problem was exactly the same...in the exact same spot !? Amazing 😡

Some heavy fines could be applied on these morons wallets and the problem would be quickly solved.... but that is not going to happen in the paradise of egoists and incompetents.

The land of "short term"....

These pine trees were planted by the time of the Expo 1998 in Lisbon. Pine trees are very common in this country, so one can presume that they knew that their roots grow with a large perimeter and close to the surface. The choice of pavement is astonishing and, of course, condemned to failure. Did the people who planned the trees speak with those who planned the pavement ? Amazing !!

The result, 25 years later, is a completely useless and deformed/destroyed pavement, impossible to use for persons with disabilities. 800 meters of useless pavement and money that could have been thrown into the Tejo river. Act first and think later....

Lisboa, 1 PM, 35 Celsius....

The Portuguese "know-how" in a nut shell. These trees were once planted to provide shelter for pedestrians. They provide shelter indeed...but for the road traffic. A previous 5 minute visit to the spot could even tell a blind person where that shelter should occur during summer. But that is complicated in a country where incompetence and laissez-faire is a never ending national plague.

Court Central do Jamor....

..1945, by Miguel Jacobetty Rosa

Shadow....

Expo 98....

..by Siza Vieira

Lisboa....

Rua Ferreira Borges....

Forms of the surrounding futures....

 ..at Konsthallen

"When the Spring Was Our Name"....

Vänersborg, 2023, by Tamara Alves

Liseberg in memoriam....

Liseberg used to be an amusement park for the inhabitants of Göteborg. The park with its simplicity and the Swedish "savoir faire" was a pleasant place to spend some hours during summer. After the Covid pandemic, the park turned into a money-making (crowded) space, a sort of Disneyland for profit maximization. Liseberg is still owned by the municipality of Göteborg....but totally infected by the neo-liberal profit carcinoma 😡

Parque Eduardo VII....

Park....

Rio Tejo....

Gothia Cup....

..windy summer

Made in Spain....

Peaceful....