Pink statues in Santa Cruz Static festival

Static is a festival of live statues that happens in Santa Cruz, Portugal, every year during a week in August. Artists characterise themselves as a statue, with a theme, colours, make-up, and something else that only artists have, magic. There are more than 20 that show their talent in the streets of this little sea village every day. People vote on their favourite statues and on Staturday the best of the week compete for the first place. These artists spend hours without moving and they only slightly change position when someone offers a coin. During the week, Santa Cruz is quiet, even during the summer, and there is something special about walking in the streets at night, in the middle of the dead poets, listening the sea waves, watching the statues...

Pink cat running in white wall at the Bang awards

The BANG Awards is an animated film festival that takes place in my hometown, Torres Vedras, Portugal. During the festival there are several big screens scattered in the green park of Choupal, among coloured lights and coloured trees. People come and sit in the lawn watching the movies in the evening during one weekend in summertime. Movies and productions come from everywhere in the world and in 2022 I found one movie produced in partnership with Teesside University. Movies compete for several categories, including best movie, best online movie, best original soundtrack, best screenplay, or best university movie. The festival curates movies for all ages and therefore the event is a great night out for families. It is colourful, lively and family friendly.

Redinha, next to the white chapel

 

"This climbing wall is in Redinha, next to the chapel named Nossa Senhora da Estrela. It is on the top of the hill with a beautiful view over the protected landscape of Serra de Sicó. Even in the summer there is always a breeze up there and the site is popular, mainly among the young climbers, probably students from nearby Leiria Politechnic or Coimbra University. There is a tarmacked road up the hill, which is common in Portugal. To its hill its road. Therefore it is not surprising that the site is popular among young climbers, who are maybe less likely to walk far from the road to go climbing, and also to weekend drivers, who usually appear after lunch to see the view and get the fresh air. This photo was taken by one of these car visitors. She was impressed with the climber skills, myself, and clapped while I was coming down, offering me the photo via whatsapp. From the top of the hill, an invasive feature on the landscape can be observed, the forever unfinished Interpretation Center and Museum of Serra do Sico, which is no more than a scar on this protected landscape.