Sidewalk in Cascais Portugal

Sidewalk in Cascais Portugal
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

This is an image I cropped out of a photograph that I took in Cascais, Portugal in July of 2001. The sidewalks in Portugal often have patterns like this, as do the sidewalks in Brazil. I took this picture because I love the patterns, and because this reminded me of walking near the beach in Rio when Mel and I visited there in 1994. To an American eye and ear, Portugal and Brazil seem very similar at first, but of course there are many differences. (The way you say refrigerator is different in Porto and in Rio, for example, and so is the brand of soft drink you might find inside the refrigerator!) Whether I am walking in Cascais near the beach, or strolling down Avenida Atlantica in Rio, you can be sure I am looking at the sidewalks as well as at the ocean, and you can also be sure that I have a big smile on my face.