Vintage End Tables And Espresso Tables
A Holiday and Golf Diary from North Portugal Tour by Mike Gizzy Last year was our first trip to Oporto in North Portugal, via a week’s cruise down the Douro River, brilliantly organised by PortGolf. At the end of that week, Peter Evens, who runs PortGolf, suggested we should return for the festival of S. Joao and perhaps play some golf. This seemed a good idea so on our return to the UK we organised a dinner for two other couples, one of whom (Gerry and Catriona) had played golf around Oporto and Jim and Margery. We discussed the idea and it was agreed that eight would be a good number. Shortly after we had supper with another couple, John and Marion who volunteered to join us. None of us had ever holidayed together before so it would be a test of friendship. Due to other commitments Gerry and Catriona and John and Marion would stay for a week whilst we and Jim and Margery would stay for twelve days. There follows a Journal of that Trip:- Thursday 21st June:- We decided to catch the first Porto flight out of Gatwick at 6.30am whilst the others were catching the 1.30pm flight. We were met at Oporto Airport at 9am by Peter Evens who whisked us off to the four star Hotel Fenix, conveniently placed close to the Boa Vista area. The weather was bright with a light shower around midday. Having unpacked in our spacious room on the 9th Floor with splendid views of a truly magnificent cemetery and the city we set off on our first adventure to walk to the city centre and explore the area. We had a pasta and wine lunch at the Simbiose Restaurant (â’30) overlooking the river and watched the Port wine boats ferrying people to and fro. Walked back uphill to the hotel calling in at the local supermarket for gin and whisky for nightcaps. The rest of the gang arrived at 6.15pm somewhat late due to delays. Having checked in we all got into the lift to travel to the 9th floor. Now this lift has a notice that says it is for 10 persons – unfortunately, they mean 10 Portuguese persons who happen to be somewhat smaller in stature than 8 Brits for the lift decided to descend to -5 floors before coming to a halt with a resounding bang. Not exactly the start we were looking for, but we managed to extract ourselves and walk back to the ground floor we proceeded to travel in the 2nd lift and the service lift – time for a drink! Peter found us in the bar at 8pm when we were taken in two vehicles to the Maria Moita, a local Porto restaurant for dinner. Peter stayed on to interpret as not much English is spoken and take photographs of the evening. Fun food with an interesting menu and carafes of wine. Bed by 11.30 somewhat exhausted. Friday 22nd June:- Up at 8.15am, dry, but grey with a smattering of blue. Breakfast, then a quick look round the local shops. Peter and Paolo collected us at 12.30 for our first game of golf at Estela. The course lies about an hour from the centre of Oporto on the Atlantic coast. The drive was pleasant and informative and the entrance guarded by two automatic gates. A drink and a toasted sandwich started the event which was a four ball better ball with husbands partnering wives. Typically for a links course, the wind blew like hell and was a contributing factor to the round taking 41/2 hours. Gerry and Catriona were the winners and copious amounts of gin and tonic and beer was consumed. Showered and change before whisked off to Casa do Frango in a nearby town – problem was our driver dropped us at the wrong place which held up proceedings, but didn’t stop the wine flowing before the chicken and chips arrived – turned out to be a fun night and tested some people’s ability of alcohol consumption. On our return to the hotel John and Marion joined us in our room for a nightcap and left at 1.30am. Saturday 23rd June:- Up at 8.30 am and a glorious summer day. Everyone into city centre to sightsee, but for us it was to shop for prizes meeting up with the gang at Majestic caf – the ‘in place’ to be seen – coffee and brandy was the order of the day. Off to lunch to Foz at Praia da Luz, a super restaurant on the beach which we had sampled last year – great food and wine with a variety of local dishes, ridiculously cheap at â’30 per couple. Back to the hotel at 4pm to rest before the night’s activities. At Midnight Oporto celebrates the S. Joao festival. Peter and cab collected us at 9.10pm and we are taken to Taylor’s Port Wine Lodge where the atmosphere is electric – a couple of hundred people are seated at round tables for a set menu of Kale and Potato Soup; breads; sardines; Roast Kid and Vegetables followed by Almond tart and ice cream. The best wines are served and we tried a couple of bottles of 20 year old vintage Port. The lodge is situated at Gaia on the southside of the Douro River and at 12.05am we adjourn to the terrace to watch a firework display over Porto which was out of this world – we are all stunned by the magnificence of the scene. John and Marion have to leave by cab due to John’s bruised Achilles heel while the rest of us have to walk as no vehicles are allowed in the area other than for medical reasons. The crush is worse than a cup final at Wembley, but everyone is in such great humour and it seems the whole of Oporto’s inhabitants are bashing you over the head with a plastic hammer or a long garlic plant (both old traditions) – we eventually stagger across the bridge, which had been closed at one point due to too many people on it causing it to sway. Street parties, dancing and singing all the way back to the hotel and so to bed at 3am having survived a most enjoyable adventure. Sunday 24th June:- Up for breakfast, lots of orange and black coffee seemed to the order of the day. Later collected to go to Amarante Golf Course another hour drive away. Seems we had the course to ourselves. Said to be hilly, true, difficult to find your way round at times; some spectacular holes accompanied by bangs all afternoon as S. Joao continued to be celebrated. Men versus Ladies this time, the men had no chance. Showered and changed off to a restaurant in Amarante – problem was our driver seemed to have forgotten until he was informed by Peter via mobile phone then he proceeded to drive at 120 kph to get back on track. No English spoken at all at the restaurant which made life a tad difficult. Food quite nice, but we appeared to be in a quieter mood – at our age very late nights can play havoc with some people’s constitution. Monday 25th June:- Today we are moving to the Oporto Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club, so its bag packing time as six of us are off on an adventure – a day trip on a boat up the Douro. Gerry and Catriona have done this trip before so they go back to Estela for golf. Superb weather and the trip is just fine with breakfast and lunch provided and the river is so peaceful. We make friends with Lourdes who is the tour guide. Later she is surprised to find us drinking champagne – she asks what we are celebrating, we tell her a birthday, she asks whose birthday it is and we tell her we don’t know, but we are pretty sure it’s someone’s birthday somewhere. We arrive at Regu at 4.15pm and are taken by coach for about 200 yards to the railway station where we are to continue our adventure by train back to Oporto a journey of about 2 hours. Peter meets us at the station and takes us to our new quarters at the O.C. and L.T.C. a little oasis in the middle of Oporto. Very colonial style and every one is so friendly. Shower and change and meet for drinks in the lounge before walking a couple of hundred yards up the road to Capa Ngra 2 a local restaurant where we are served by Olivetti who speaks good English and advises on the local dishes. Plenty of wine and a
Airbrush Hose Equipment
What You Should Know on Airbrush Art Paints and Tattoos by Goodness Maseko With art brush paint, depending on which brand of acrylic paint that you go with, you may need to thin it down so that it flows freely through the airbrush. Also some acrylic paints require that they be heat set if used on clothing. You can heat set by placing a protect cloth between the design and the iron and ironing the design or you can turn the material inside out and place in the dryer on high heat. If the acrylic does not require heat setting on fabrics then you should still protect the design from fading when washed. To do this place the clothing into a sink of cold water and salt and allow to soak, then the clothing can be laundered without risk of damaging the airbrush art design. Acrylic nail art paint is needed when doing airbrushing art on nails. These paints clean up with water while they are still wet. So if you do get any on the skin or another surface where not needed then clean up immediately while it is still wet. The paint will become permanent when it dries. There are a lot of possibilities with acrylic nail art paint that you can do when creating your airbrush art. Colors can be mixed to create your own unique color for your artwork. Art tattoos A fascinating form of airbrush art is the airbrush tattoos. These tattoos can be applied to any part of the body and last longer than most temporary tattoos. An airbrushed tattoo will last for 7 days unlike other temporary tattoo that start to come off when you are bathing. It takes time or baby oil to remove an airbrushed tattoo. Tattoos that are done with airbrush art look realistic compared to other temporary tattoos. To do airbrush art in the form of tattoos you will need certain products. First off you will need an airbrush gun, 10′ Hoses braded hose, stencils, glass airbrush bottles and an air manifold. Then
Binoculars Ruby
I need help choosing binoculars.?
NcSTAR Full Size Binocular – 20×70 Binoculars / Ruby coated
http://www.opticsplanet.net/ncstar-full-size-binocular-20×70-binoculars-ruby-b2070r.html
Nikon 10×50 Action Extreme Waterproof Binoculars
http://www.opticsplanet.net/nikon-10×50-action-extreme-binoculars-7245.html
one is much more magnification and clarity 20×70 rather than 10×50 but its not waterproof and requires a tripod (being so good) and has a ruby coating.
how important is waterproofing if its just for a regular first time user.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/nikon-10×42-monarch-binoculars.html
Go with the Nikons
Pet Life Vest
Pet Journey Carriers: A Necessity When You Are On The GoGo Here: birkenstock on sale Whether you’re taking a visit to your native veterinarian or a visit throughout country, the right way to transport your pets is all the time a consideration. The appropriate pet travel carriers could make your journey less hectic for your loved one pets and less of a problem for you. But what constitutes best canine carriers, cat carriers, and chook carriers? That relies upon upon your preferences, however there are many available from which to choose. Pet Wheeled Carriers Sometimes, a pet wheeled provider has a handle that makes it straightforward to pull, and a few convert to backpacks, automobile seats and beds. In the event you’re on the lookout for a multitasking wheeled dog carrier, make it possible for it is soft sided, is ergonomically contoured with padded shoulder straps, and features a safety strap that attaches to your canine’s collar. Most significantly, be sure you purchase the right dimension: small pet carriers are sometimes ideally suited for dogs as much as eight kilos; medium pet carriers are good for canines as much as 15 pounds; and enormous holds canines as much as 30 pounds. Keep in mind that the weight of your pet will not be the one think about selecting the correctly sized pet provider; the important query you should ask your self is whether or not or not your dog might be comfortable in the container. While some pet wheeled carriers resemble luggage, others resemble child strollers. You can find heavy-responsibility pet strollers that, like child strollers, have push-button folding for flat storage. Search for a stroller that has both back and front zippered entrances, as well as a mesh ventilated pet compartment. For safety’s sake, select one that has entrance suspension and locking brakes. Strollers are perfect for older or ailing pets, and work effectively for puppies and kittens, in addition to other small animals. Front Pet Carriers A front pet carrier is a styled like a vest, and permits you to carry your pet fingers-free wherever you go. Pet front carriers are perfect for just about any small animal, from canines and cats to rabbits and ferrets. You possibly can cuddle your pet in the kangaroo pouch of a pet entrance carrier and keep your animal near your heart. When purchasing for a