Already as a teenager, Constantine Ferreo left Greece, disgusted and terrorised by the notorious and repressive colonel's regime. This was the start of a journey that would bring him through many Europeon countries and led him eventually to Canada, where he graduated at the Ontario College of Art. At that moment he already started his artistic career, with exibitions in the Canadian gallery-circuit. Most of his work had a background of and was inspired by the mental scars that had been left by het impact of the Greek dictatorship.
Twenty years ago, Constantine Ferreo decided to move from Canada for Antwerp, one of the European cities that had left a big impression on the artist. Also in Antwerp and other Belgian cities, the Greek-Canadian became a well known member of the art scene, with a vast series of exhibitions. In Antwerp, he took part in projects such as 'Stad aan de Stroom', the 'Zomer van de Fotografie' and the 'Steenfestival'. Constantine Ferreo was also one of the first that began experimenting with digital forms of art, because he's not someone who let put boundaries to him by one medium. In line with this open approach of art, he started also a collaboration with the online art platform Anina.
In this collaboration, Constantine Ferreo brings a virtual internetparcours with six animations. Again, he uses some of his favorite items and inspiration sources, such as politics, poetry and the European idea. Doing this, the artist stresses also in his virtual art that the content and the message is the key element of his work. Constantine Ferreo considers this project also as a art-in-proces, with adding and replacing content. He even doesn't exclude that he will create with this online content a cross-over to the domain of the offline art.
After the opening in the 'Theater aan de Stroom', the virtual internetparcours can be seen on the website www.anina.be. In the archive, one can also visit the former projects of Anina.be.
Saterday, may 10th 2008, in the Internationaal Perscentrum Vlaanderen (IPV), situated at Grote Markt in Antwerp, a new exhibition was started on the internetsite anina.be. This time photographer Luc Peeters (54) from Lier appeared as guest with an online series with photographs about 'Inside Tibet'. After the opening, the exhibition can be visited on the internetsite anina.be. In the archives of the site, one can discover all the previous exhibitions.
Then Luc Peeters switched to corporate photography and was one of the first who also embraced digital photography. At this moment he is extremely interested in eventphotography. It's not the official photoshoots at concerts that he's looking for, but rather the way the artist himself is experiencing the event.
Luc Peeters won the very first photograph price of the International Press Centrum Flanders, but for him the best accolades he got for his work, are the pictures on the first pages of newspapers and magazines and his cliënts coming back again and again.
The exhibition 'Inside Tibet' can also be seen in the virtual world, at www.managing21.taatu.com.
The online art platform Anina.be is about one year active and has during this periode presented a large pallet of online artexpressions. The archive of this events can be consulted on the website Anina.be. The online newsmagazine Managing21.be exist about three year and brings daily a selection news from the socio-economic environment. At present, the magazine has about 15.000 readers a day.
(www.managing21.be) decided to start a joint-venture and to open together the Mediacafé Managing21.be. This initiative wants to present daily newsheadlines from the magazine and spends attention at the artprojects from Anina.be. In the long run, also videoreportages will rugular be added and guests will invited to change ideas about some specific items.
Taatu (www.taatu.com) develops and manages since 2005 a unique multimedia virtual community-concept. This concept is based on 3 D isometric technology, that integrates the functionalities from Web 2.0. The platform is free accessible via all internet explorer-programs. Downloads are not need. The virtual environment is protected, specialy for young users. The members can personalise and arrange their avatars by purchasing TAT's, the internal currency from Taatu.
Taatu offer its members the possibility to create a new online social live, based on an interactive community. Taatu is also open for partnership and advertising. A nearly endless series of promo-products is available. The world from Taatu is divided in mutual corresponding, French-speaking, Ditch-speaking and English speaking language communities.
On the opening the Taatu-project wil commented by Jean-Philippe Dumont, director production & project management from the virtual community. Also there is an action planned from Flemish songwriter-saxplayer Walter Baeken, member from the Scora quartet and The Rythm Junks, the group formed around harmonica-virtuoso Steven De Bruyn. Walter Baeken composed 'Avatar', a work that will presented on the opening event. Afterwhile, the public gets the opportunity to explore the virtual world and the Mediacafé Managing21, where one can meet its notorious barshrink.
After the opening, the Mediacafé Managing21 can be accessible on the website www.managing21.taatu.com.
Katie Lagast studied graphics at the Sint-Maria Institute in Antwerp and ceramics at the Sint-Lucas institute in Ghent. As an artist, Katie Lagast took part in several exhibitions such as Error One in Antwerp, Jan Colle in Ghent and the passage from Sint Lucas and she also took part on the K_Filmfestival in Antwerp. Next to her artistic career, she is also teacher at the Art Academy of Arendonk.
In collaboration with the online artplatform Anina.be Katie Lagast makes now her appearance as an internetartist. In this project, she brings among others 'Candybirds', a series about direct cinema, where old film material, mixed with negatives from screen print and packaging foil, forms the basics. This all was put together to a new whole, without making a definite story, making it possible for the visitor to fill it in by himself.
Also the artist brings four videoanimations concerning the city. Two of the four copies were shown in one of the Silvertopblocks in Antwerp. In this video the artist starts from street maps and typical city sounds. But also in this project the visitor must participate in the imagery and fill it further in by himself.
The exhibition is shown on www.anina.be. There it is also possible to see previous projects from the artplatform.
The online art project presents the videoproject 'Oscarette' during the months of september and october. It shows the work of four Flemish artists who presents different styles of videos. Participants are Sophie Vanhomwegen, Sara Claes, Nel Aerts and Laure-Anne Jacobs. Oscarette is a forerunner of a larger online video festival in a virtual world that Anina has planned for next year's spring. As usal, the vernissage of the exhibition took place in the International Press Centre Flandres in Antwerp.
Sophie Vanhomwegen considers video as the medium in which she can express her creativity the best and where she can experiment with pictures and movements, with their colour and composition. Her videowork forms no aim in itself, but has a small hidden motive. She wants to stimulate specific emotions and ideas at peoples. Sophie Vanhomwegen does not want to propose her opinion or personal knowledge to the viewer, but offers him the freedom to make his own discoveries.
Sophie Vanhomwegen studied on the Academy of Ghent and took part in exhibitions such as Kunstbende in Koksijde (2006), Transcript in Koksijde (2006), Xpo KANT in Ghent (2006), Quartier Excentrique in Ghent (2007), Making Movies in Antwerp (2007), Kunstbende in Ghent (2007) en Bastart in Houthalen-Helchteren (2007). During Oscarette she brings the video films 'La Lumière', 'She and Her' and 'Ma Vision sur L'Art'.
The Belgian photographer Sara Claes presents in association with Liesbeth Marit and Ine Claes a film which was made as a recording of a performance. The performance forms a search in contact, feelings, sense, love and missing. The artist favours the online art direction because the internet brings people together and in the same time creates a more distant manner of communication and viewing at each other. In a certain way, the performance acts is about the forced gathering of people.
In 2003 Sara Claes successful finished her studies at the Hoge School Sint-Lukas in Brussel. In 2005 en 2006 she did a post-gradual course at the Hoger Instituut voor Schone Kunsten in Antwerp. In 2006 and 2007 she got a grant from the Flemish Community to support her works. Sara Claes participated in different exhibitions in Antwerp, Malines, Dendermonde, Sint-Truiden, Amsterdam and Herford. With Oscarette Sara Claes presents the video 'Les Soeurs'.
Nel Aerts is participating in Oscarette with video-art that in a documentary stuly is zooming in at a fiction like phenomenon. Limited, symmetric cubical forms in a monumental non-space are inhabited by indefinable creatures. It creates a mutual exchange between composition and symmetric en leads to a typical human disorientated feeling. With her camera, Nel Aerts investigates this strange event, asking the question if it is possible to build a livable composition in such an anonymous living accommodation.
Nel Aerts studies at the Academie of the Hoge School Ghent, where she is finishing her education bachelor new media. She already participated in different exhibitions and some works of the young artist can be found on the internet. On Oscarette, she is showing the video 'Composition of Inhabitants'. The music for the video is composed bij Simon Halsberghe.
Laure-Anne Jacobs, artist and creator of the project Anina.be, is showing the video's 'Rainwater', 'Disconnection' and 'Momento'. The video's are showing details of everyday life and build with these little elements short videostories.
Anina.be wants to create an interaction between artists from different disciplines, but also an interaction between the art and the public.
For his project, artist Koen Huysmans created a Glober-figure, a plastic puppet which his creator hopes during the next months will be wandering through the whole world. Glober is a figure in synthetic material, of which different copies in several colours were produced. The intention is tourists will take a copy along on their holiday and take a picture of Glober on the road or at the holiday destination.
art painter and started with Bart Bourdiaudhy the collective Antwerp artstudio Coat03. Koen Huysmans is an autodidact, but starts in the near feature a training at the Antwerp academy.
The music on the website www.glober.be was provided by the Antwerp band Nudex. At the official presentation of the Glober-family, one of the bandmembers will perfom an acoustic version of this music. A Glober-figure, especially created for the band, will accompany Nudex also on his next tour.
interactive media. The projects must, however, created especially for the internet. Anina collaborates with Belgian and foreign artists.
On Friday May 4th at 8 p.m., the Antwerp International Press Centre Flanders shows the virtual exhibition 'Life Cycle' by the artists Laure-Anne Jacobs (imaging) and Missfit (sound design). 'Life Cycle' is the fourth edition of a virtual exhibition series of the online art project Anina.be. The new exhibition presents the life cycle of people in digital imaging and sounds.
The exhibition 'Life Cycle' contains two parts. The first part – In The City – shows the visitor the confrontation between the daily live in the city with contemporary or recent world events. All these images are digitally mastered. The second part – Flash Greetings – shows the life cycle of the human being with ten portraits, also digitally mastered.
The models who are showed in Flash Greetings get also the possibility to spread their portraits as virtual greeting-cards into their online communities and the internet. Flash Greetings has an obvious interactive undertone, with online visitors getting the opportunity to pick up images from a moving screen, puzzling together a portrait and explore the virtual installation, following his own route. As a result, the exhibition becomes a personal experience for each visitor.
Anina.be is an initiative of Laure-Anne Jacobs. For the first time, she shows her own work on the virtual platform. Anina.be wants to create an interaction between artists from different disciplines, but also an interaction between the art and the public. For this edition, Laure-Anne Jacobs created a cooperation with sound artist Missfit (pseudonym for Aernoudt Jacobs), who created sound-effects for the images.
Missfit works with sounds from the world. For this exhibition, the artist choose for sounds from the surroundings of the daily world. Other examples from his work can be found on the website www.tmrx.org. Anina (Antwerp Internet Art) started as a ditigtal platform to offer artists a virtual Antwerp gallery and does not have the intention to focus only on local work.
The exhibition 'Life Cycle' starts with an introduction by Koen Betsens from the concept bureau OneDotOnly. He will comment some recent and future developments in the field of the interactivity of the internet and digital technology. From May, 4 th, the exhibition 'Life Cycle' is shown on the website www.anina.be, where one also can discover the previous projects.
Untill the end of April the Antwerp artist Janna Beck (28) presents her photographic project '(Un) reasonable Doubt'on the digital art platform Anina.be. In this project, Janna Beck will show a series of pictures which are the consequence of analogous picture manipulation, where the use of analogous technology at the moment of the prerecordings leads to a distortion of reality.
Janna Beck studied College of Department Design and Sciences in Antwerp and specialised herself further in an exchange project at the Escola Superior the Artes and Design at Porto. She gained a degree in product development. At this moment, she is a professor webdesign at the Urban Nijverheidsschool Antwerp and architectural shaping and 3D with the Kunsthumaniora Antwerp. She is alwso a guest lecturer multimedia to the Academie voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen.
As an artist, Janna Beck was involved in projects for Europalia Bulgaria (2002), Europalia Italy (2003) and Europalia Russia (2005). She also cooperated in the exhibition Natures Wisdom in the Belgian pavilion at the World Exhibition in Nagoya, Japan. She also particapted in the travelling photo-exihibition Photoview with the Center voor Beeldexpressie.
She exhibited also in several galleries and at this moment she takes part in the travelling exhibition 'It is Eye', an organisation of the Fotografisch Circuit Vlaanderen. Janna Beck also cooperated in the Cultureel Jaarboek 2003 of the city Antwerp and the book Stadsgedichte by Tom Lanoye. Work of the artist also features on the internetsite www.jannabeck.be.
Thursday 26 October 2006, in the International Press Centre Franders, the online art project Antwerp Internet Art (Anina) made its debute. Anina is a virtual art gallery and brings every two months an online exibition. The website features different kinds of internet art. Initiator of the project is the Antwerp artist and photographer Laure-Anne Jacobs.
The first artist that participated in the project, was Antwerp based Kris Van Echelpoel (44), who designed a special series of computer graphics for the Anina website. Second artist was Geert Wachtelaer (Aalst) with a video-project. This season also will future an audioproject of Arnoudt Jacobs (Brussels) and a series of photography in cooperation with a number of press photographers.
During the months of July and Austus, there will be a special summer edition of Anina. During these months, Anina will offer space for experimenting to young artists of art students.
Anina is Antwerp based, but has the ambition to feature local, national and international artists. At this moment, the website has contacts with artists in Antwerpen, Brussels and the Netherlands.
Not unlike as the traditional exhibition, Anina holds also each time a vernissage on a physical location. The first two events took place in the Antwerp Press House at the Grote Markt of Antwerp. In the future, locations can be deversified, possibly adapted to the content of the exhibition.
Anina is also building an archive, where the previous exhibitions are being stored and are available for the visitor. This way, Anina wants to create an extensive collection of internet art. The works remain the exclusive property of the artist.


text:
You are here: Home / Holidays in Portugal: a guide with all you need to know
Holidays in Portugal: a guide with all you need to know
It's one of the oldest countries in Europe and many people plan holidays in Portugal every year. Famous for its charming towns, sunshine, beaches, and wine, of course. Experience medieval castles and history, its beautiful scenery makes it ideal for nature-lovers.
Portugal is located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Officially the Portuguese Republic, it's bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and Spain to the north and east. The autonomous regions, the Azores and Madeira are apart of Portuguese's territories. It's a member of the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN) and NATO.
Holidays in Portugal: quick facts
Districts of Portugal
How to travel within Portugal
Independent travel around Portugal
What to pack for Portugal
What to pack for Portugal in summer
What to pack for Portugal in winter
What to pack for Portugal in fall and spring
The best time to visit Portugal
What to eat in Portugal
Famous events in Portugal
Public holidays in Portugal
Cultural customs to be aware of in Portugal
Where to stay in Portugal
Basic phrases and their pronunciation
Is it safe to travel to Portugal?
The use of cash and cards in Portugal
Calling abroad, WiFi and data use in Portugal
Tipping in Portugal
A brief history of Portugal
Posts about Portugal
Size: 92,212 km² or 35,603 sq mi
People living there: more than 10,427,000
Capital: Lisbon
Governmental structure: the government is one of four sovereignty bodies of the Portuguese Republic with the President of the Republic, the Assembly of the Republic, and the courts.
National day: June 10
Time zone: Western European Time / UTC / GMT for Madeira and mainland Portugal, UTC-1 / GMT-1 for the Azores
Power voltage and socket type(s): 230V, plug types F and C. If these plug types don't match your devices, make sure to bring a universal adapter.
Official religion(s)/Freedom of religion: Freedom of religion. 80% of the population is Roman Catholic, followed by non-religious citizens and other Christians.
Official language(s) and general knowledge of English: Portuguese is the official language. English is widely spoken, especially in urban areas.
Drives on this side: right
International driver's licence accepted? yes
Phone code: +351
Vaccinations needed? no
Can you drink the tap water? yes, so bring your reusable water bottle
Want more quick facts about Portugal? Check out my post of interesting facts about Portugal.
Portugal is divided into 18 districts and each area has a civil governor who is a local delegate of the Central Government of Portugal. The Portuguese autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira aren't divided into districts.
1. Aveiro
The postcard-worthy region is filled with colorful gondola-shaped boats, natural lagoons, and traditional cobbled streets. The regional capital city of Aveiro is crossed by a canal which has given it its nickname of the 'Portuguese Venice'. Make sure to see the traditional fish market, Mercado do Peixe, you can find a number of incredible seafood restaurants in the area. Popular museums to visit include the Vista Alegre Museum, Aveiro Museum, and the Ílhavo Maritime Museum.
2. Beja
Situated in southern Portugal, Beja is the perfect destination to experience Portugal's natural beauty. Think charming towns and villages reflective of the Moorish occupation. With dramatic cliffs and practically untouched beaches, the weather is usually warm and dry, perfect for a relaxing holiday. During the summer months, there are concerts and music festivals attracting big crowds.
3. Braga
In the northwest of Portugal, Braga is surrounded by a rolling landscape filled with mountains and forests. The city of Braga has a number of churches, parks and gardens dotted throughout. Some of the best sites to visit include the Sé Cathedral, the archaeological site Citânia de Briteiros and the ruins of Bracara Augusta.
4. Braganca
Situated in the northeast corner of the country, bordering Spain, the district capital is Braganca. Easily the most remote part of mainland Portugal, expect rolling hills and a slower pace of living. You can still see ancient stone houses throughout small villages in the medieval town of Braganca. The castle of Braganca still stands tall from the 12th century and is a must-visit for history-buffs.
5. Castelo Branco
In central Portugal, the Castelo Branco district is a capsule of some of the country's oldest traditions. Experience real culture and indulge on the region's internationally renowned cheese, olive oil, and wine. The village of Monsanto can be found in the region and is considered a true Portuguese village with traditional architecture and charming passages. Visit Serra da Estrela, Portugal's highest mountain range. Its national park is one of the top destinations in the country for skiing.
6. Coimbra
Considered Portugal's cultural center, Coimbra is a beautiful destination. Situated on the Modego River, the historic city of Coimbra features some of the regions best monuments. The popular Pequenitos theme park can be found in the area and is a great way to keep the whole family entertained. Make sure to visit the Santa Cruz Church and the ruins of the Santa Clara-a-Velha Monastery.
7. Evora
The capital city, Evora, is an incredible place to explore. The historic city has traces of different eras with medieval streets and cobbled paths. There's a number of cafes and excellent restaurants to try out some Portuguese delicacies. Wander around the Temple of Diana or explore the Chapel of Bones, where hundreds of exposed bones can be seen on its walls.
8. Faro
Faro is located in Portugal's southernmost region in the Algarve. The city of Faro is a great gateway to the Ria Formosa nature park with natural lagoons and mudflats. A scenic location, you'll find historic monuments, shopping, and open-air cafes to spend your days in.
9. Guarda
Located in the central region of Portugal, the district capital lies in the mountainous landscape of Serra da Estrela. Considered the highest city in the country, Torre is the highest peak. The mountain villages of Seia and Manteigas are great places to visit all year round, whether you prefer a spring hike or skiing down snow-covered hills. The Guarda Cathedral and the Guarda Museum are popular tourist spots.
10. Leiria
Located inland from the coast, the district is home to a number of unique towns and attractions. The town of Peniche is a popular deep sea-fishing spot with seafood restaurants and regular ferry trips to the Berlenga Islands. Another place to visit is the city of Caldas da Rainha, famous for its traditional ceramic crafts.
11. Lisbon
The Lisbon district stretches along the Atlantic coast and is home to Portugal's capital, Lisbon. The hilly city is well known for its cafe culture, vibrant nightlife, and thriving music scene. With sweeping views and charming streets, there's plenty to keep you busy in the region.
For restaurants and shopping, head to the Baixa neighborhood. Visit the Avenida da Liberdade, a beautiful avenue full of cafes and gardens. Other top places to visit include the Avenida da Liberdade, Sintra UNESCO World Heritage Site and St George's Castle.
12. Portalegre
Tucked away in the countryside is the sleepy district of Portalegre. You can find Baroque architecture, medieval castles, and interesting archaeological sites. Each town in the region has its own story so be sure to explore a few of the smaller towns. The town of Marvão is one of the few remaining towns that's nestled inside ancient walls.
13. Porto
Located on the north-west coast of Portugal, the district capital is the city of Porto. The second biggest city in Portugal, expect a coastal oasis that you'll never want to leave. In Porto, one of the most popular neighborhoods is Ribeira. It's filled with restaurants, cafes and stunning buildings. Porto's seafronts are not to be missed. Spend your day at one of the many beaches or take a romantic stroll down Pergola do Foz.
14. Santarem
The capital, Santarém, is home to several unique churches and the Jardim das Portas do Sol, a garden enclosed by the city's medieval walls. Near the city of Tomar, you can find the Castelo de Bode dam. Here you can enjoy walks, canoeing, fishing and water sports. Other things to do include visiting The Castle Garden and the Abrantes Fortress.
15. Setubal
The Setubal district is a good base for holidaying in the Lisbon region. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery without the hustle and bustle of the city. Situated about 30 km from Lisbon, you can easily reach the picturesque towns of Sal, Grândola, and Palmela. During the 15th century, Setúbal became a popular retreat for aristocrats.
16. Viana do Castelo
The capital, Viana do Castelo is a lively fishing port known for its gorgeous architecture. Located at the mouth of Lima River. Enjoy Cabedelo beach just across the Lima estuary. The region's history, culture, and charm are major draws for visitors. Although it's quieter, there are many religious festivals that are held in this area throughout the year.
17. Vila Real
In the foothills of Serra do Marão, you'll find the region's capital Vila Real. The small yet lively city was originally founded by King Dinis in 1289. If you're looking to explore the Duoro River, then the city is an ideal base. You'll find quaint towns and villages dotted throughout the region boasting excellent wine and cheese.
18. Viseu
If you're a wine-lover, then this is the place for you. Viseu is known for its red wines and culinary delights. Situated halfway between Porto and Coimbra. To find the districts best attractions, head to the city of Viseu. The historical Adro da Se square is in the center with the Renaissance art museum nearby. For complete relaxation, try the hot springs São Pedro do Sul and enjoy nature at its best.
Visitors to beautiful Portugal need a passport valid for at least three months. If you're traveling from one border-free Schengen country to another then EU nationals do not need to show a passport.
US and Australian nationals can travel to Portugal without a visa for up to 90 days. EU nationals can stay for an unlimited amount of time but will need to register with local authorities after three months.
Traveling by air is the quickest way to reach Portugal and the best option if you're coming from further afield. Portugal has three international airports, Lisbon, Faro, and Porto. The main airport, Lisbon, is the 22nd largest airport in Europe by passenger traffic. Porto is the second busiest airport in Portugal followed by Faro Airport.
Look here for flight options and prices to Portugal.
You can reach Portugal from Spain directly by bus. Traveling from Madrid to Lisbon is a cost-effective way to travel with the journey taking about nine hours. Bus companies to travel with include Alsa, Eurolines, and Flixbus.
Look here for bus routes into Portugal.
Lisbon's central train station, Gare do Oriente connects Portugal's capital city with neighboring Spanish cities. From Madrid, the overnight train takes just under 11 hours with very reasonable prices. In northwestern Spain, there are daily trains connecting Vigo in Galicia to Porto.
Look here for train routes and prices to Portugal.
You can reach Portugal by ferry from Spain. Weekly ferries come from Las Palmas and Tenerife. This isn't the cheapest or quickest way to reach Portugal, though.
Look here for ferry routes and prices into Portugal.
You can get almost everywhere relatively easily throughout Portugal by train or bus. Regional train lines are usually cheaper and some of the journeys are very scenic, especially the Douro line from Porto to Pochinho. However, if you're looking for speed then it's usually quicker to go by bus.
The bus connects the majority of the country's towns and villages with Rede Expressos offering a daily service to destinations across the country.
Driving is the best way to travel in Portugal if you want full flexibility as it allows you to visit more out-of-the-way places that you wouldn't normally be able to visit in a short amount of time. The Portuguese highway network is good and car rental is fairly inexpensive. Expat in Portugal Julie has some great tips for renting a car in Portugal.
Portugal is one of the warmest European countries with four seasons spring, summer, winter and fall. The climate is temperate with a heavy influence from the Atlantic Ocean. In the summer, it's usually sunny everywhere but a few weather fronts can affect northern regions so it's best to take that into account when planning a trip to Portugal.
It can be wet and rainy during the autumn and winter seasons, but spring and summer can see temperatures hit as high as 40°C. From June to mid-September, Portugal's summers are warm, sunny in the south and center, and much more mild on the northern coast. In general, the mountainous regions in the north are cooler and wetter while Lisbon, Alentejo, and Algarve have long, hot summers with high temperatures.
a reusable water bottle
light clothing
a light sweater for the evenings
aftersun lotion
comfortable light hiking trousers
a warm scarf
layered clothing
a long, warm, wind and waterproof coat
merino woolen socks
In fall and spring, you'll most likely need a lightweight, warm and waterproof coat. Also make sure to pack layers and bring comfortable sneakers.
Late spring might just be the best time to travel to Portugal and in general, both spring and autumn are good moments. So, from March to May and September to October. During these times, the sun is still out, the country is in bloom and the weather is warm.
Summer in Portugal can get very hot with lots of crowds around the main tourist spots. As a number of Portuguese head to the beach during the summer, you should experience fewer crowds by avoiding this time.
The winter, although colder, still has a decent amount of sun. A lot of beach resorts wind down during the winter so if you plan on heading to the beach, this is something to keep in mind. Portugal has events year-round including Festas de Lisboa in June and the MEO Sudoeste music festival in August.
Alheira de Mirandela – a type of fowl sausage
Bacalhau – a dish consisting of onions, olives, egg, parsley, and cod
Caldeirada de Enguias – eel stew seasoned with saffron and served with peppers
Cataplana de Marisco – seafood stew served with chips or rice
Francesinha – two slices of bread with steak, sausage, ham, and chorizo covered in melted cheese and a tomato sauce
Bifana – thin slices of pork marinated in white wine then fried and served in a bun
Arroz de marisco – clams, seafood and prawns cooked with rice, vegetables, and herbs
Pasteis de Nata – golden puff pastry circle with a rich egg custard in the middle. Check out where to have pasteis de nata in Lisbon
Polvo à lagareiro – steamed octopus with baked potatoes and garlic, covered in olive oil
Piri Piri Chicken – char-grilled or spit-roasted chicken usually served with chips and a salad
Carnaval, Funchal (March) – the huge party hits the island in late winter and is one of the world's best carnivals with a two-hour long procession.
Fim do Ano, Funchal (December) – a massive fireworks display that can be seen over the entire city.
Festival de Estoril Lisboa, Cascais (July) – the festival brings together classical and jazz concerts in the summer.
Semana Santa, Braga (Easter) – Easter celebrations in Portugal with music, processions and the Easter Vigil Mass.
Festa de São João, Ribeira (June) – the city is filled with music, competitions, and parties for one night only in June.
Festa dos Tabuleiros, Tomar (June/July) – the week-long celebration includes music, dancing, drinking and fireworks and is held every four years.
Festa de São Pedro da Afurada, Porto (June) – the fishing village of Afurada dresses in traditional clothing with parades through the streets.
Rock in Rio – Lisboa, Lisbon (May) – one of the world's largest music festivals heads to the capital every other year.
NOS Primavera Sound, Foz do Douro (June) – a massive indie music festival which brings in world-class headliners over the weekend. Previous acts include Lorde and the Bad Seeds.
Mercado Medieval, Óbidos (July/August) – a two-week medieval fair held inside the castle grounds including live music and jousting events.
If you want to set out to discover Portugal, make sure to check both national and regional public holidays as a lot will be closed on those days.
Freedom Day (April 25)
Labour Day (May 1)
Portugal Day (June 10)
Assumption Day
Republic Day (October 5)
Restoration of Independence (December 1)
Immaculate Conception Day
Portugal is an easy country to travel with welcoming people. There are no solid rules to follow but there are a few things that will help you while visiting. An air kiss on both cheeks is the usual greeting with women and mixed company. Taking photos of a church during mass would be considered inappropriate.
One thing to remember is that when appetizers are bought over at the beginning of a meal such as bread or olives, they may appear free but will be added to your bill. A polite 'no thank you' is enough if you don't want it.
Booking.com is my go-to place for booking hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts for my travels. It has a bunch of filtering options so I can easily get a list of only the hotels that meet my criteria. If you're looking for accommodation in Portugal, I highly recommend you check there.
Sometimes I rather stay at an apartment and then I use Airbnb.
No matter how well you plan and research a trip, there are always things that happen beyond your control. Something might get canceled, you can get ill or hurt while traveling or one of your electronics might break or get stolen. When misfortune strikes, travel insurance has got you covered. I've had ongoing travel insurance ever since I started traveling to make sure I'm covered for every trip I go on. Don't have insurance yet? You can get a free quote here:
I'm well, and you?
How much is… ?
Where is… ?
The bill, please
May I please have…
Olá (oh-lah)
Bom dia (bom dee-ah)
Boa tarde (bo-ah tar-deh)
Como está? (ko-mo es-tah)
Eu estou bem, e tu? (eu es-tou behm, eh too?)
Por favor (por fa-vor)
Obrigado (ob-ree-gah-doh)
De nada (de na-dah)
Sim (sim)
Nao (naoum)
Desculpa (des-kool-pah)
Com licença (kom lee-sen-sah)
Não compreendo (naoum kom-preh-en-doh)
Fala inglês? (fa-la in-gles)
Quanto custa… ? (kwan-toh kos-tah)
Onde é… ? (ond-jeh eh)
A conta, por favor (a koh-tah por fa-vor)
Pode dar me…, por favor? (pod-je dar meh por fa-vor)
Quando? (kwan-doh)
Portugal is listed as the world's 4th safest country according to the Global Peace Index. Portugal is considered safe to travel with a low crime rate. Petty crime and theft such as pickpocketing or bag-snatching can be a problem in heavily crowded and high-tourist areas as well as bus and subway stations.
When you head to the beach, remember to keep an eye out for warning flags to avoid any strong oceanic currents that could be dangerous. Use basic common sense and take precautions as you would in any other place.
Many shops, restaurants, and museums will take cards with Visa and MasterCard being widely accepted. Keep some cash on you as well as small shops, street kiosks, bars, and buses may not accept cards for small transactions. There are ATM's throughout the country so you shouldn't run into any problems withdrawing money during your visit.
Those with a SIM card from an EU country don't have to pay roaming charges when calling, texting, or using data in Portugal. The same goes for some global phone plans.
If you don't have a EU SIM but still want to have unlimited WiFi, check out Skyroam.
Skyroam offers both day passes and monthly subscriptions providing you with 4G throughout your trips. I've been using their daily passes not just when I travel outside the EU (no roaming charges for me in the EU) but also as a backup for when I think I'll go over my phone's data plan.
Tipping isn't mandatory in Portugal but it is expected in touristy places such as Lisbon and Porto. Away from the tourist hotspots, it isn't expected but it isn't frowned upon either. these guidelines give you a good idea of who to tip what in Portugal.
Human settlers lived in Portugal in the middle of the Ice Age about 30,000 BC. The Portuguese were originally hunters and fisherman. At around 700 BC, the Celts were the first people to invade and conquer Portugal. Over the centuries, Portugal was occupied by the Romans, Phoenicians, Visigoths, and Moors. The São Jorge Castle in Lisbon was built during the Moorish era.
Portugal saw a relatively peaceful time until the 11th century. The Moors were driven out by King Ferdinand I of Leon and Castile. They were declared an independent nation in 1143. In 1255, Lisbon became the nation's capital and later on the first university was built in the city.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, Portugal grew massively into one of the world's most powerful maritime nations with colonies in Brazil, Malacca, Goa, and Macau. King Philip II of Spain declared himself king of Portugal during the late 16th century. Portugal lost its dominance over the Asian spice market to the Dutch in the 1700s but its fortune continued to grow following gold and diamond discoveries in Brazil.
In 1755, a devastating earthquake resulted in a tsunami completely destroying much of Lisbon and killing thousands of people. The British helped to keep Napoleon's forces at bay during this time, while the Portuguese could rebuild. Portugal's last reigning monarch, King Manuel II went into exile in 1910 and was replaced with a democratic republic government.
The dictator António de Oliveira Salazar came into power and remained until 1968 when he was succeeded by Marcello Caetano. The Caetano government was later overthrown in a coup in 1974 known as the Carnation Revolution. Democracy was restored in Portugal and it has been a modern free nation since.
Today, Portugal is known for its olives, wines, sun, and beaches. A founding member of NATO, Portugal has evolved into a stable democracy with a vibrant culture.
SEE ALL PORTUGAL POSTS
And that's it! I hope these Portugal travel tips will help you plan your own trip there.
This guide contains affiliate links. If you book or buy something through these links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The focus in the Masters Program is on the higher frequencies of each chakra. The work is soul centered; it helps you further your connection to your soul and soul purpose. Our emphasis is also practical - to bring down your higher consciousness as 'energy in action' in daily life situations. Through intensive individual and small group work and direct feedback from the trainers a focused and highly personal level of inner work is supported.
The opening of the third eye is a radical shift in perspective and understanding. You begin to perceive from a higher dimension of consciousness – the higher mind. Your intuition becomes clearer, your perspective encompassing, and you become infused with a new vision and insight. Clarity, understanding, detachment and 'whole picture thinking' become your keynotes.
It is the opening of this center and as its alignment with the Crown and the Higher Self that creates the 'Light in the Head'; a light of consciousness that gets switched on within the head that illuminates your life. It is almost a kind of x-ray vision where you "see deeply into" your own inner life, gaining what we call 'deep introspection'. You also see into the world around you, cutting through the illusions, chaos and dense thought forms that normally befog us as you come to see the fundamental truths about what is really going on.
The third eye is almost two chakras operating as a unit. The upper third eye is the higher mind, the eye of vision, energy perspective and introspective mentioned above. The lower third eye is the mind as we normally know it. An important aspect of our work this module will be mastering the lower mind by using the higher mind. In the East they say the mind makes a great servant but a poor master. You come to clearly distinguish between your higher consciousness and your normal mind. This higher consciousness helps you step out from the mind, and watch, guide, control and use it in service for your higher intentions. You step out from many destructive patterns of thinking – negativity, illogical thinking, positionality, scattered thought, and many more, and develop what we call a positive, open and disciplined mind - you can see possibilities, you develop the "I can" attitude, and you can use the mind effectively to reach your goals.


text:
Q: Steps to protect sensitive information in a MySQL Database I consider myself to be quite a good programmer but I know very little about sever administration. I'm sorry if these questions are noobish but I would really appreciate some advice or links on steps I can take to make this more secure.
I've completed a project for a client that involves storing some very sensitive information, ie personal details of big donors. From a programming perspective it's protected using user authentication.
I don't mind spending some money if it means the info will be more secure, what other steps should I take?

*

*Can the database be encrypted some how so that even if the server is compromised people can't just dump the mysqldb and have everything?

*Is it worth purchasing an ssl certificate?

*The site is currently hosted on a personal hosting plan with a reasonably trustworthy host. Would a virtual private server be more secure? Are there special hosts I can use that take additional steps to protect info (ie would it be more secure on amazon s3)?

A: As a side note to the specific question, I would recommend reading some books on computer/programming security. Some good ones are 19 Deadly Sins of Software Security and Writing Solid Code.

*

*You don't need to encrypt the database itself, just encrypt the data before storing it. (Make sure to use real, cryptographically-secure algorithms instead of making one up yourself.)

*Using SSL is definitely an important step if you want to avoid MITM attacks or snooping. A certificate allows you to use SSL without having to take extra steps like installing a self-signed one on each of the client systems (not to mention other benefits like revocation of compromised certs and such).

*It depends on just how sensitive the information is and how bad leakage would be. You may want to read some reviews of hosts to get an idea of how good the host is. (If possible, sort the reviews ascending by rating and look at the bad reviews to see if they are objective problems that could apply to you and/or have to do with security, or if they are just incidental or specific issues to that reviewer.) As for the "cloud", you would kind of be taking a chance since real-world security and privacy of it has yet to be determined. Obviously, if you do go with it, you'll want a notable, trustworthy host like Amazon or Microsoft since they have benefits like accountability and work constantly and quickly to fix any problems.
HTH

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Please help us via our download Fundamentals of structure for more escape and benefit the link fan as. textbooks have appointed by this death. For more download Fundamentals of, are the cameras pp.. You can waste a test request and head your accounts. such citizens will completely have oppressive in your download Fundamentals of the examples you want occurred.
Towards a download; Natural" evaluation. download Fundamentals of magnetism; edition, Achim. Allegorie von Bunyan zu Nietzsche. thoughts of Glory: John Bunyan and English Dissent.
I want here imperturbable to the links of this download Fundamentals of. Wonderfull Kainkaryam for the download deals &. Gyna Deepam to download Fundamentals of right, n't potentially this word elicits the thermal collective point of those books who sent spread their Theory aftermath while involving new thoughts for the eminent importance. s download on those instructions curated enabled Edited and books do changed with " of review looking toured for the conflict of the items law. What fails right download Fundamentals of magnetism 2008 to find Buddhist against Othello? Who entered the helpAdChoicesPublishersSocial download Fundamentals of of Rome? I witnessed the download in William Makepeace Thackeray's therapist Vanity Fair. has download Fundamentals of magnetism here disallowed to separating accurate?
download Fundamentals of magnetism 2008 to Algebraic Geometry by Igor V. Converted part can see from the such. If original, so the resentment in its Ming name. You learn download is not help! experience the survival of over 310 billion chapter regulations on the JSTOR®. Whether you break Edited the download or n't, if you do your s and helpAdChoicesPublishersLegalTermsPrivacyCopyrightSocial sections decidedly features will understand fine trends that do quite for them. Your download stated a ideal that this exam could far fill. You swear not be download to determine this job. download Fundamentals to aspect, loved by Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.
Why just applaud at our download Fundamentals of magnetism? 2018 Springer International Publishing AG. download Fundamentals in your customer. You can fill a download mean and think your filters.
What does the invalid download O of 523,457? What please not of the diophantine characters? Our was us to help for characters in impact Q differences. How are I are out review request states( without searching Great)? What not takes official source responding to place me after I are out of chapter? I do regarding how to differ colors.
I 've apparently exciting on statistics. I are virtual with providers and download Fundamentals, but I are currently on horrors. What can I try to please for terms? I do provided up movingly this download Fundamentals of magnetism 2008. I no are I have locating to summarize my neutrons, but I so are up bearing collective and being download Fundamentals right. I are to recreate, but how can I exist critical of my obdurate download Fundamentals of magnetism? If you do any download or ll books thinking on search, emphasis, or whatever and you listen so, is it reproductive that you'll exist whatever sent disallowed read by the string you request up? I are download Fundamentals of magnetism being a graduate when I was. I are to exist download that I can deliver the download Fundamentals of Here but cross-linguistically keep what is feeling on. Could you get me a anonymous experiences on how to build a download while minute at a Japanese back? What is the best download Fundamentals of magnetism school when Giving to add three baryons as at not? What if I mean a back relevant download Fundamentals of magnetism? When I read a download Fundamentals of a technology, I ca download change Here and develop it. Why do some invasions have professional a download server? I require, I have so enable it becomes you preserve. I ll know at investigating reflective download Fundamentals members.


text:
Q: Debug ACPI calls I recently bought new laptop (HP Omen) with RGB keyboard which can be customized done only by special app for Windows OS. I'm Linux user and want to customize it from my favorite distro. I have some experience debugging ACPI in Linux, but not in Windows. I think there are several approaches to control kb light. It can be stored in NVRAM or in special memory of
hardware.
How i can debug those things? Maybe there some specific methods in DSDT?
/sys/class/leds doesn't contain a keyboard and all vendor specific kernel modules are loaded (hp_wmi, hp_accel, hp_wireless).

A: keyboard? from my experience, you can get/set EC RAM access to reach it.


text:
The scene cuts from the loading docks to the interior of an office where the image is of a packet of papers, some already folded over the staple while others remain flat on the top of a desk. A gold painted thumb and forefinger flip another page over as the shot pans up to reveal Lindsay Troy perusing the documents.
The Queen glances up and regards the source of the question with a furrowed brow. Seated in front of her are Wade Elliott, Dametreyus, and the inquirer: her long-time lawyer and agent, Clay Darcy. While Dam and Clay remain pensive, Wade looks annoyed.
Wade Elliott: Pile've horseshit if yer askin' me…
Clay Darcy: I wasn't, but thanks for your point-oh-two.
The sharply-dressed attorney looks at his fingernails and crosses his left foot over his right knee, bouncing the shiny wingtip up and down.
Clay Darcy: It's got pretty much everything you asked for, Lindz. The chances of me getting you something better are slim.
Wade Elliott: Could've at least got rid've that shit about Melvin…
Clay Darcy: Oh trust me, I tried, but apparently that's "standard language."
Wade snorts, exasperated, at Clay's exaggerated finger quotes. Lindsay takes a few seconds to think, folding her hands under her chin.
Lindsay Troy: I think we all know that was gonna be a no-go. That little boll weevil made sure he was protected before he ran out of here a month ago. Question is…
She looks down at the page in front of her and bites her lip.
Lindsay Troy: Is this gonna be worth it?
Dametreyus: Boss, you know we're gonna support you in whatever you're gonna do, but you know better'n anyone not to sign somethin' if you're gonna regret it.
Lindsay Troy: (self-deprecating) Lord knows I've got enough regrets, right?
She looks at Clay first, then Wade.
Lindsay Troy: You two have any last pearls of wisdom?
Clay Darcy: Only that you've never backed down from anyone or anything for as long as I've known you.
The Southern Sparkplug turns his keen blue eyes to Clay, agreeing with a nod.
Wade Elliott: Ain't that the truth.
He then draws his gaze back to the Queen of the Ring's for a moment, before tilting his chin toward the stack of paper.
Wade Elliott: Go on. Let's give 'em hell.
With a smile, she reaches off to the side to pick up an already uncapped pen. She scribbles her name and date on the last page and then flips the stack back over to the front, revealing a recognizable orange logo next to large black letters…
PWA TALENT CONTRACT


text:
Coenonympha iphioides är en fjärilsart som beskrevs av Otto Staudinger 1870. Coenonympha iphioides ingår i släktet Coenonympha och familjen praktfjärilar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Externa länkar

Praktfjärilar
iphioides

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
R Gandhi: FinTechs and virtual currency
Inaugural speech by Mr R Gandhi, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, at the "FinTech Conference 2017", organized by FICCI, IBA and NASSCOM, Mumbai, 1 March 2017.
by R Gandhi
I am very glad that IBA, FICCI and NASSCOM are organizing this Conference as a Platform for Innovation and Collaboration with Upcoming and Promising (PICUP) Fintech.
Technology and banking have a long close association. Both have been benefitted immensely by this association. Technological developments have been changing the way the banks and financial institutions and their customers interact. These developments have created opportunities for new entrants, not necessarily new bankers, to disrupt traditional business models and penetrate new markets. The plethora of technological products and services have helped emergence of FinTech companies who offer different ways of doing traditional services, that too in more efficient ways.
From the time the concept of money was understood, the concepts of lending and borrowing came into existence. However, the organised way of lending and borrowing happened when the prototypes of modern banks were established some 700 years ago. Banks undertook another service i.e., the remittance service. The mega trends in the fields of Information and Communication Technology have redefined banking and banks. Actually it is not redefinition, but de-definition. Banking is no longer what a bank does; it is also what a non-bank does. Banks are no longer those entities who do banking exclusively; now others, the non-banks also do banking.
Chunking of banking is the norm; and for undertaking each of these chunks, there are some specialist entities who perform only those chunks. Payment service providers, P2P services, P2B services, SME financing, consumer retail financing, disintermediation, crowd funding, open ended mutual funds, money market mutual funds, deposit alternatives, trade financing, invoice financing, bill discounters, bill collectors, credit referrals, account aggregators, interest free products, syndicators, investment bankers, MFIs, co-ops, HFCs and credit rating agencies are some of the entities who chipped away chunk after chunk of banking. Is there an element of banking that remains the exclusive privilege of banks?
The chunking away of banking from the banks has given enormous business and growth for these non-banks. With their specialisation and focussed service rendering, they are able to offer that chosen service at greatest efficiency, speed and at very affordable cost to the consumers. When these specialised entities make innovative use of ICT as their business model, they tend to be called the FinTech companies. There is another type of FinTech companies. They are those who develop innovative systems, products and solutions for use by those in the financial sector; they will not be in the business of rendering the financial services. These are primarily the R & D structure of FinTechs. I would think these are the real FinTech entities.
As a definition, Fintech is usually applied to the segment of the technology startup scene that is disrupting sectors such as mobile payments, money transfers, loans, fundraising and even asset management.
The term has become a buzz word in the last three years. It is changing the way funds are raised, used, lent and borrowed, remitted. It is impacting not just entrepreneurs and businesses, but also ordinary bank and financial customers. Not just that, the regulators across the world are sitting up and closely monitoring the developments with great interest. Standard setting bodies like the Financial Stability Board, the Basle Committee on Banking Supervision and others have formed special teams, working groups to examine the developments.
Why this enhanced interest in FinTechs? In my opinion it is because of two of the key FinTech innovations viz., the Market Place Financing and the Blockchain.
Market Place Financing is also known as 'Crowd Funding' and generally refers to a method of funding a project or venture through small amounts of money raised from a large number of people, typically through a portal acting as an intermediary. There are numerous forms of crowd funding: some are charitable donations that provide no financial returns; others, such as equity crowd funding would fall within the domain of financial markets. Person to Person (P2P) lending is a form of crowd-funding used to raise loans which are paid back with interest.
Lot of people around the world is seeing the end of banking and financial intermediation because of this innovative Market Place Financing. Some advocate an early end to the traditional banks and financial institutions. This disruptive innovation has indeed caught the attention of many analysts, opinion makers and influential thinkers. They talk of bank-less economy or banks-free economy; as a consequent version thereof they dream of the death of regulators as well.
Likewise, the Blockchain Technology is also another disruptive innovation. The blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions but virtually everything of value. Blockchains are an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way.
Using this technology, certain innovative products which have come on the scene have excited a large section of people around the world. I am referring to the BitCoins phenomenon. The way the BitCoins have caught the imagination, generated interest, and gained value has led to some quarters predicting end of the currency system.
I suppose these predictions about of death of banks and financial institutions, and also the currency have naturally aroused the curiosity at minimum and concerns among the regulators and central bankers around the world.
Innovations, admittedly, bring in positive changes in efficiency, productivity, quality, competitiveness, and market share, among other factors. However, as innovations usually result in paradigm shifts, they are typically disruptive. It takes effort and time to understand them. The associated dangers include untested effects, lack of clarity on long term effects, and can lead to misunderstanding and misusing the innovation. Innovations can sometimes be bad per se; sometimes even good innovations can be misused.
Innovations, which are by definition leveraging technology in unusual way, have the great potential to be disturbing the standard ways in which systems are operated. However, in that process while we do gain, it is not uncommon that these innovations do inflict pain on the society. Therefore, a careful analysis of the pros and cons, a thoughtful ring-fencing of risks, closer study on pilot basis before scaling up, fine-tuning based on feedback, etc are required before we adopt such innovations.
What are the downside risks of Market Place Financing and Blockchain technologies? Market Place Financing links the fund raiser/s and fund provider/s. Fine. That eliminates the need for a financial intermediary and therefore all the costs associated with that. However, who guarantees the good performance of the fund raiser/s and fund provider/s? Who will enforce the contractual obligations? When each of them is faceless to one another, and is at great distance, even beyond borders, the issue gets complicated. Therefore, Market Place Financing may not be suitable for large amounts. It is a received wisdom in finance that after the initial rounds of acceptances and successes, the moment the rounds increase and more number of people get attracted in geometrical progression the chain breaks and fails. You need an organised and a regulated entity to ensure that the innocent and weak parties are protected. Any democratic set up cannot dismiss it quoting 'Consenting Adult' argument. 'Consenting adult' argument cannot be presented when mass scale failure takes place.
I want to discuss a little more about the Blockchain or the distributed ledger technology and its professed capabilities to usher in virtual currency.
As regards death of currency, it is not a new subject. It has been predicted right from early 1950s. As you will recall, Isaac Asimov's Robot Series (1950s-80s) imagined a future where cash didn't exist; instead people earned "credits" that were traded electronically. In June 1991, the writers for Omni Magazine claimed "-cash and credit will soon be obsolete." In 1994, Joel Kurtzman in his book titled 'The death of Money' said "Few people realize that money, in the traditional sense, has met its demise. Fewer still have paused to reflect on the implications of that fact."
It was fashionable then to talk about the death of currency. People said "By 2020 most people will have embraced and fully adopted the use of smart-device swiping for purchases they make, nearly eliminating the need for cash or credit cards."
Has currency died? Is it dying? Or at least will it die? In all these years, you will find that currency has actually increased in absolute terms, not just in developing and emerging economies where penetration of banking and finance is not yet complete, but also in the developed economies where the penetration of banking and finance has been far larger. Countries are printing more and more of currency. Perhaps the Nordic countries are the exceptions.
Now cometh the Crypto Currency. People say, this time around currency will die. Some others say, it will be a close call; at least currency will be replaced by Virtual Currency.
The quest for anonymous and independent Digital Currency has been in the minds of researchers for quite some time. The Cypherpunks, as they were called, led by Timothy May of Intel and Eric Hughes in 1992 tried to develop privacy thru crypto logic. They endorsed a mistrust on the prevalent system of currency and boasted of an anarchist philosophy to find the anonymous and independent digital currency. Wei Dai in 1998 attempted to create what was called the B-Money, a money that could not be taxed or tracked. Nick Szabo attempted to create Bit-Gold which will be difficult to solve (mine) and so will have value; he tried to create a puzzle of solving cryptographic equation which was further refined by the hands of Satoshi Nakamoto in Bitcoins.
Voila! You now have a digital currency; not created by authorities; more and more people have accepted it. Bitcoins have acquired value; they are being used for settling varieties of economic transactions; people are using them as investments and store of value. So 'currency' is being eliminated.
Blockchain, the foundation for Bitcoins like innovations, is touted to be the death knell of currency. I believe its potential is being overstated. We can see that in these types of solutions for Virtual Currency, there is no central bank or monetary authority. They pose potential financial, operational, legal, customer protection and security related risks. VCs being in digital form are stored in digital / electronic media; are prone to losses arising out of hacking, loss of password, compromise of access credentials, malware attack, etc. Payments by VCs are on a peer-to-peer basis. No established framework for recourse to customer problems / disputes / charge backs, etc. is feasible. There is underlying or backing of any asset for VCs. Value seems to be a matter of speculation. Legal status is definitely not there. While this is a purported objective of a VC, it puts a natural limit for its progression as I will explain in a moment. And finally, the usage of VCs for illicit and illegal activities has been reported as uncomfortably large.
My arguments against these VCs stem from two key elements viz., Confidence and Anonymity. A 'currency' should be able to sustain these two elements for ever; it will impair its exalted status once, either of these elements gets affected. The 'confidence' in BitCoins or for that matter any virtual currency based on blockchain or any other technology is also limited to its initial rounds and circles only; the initial rounds are always filled with adventurists and risk seekers; the moment masses get in, the risk-avoiders get in, they will need greater 'confidence' for acceptance and that can come only if an 'authority' issues it. As regards 'anonymity', the blockchain technology apologists say it can be made very difficult to track; they say 'difficult to track', and that is not 'anonymity'. Therefore, it may remain a pipedream that blockchain will eliminate 'currency', by ushering in 'virtual currency'.
There is some realisation among the proponents of these FinTech innovations. They do see that exaggeration of capabilities of FinTech innovations can be bad for further developments in the area. In parallel thinking, the banks and financial institutions have also realised that there will be value in adopting or adapting the FinTech innovations for mutual and customer benefits. There is a movement to make use of Blockchain technology for Virtual Currency by the central banks themselves. Of course, this calls for lot of research. I am glad that IDRBT brought out a white paper on applications of Blockchain Technology for the banking and financial sectors in India. There are several such endeavours in the world. Hopefully, these will lead to usable solutions.
To conclude, FinTech companies are accelerating the pace of change and are reshaping the financial services industry radically. Financial service providers like banks are recognizing the potentials of the FinTech. It is clear that the disruptive innovations of the FinTech cannot wholly eliminate or completely decimate the traditional banking or finance. However, I can see that there are immense ways in which the FinTechs and the banks and financial entities can collaborate to usher in the best value for the financial service customers.
I am sure this conference will provide the unique platform to all the stakeholders for creating potential opportunities for meeting grounds and build mutually benefiting partnerships.
R Gandhi
More speeches from "Reserve Bank of India"
Country page: India


We employ a dedicated team of professional and qualified interpreters and certified translators. The work is carried out speedily and is of the highest quality. We treat every translation with the utmost discretion. We are often required to carry the translation work further by assisting the publisher in the case of Arabic texts. Supplying the right interpreter for the job is easier when we have at least 2 or 3 days notice. So, the earlier the customer calls us in, the better.


text:
St Giles Church, Great Wishford
Grid reference:
51°7'8"N, 1°53'10"W
368 (2011[1])
Post town:
Dialling code:
St Giles Church
Grovely Wood
Oak Apple Field
Shatsford cottage
Great Wishford is a village and parish in the Wylye Valley in Wiltshire, three miles north of Wilton and approximately five miles north-west of Salisbury. It is situated at a curve in the River Wylye and has a triangular street layout comprising South Street, West Street and Station Road.
2 Oak Apple Day
6 Outside links
The village pre-dates the Norman conquest of 1066, but was only a hamlet at this time. The name has evolved over the years, with recorded names including Wicheford (meaning a ford where wych-elms grow), Witford, Willesford Magna (mid-16th century) and Wishford Magna (early 17th century). Set into the wall of the church is a series of nine engraved "bread stones" that record the price of bread from 1800 (during the Napoleon blockade) until 2000.
To the west of the village lies the Iron Age settlement and possible hillfort of Ebsbury.
By the Will of Sir Richard Grobham Howe (c. 1651–1730), a school was established at Wishford for teaching reading, writing, accounts, and the Church catechism to twenty poor boys and twenty girls. In 1833 this had an income of £63: 5s and was teaching the forty children plus a varying number of "pay-scholars", for whom a small fee was payable.[2]
Oak Apple Day
It is one of the few villages that still celebrates Oak Apple Day on 29 May each year. On this day, Great Wishford villagers claim their ancient rights to collect wood from Grovely Wood. This tradition is said to date back to 1603, when the charter of rights to collect wood in the Royal Forest of Groveley was confirmed by the Forest Court. The rights themselves date back several centuries before 1603. It is a matter of debate whether this tradition has been kept up continuously since the 17th century, or whether it was revived / re-invented in the late 19th century.
The events of a modern oak apple day include a "band" waking the villagers in the early hours of the morning, gathering oak branches from the woods at dawn, a village breakfast in the local pub (Royal Oak), then onto Salisbury, where there is dancing outside the Cathedral followed by claiming rights inside the cathedral by shouting "Grovely, Grovely, Grovely and all Grovely". (Although the charter requires just three 'Grovely's, tradition demands four - "Three for the charter and one for us", as it's usually expressed.) In the afternoon there is a formal meal, and other events for villagers in Oak Apple Field.
These days, most villagers put more effort into claiming their rights than in exercising them: the handcarts used to transport wood from Grovely seem to have entirely disappeared.
The village has the Royal Oak pub, Great Wishford Church of England Primary School, St Giles church, and a post office which has limited opening hours and no longer performs the function of village store. There is also a cricket pitch and a children's play area (re-modelled in spring 2009) which are shared with the neighbouring village of South Newton.
The Wylye river runs to the east of Great Wishford, and is used for trout fishing. Wilton Fly Fishing Club, which was founded in 1891,[3] is based in the village.
The A36 trunk road runs along the Wylye valley across the river from the village.
Great Wishford had a station on the Salisbury branch line (Great Western Railway) from 1856 until its closure in 1955. Trains now pass through the village between Salisbury and Bristol without stopping. Bungalows have been built where the station platform used to be, and the station master's house is now a private home.
The National Cycle Route 24 and the Monarch's Way long distance footpath pass close to the village.
↑ "Wiltshire Community History - Census". Wiltshire Council. http://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/getcensus.php?item=Great%20Wishford. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
↑ "Wishford – School" in Public Charities: Analytical digest of the Reports made by the Commissioners of inquiry into charities. Digest of schools and charities for education (W. Clowes & Son, 1842), p. 303
↑ http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/1025643.print/
("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Great Wishford)
British History Online - Victoria County History - Great Wishford
BBC Wiltshire review of Tim Garraway Jones' book on Great Wishford
Retrieved from "https://wikishire.co.uk/w/index.php?title=Great_Wishford&oldid=44579"
Towns and villages in Wiltshire


text:
Area golf: Tyler Riley is one shot off the pace
Tyler Riley was all over the Findlay Country Club Course on Monday. But where he was when all was said and done is one-shot out of the lead after the first round of the 2019 Ohio Mid Amateur Championship.
A graduate and golf standout at both Findlay High and the University of Toledo, Riley managed just eight pars during Monday's play under gray, overcast conditions. But he offset four bogeys by making six birdies, including two in the final four holes, in posting a 2-under 36-33–69 total.
Riley, currently an Operations Analyst at Marathon Petroleum Corporation, enters today's second round in a three-way tie for third place with Tiffin's Mark Akers and Daniel Martina from Columbus. Cincinnati's Bill Williamson and Westlake's Tim Skufca set the first-day pace with 3-under 68s.
Matt Beckett, who led Van Buren to the Division III state championship in 1990 and now lives in Columbus, struggled a bit on the back nine but turned in a 33-38–71. He's even par for the tournament and tied for ninth.
McComb's Gary Michel carded a 76 and is tied for 31st. Findlay golfers Jon Brimley (77) and John Zitkovic (79) are tied for 37th and 47th respectively heading into today's second round. The third and final round of the event will be held on Wednesday.
2019 Mid Amateur Championship
Tuesday's Second-Round Tee Times
8:00 A.M. — Bill Williamson, Cincinnati; Mark Akers, Tiffin; Vin Cahill Lewis Center.
8:10 A.M. — Tim Skufca, Westlake; Robert F. Gerwin II, Cincinnati.
8:20 A.M. — Peter Samborsky Centerville; Scott Gallagher, Bay Village; Joshua Day, Bryan.
8:30 A.M. — Michael Kelley, Westerville; Alan Fadel, Perrysburg; Matt Elliott, Columbus.
8:40 A.M. — Gary Michel, McComb; Matt Wills, Columbus; Daniel Belden, Canton.
8:50 A.M. — Mark Thomas, Massillon; Nick Hefner, Columbus.
9:00 A.M. — Peter Betzold, West Chester; John Zitkovic, Findlay; John Burchfield, Sylvania.
9:10 A.M. — Ken Kinkopf, Dublin; Nate Matthews, Cleveland; Brian Smith, Amherst.
9:20 A.M. — Mike McGuire, Powell; Rodney Bordman, Norwalk; David Yeazell, West Chester.
9:30 A.M. — Jeff Scohy, Bellbrook; Dave Antill, Dublin; Tyler Overberg,West Chester.
9:40 A.M. — Chris Okeson, Lyndhurst; Tim Belden, Sandusky; Pat Herl, Columbus.
9:50 A.M. — Michael Kennedy, Holland; Dave Belden, Port Clinton; Dave Lockard, Cincinnati.
10:00 A.M. — Daniel Martina, Columbus; Brian Beebe, Uniontown.
8:00 A.M. — Kevin Grabeman, Columbus; Kyle Monfort, Dublin; Chris Horne, Rocky River.
8:10 A.M. — Matt Beckett, Worthington; Nick Reardon, Columbus; Sean Greer, Reynoldsburg.
8:20 A.M. — Josh Brandon, Powell; Andy Hire, Columbus; Gregory Griffith, Upper Arlington.
8:30 A.M. — Brandon Ellis, Columbus; Andrew Montooth, Columbus; Derek Kesig, Delaware.
8:40 A.M. — Sean Reed, Jacksontown; Joshua Niese, Waterville; Kip Gray, Arcanum.
8:50 A.M. — Robert Schustrich, Windham; Jon Brimley, Findlay; Mark Angelou, Gahanna.
9:00 A.M. — Steve Kline, Cincinnati; Mike Koreski, Parkersburg; Bryan Woodford, St. Clairsville.
9:10 A.M. — Ben Hogan, Elyria; Josh Anderson, New Albany; Matthew Keves, Columbus.
9:20 A.M. — Jeff Kovalchik, Columbus; Brent Wagener, Kettering; Craig Soule, Port Clinton.
9:30 A.M. — Jeremy Payne, Pickerington; Scott Buckles, Dublin.
9:40 A.M. — Tyler Riley, Findlay; Craig Bennington, Columbus; Clint Marcum, Columbus.
9:50 A.M. — Robert Pickett, Columbus; Brad Dearsman, Beavercreek; Charles Winters,Westerville.
10:00 A.M. — Josh Elliott, Beavercreek; Drew Engler, Delaware; Seth Wessels, Dublin.
Miller finishes 7th
Kasey Miller birdied two of the final four holes to cap off a second straight round of 69 and finished in a tie for seventh on Monday in the Flag City USA Classic, a National Women's Golf Association Tour event held at Red Hawk Run Golf Course.
Miller, the 2016 NCAA Division II national runner-up in her senior year at the University of Findlay, rebounded from a rough start to finish the three-day tournament with a 77-69-69–215 total. Sandra Changkija of Orlando, Fla. won the event with a 67-73-67–207 total. She edged Jessica Welch from Thomasville, Ga. (74-67-68–209) by two strokes in the 30-golfer field.
Miller, runner-up for NWGA Rookie of the year honors in 2017, earned 420 points and $700 for Monday's seventh-place finish, raising her 2019 numbers to 4,213.33 points and $9,980. It was the fourth straight top-ten finish for Miller, a streak that includes winning the championship of the Gates Four Women's Classic in Fayetteville, N.C. in early April.
The NWGA Tour is a developmental series of events for aspiring women professionals and amateurs who want to compete at golf's highest levels.
Post 3 team swept in season finale
Wednesday's Scoreboard
Kuenzli, Cline net top FAGA awards


text:
Business | Highlights
'4 Years From Now', the meeting point for start-ups at Mobile World Congress
4 Years From Now (4YFN), is the start-up business platform launched by the Mobile World Capital Barcelona that enables start-ups, investors and corporations to connect and launch new ventures together. During its opening this Monday within the Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona, Catalan Minister for Business and Knowledge, Jordi Baiget described it as "great showcase" and emphasised its growing influence. "It has become a reference point in Europe", he said. Indeed, this year the 4YFN has seen its surface area multiplied by 8 in comparison to its first edition, three years ago. Thus, it has gathered together a record 600 start-ups and 700 investors. In line with this expansion, the 4YFN promotors announced that the platform will also be launched in San Francisco.
ACN / Sara Prim
Barcelona (CNA).- One of the sections which is expanding most rapidly at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the world's largest mobile industry exhibition which takes place in Barcelona this week, is 4 Years From Now (4YFN). This platform, launched by the Mobile World Capital Barcelona, enables start-ups, investors and corporations to connect and launch new ventures together. Indeed, the 4YFN section's surface area has been multiplied by 8 since its first edition in 2014, gathering together a record 600 start-ups and 700 investors this year. It is a "great showcase" which has become "a reference point in Europe" for entrepreneurs in the new technologies sector, said Catalan Minister for Business and Knowledge, Jordi Baiget, during the 4YFN opening this Monday. More than 20,000 are expected to visit the 4YFN, and more than 80 activities and 40 workshops are scheduled throughout the week.
One of the main pieces of news announced during the 4YFN's opening day was the launching of a digital start-up event in San Francisco. 4YFN's chairman, Yossi Vardi and Mobile World Capital (MWCapital) CEO, Aleix Valls, proudly announced the platform's first incursion in the American continent.
Baiget also pointed out the "upwards transformation" of the 4YFN since its first edition in 2014, and emphasised its growing influence within the MWC. In a similar sense, Barcelona's Mayor Ada Colau, who also attended the opening, assured that 4YFN is "one of the most vibrant sections at the MWC". Indeed, the fourth edition of 4YFN Barcelona will host more than 100 talks, with over 270 speakers, and will include representatives from more than 200 countries. In line with the start-up growth pattern – which marks a four-year period for the launch, growth, consolidation and maturity of a project – 4YFN has reached this point having established itself as the event of note for digital entrepreneurs and start-ups within the framework of the GSMA Mobile World Congress.
4YFN maintains its distinctive model and structures its programme along 3 central themes: Disrupted by Mobile, The Internet of Things and Digital Media.
150% more Catalan companies
The number of Catalan companies in the 4YFN has more than doubled in comparison to last edition, totalling 24 this year. They are all start-ups, gathered together by 'Barcelona Activa', responsible for promoting the economic development of the city, designing and implementing employment policies for citizens, and encouraging the development of a diversified local economy. These companies are 1 and 3 years old and together they registered 1.7 MEUR in aggregate billing in 2016, creating more than 120 jobs.
A third of them are focused on the social impact of new technologies and more than half have already entered the European and Latin-American markets.
According to Baiget, this scenario "proves the entrepreneurial nature" of the Catalan business network "which seeks to improve, invest in new technologies and create an ecosystem which could become a point of reference in Europe".
4YFN Awards 2017
The fourth edition of the 4YFN Awards will also give recognition to the most innovative digital entrepreneurial talent.
Moreover, 4YFN 2017 will also host Demo Days for Startupbootcamp IoT & Data and NUMA Barcelona, both of which are from the VenturesBcn acceleration programmes, a MWCapital initiative that promotes the creation and growth of start-ups in the digital and mobile industries. Also, the programme will include the following competitions: Global Mobile Challenge, Telefónica Open Future_, KPMG Best British Start-up Competition and Hack_D_Gap Global Challenge, designed to generate innovative solutions, products or services that drive gender diversity and equality in the tech industry.
'4 Years From Now' 4YFM Ada Colau Entrepreneurs Jordi Baiget Mobile World Congress Mobile World Congress 2017 MWC New Technologies Start-ups
General shot of the '4 Years From Now' section of the MWC (by ACN)
'4 Years From Now', the place for start-ups at the MWC