Riding a bike is for all ages

bicycle_culture_P4070167, originally uploaded by Fernanda Correia & JP Esperança.

Me riding a bicycle

ha'u sa'e bisikleta iha Íllavu 1, originally uploaded by Fernanda Correia & JP Esperança.

Bike racks at the city hall

And Monty Python's bicycle culture: Bicycle repairman :-)

Found in Copenhagenize...

Roof tops in Quintans

Bicycle culture

Bicicletas_em_Ilhavo_4
Originally uploaded by J.P. Esperança

An East Timorese girl riding a bicycle in Ílhavo

Who believes publicists?

Who believes publicists 1
Originally uploaded by Fernanda Correia & JP Esperança

Supposedly women who drink this water (that tastes like tangerines!?!!) will have bodies like this...

Who believes publicists?

Who believes publicists 2
Originally uploaded by Fernanda Correia & JP Esperança

Who believes publicists 3
Originally uploaded by Fernanda Correia & JP Esperança

A normal newspaper kiosk in the sidewalk in Portugal

A normal newspaper kiosk in the sidewalk in Portugal, originally uploaded by Fernanda Correia & JP Esperança.

Iha Portugál la iha sensura...
Em Portugal não há censura...
In Portugal there's no censorship (unlike prudish countries like Australia or USA)...

Freedom of expression was one of the achievements of the Carnation Revolution in 25 April in Portugal. In 2006, Portugal was ranked at number 10 on the Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders. (Wikipedia)

the times they are a-changin'

Old and new times

Do you like coffee?

bica, originally uploaded by Fernanda Correia & JP Esperança.

Saint John march in Malhada

Marchas_de_Sao_Joao_da_Malhada_1, originally uploaded by Fernanda Correia & JP Esperança.

Saint John march in Malhada, Ílhavo, about four decades ago.

Our Lady of Fatima - Nossa Senhora de Fátima

Quintans train station

Bicycle culture means you go anyway even if it rains

Saint Philomena

Azulejo panel showing Saint Philomena (Santa Filomena).

More bicycles

Quintans chapel

Went shopping - bicycle culture

Bicycle Culture - A few more shots

Our Lady of Fatima

Azulejo (ceramic tilework) portraying Our Lady of Fatima (Nossa Senhora de Fátima).

Bicycle Culture 3

I’m a regular reader of Copenhagenize. Recently I posted a comment in a debate in that blog about the use of bike helmets. Here’s what I wrote:

I am from Portugal, a country known for its petty prohibitions and regulations. In Salazar and Caetano times (before the “Carnation Revolution” of 25th April 1974) there were silly prohibitions like drinking Coca Cola and bringing it into the country, use a lighter in public without a proper official license (the license could be bought and its price in 1970 was enough to buy 60 newspapers or almost 200 pieces of bread – but it was only good for your personal use, a friend couldn’t borrow your lighter to light his cigar or he would be fined and the lighter apprehended), etc… For a long time it was also mandatory to have a license to ride a bicycle and when I was a kid (I’m 35 now) our bicycles were required to have a license plate. And I had to go to the city hall when I was around ten to get my “rider’s license” – a card with a photo in it stating that the bearer was legally authorized to ride a bike. No one talked about helmets for bicycles in those times. But there was some debate about it a few years ago, even if it was only for a short time. Nowadays people are still riding bikes without helmets in my home town, the exception being bike racers training and one or two goofy individuals who probably moved here from Lisbon. Personally I agree with the guy who says that "helmet legislation is harmful to bike culture and society". You use it if you want, but don't try to make others use it.

Link.

The burning of Judas

The burning of Judas (queima do Judas) is an old Easter tradition in Ílhavo. Dummies are made to resemble people from town (or at least they try) and signs or posters are hanged in them with satirical remarks about the actions of the portrayed in the previous year. Many of these remarks are about local politics. Then in Easter the dummies are burned. These photos are from 2006.
You can see more about this tradition in Wikipedia here.

What happens when there are no bike racks?

Well, every bicycle around here knows how to stand on its own two feet wheels…

Bicycle Culture 2