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AEOLIAN RIDE
AEOLIAN LISBOA!!
LIGHTING UP LUSITANIA
 

LISBOA LOVES BIKES!
11.10.09 BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL BROUGHT THE AEOLIAN RIDE TO THE LAND OF LIGHT. IT WAS TRULY A BEAUTIFUL RIDE IN A BEAUTIFUL CITY

LISBOA MAP

photo by: Jessica Findley

 
  LAYOUT OF THE LAND
Before I even get into the ride I just wanted to show you a little bit of the city. Tiles are everywhere. Lisbon has the most beautiful sidewalks, patterned with black and white stones and multicolored wall tiles for exterior and interior use.

photo by: Jessica Findley
  UNDER YOUR FEET
My first experience with Portuguese tiles was in Macau, and then Rio de Janeiro. Its funny to experience the colony of a culture before you experience the root. You are instantly familiar with the language of the design, which is the whole point, of course, for those who colonized to feel at home in the far away land. They were really fond of the warm climates and I see why. Their country has the perfect temperature of San Francisco - but just the warm bits.

photo by: Jessica Findley
 
PATTERNS AND LIGHT
It is easy to be mesmerized by the tile work in Portugal. Lisbon is covered in hypnotic patterns. I am particularly fond of the geometric patterns. There were so many patterns from different eras. I was told sometimes people steal tiles from the walls and sell them in the street markets.

photo by: Jessica Findley
 




photo by: Jessica Findley

 

LUSITANIA
I was told that the Romans used to call Portugal Lusitania, "the land of light" - Wikipedia didn't seem to agree with this but I like this idea of the land of light very much. I felt the light in this city was so stunning and was responsible for the beauty in the spirit of so many I met there.

photo by: Jessica Findley

  RICARDO
Here is Ricardo, the champion, helped choose the route of the ride, organized and hosted me as well. He told me "Thank you" in Japanese "Arigato" comes from the Portuguese word "Obrigado". Here we are going on our test ride.Oh! I should mention that Ricardo was opening a bike shop called Ciclone that is now in business which takes used bikes and makes them beautiful. Go check it out if you are in town.

photo by: Jessica Findley
 

THE DAY I ARRIVED
We picked up my free rental bike from Didier's shop. Didier's ring tone is the pan flute call of an Amolador, knife sharpeners, who ride through the streets on bicycle, advertising thier services with melody of the pan flute.

Then we tested the route for the ride with my excellent team of volunteer helpers Joao, Nunu, Tresa, Miguel, Gonzal, Nunu #2, Duart (I can't believe I remembered all their names)

photo by: Jessica Findley

  LITTLE SLEEP & WHEELS
Being super jet lagged, testing the ride the same day I arrived, I was very excited when we got to the endpoint but misjudged a tiny curb and ate cobblestone. It wasn't so bad - somehow I seem to fall off the wagon just as I arrive to my destination. It is like pre-emptive relief.

photo by: Jessica Findley
  BABY BIKE BOOM
I am getting ahead of myself here. One thing about Lisbon and bikes which is so amazing is the spirit behind the riders. The bike scene is very young and growing there, so those who are riding are so thrilled about the growth that when they see a person on a bike pass by or a bike locked on a post near their's they get really excited.

photo by: Jessica Findley
 

photo by: Jessica Findley
  GHOST RIDER
I have only tried to ride ghostie with a bike once (where you hold one bike's handle bars to pull it along while you ride your bike). I made it to my destination but not without almost crashing into myself. It was enough for me to decide that I probably should leave it to the pros.

photo by: Jessica Findley
 
MENOS UM CARO
Never gets old.

photo by: Jessica Findley
  "BRENDT BARBUR SPEAKING"
Brendt never knows who is calling him. He's been doing the Bicycle Film Festival for 10 years now and has thousands of people calling him but he never logs them into his phone so he is always surprised when you call. It's weird, that reaction, the one people used to have before caller ID. Previously he memorized everyone's numbers too, but I think when he had over 700 numbers to memorize he stopped. I just wanted to point out the mad part of his genius.

photo by: Jessica Findley

photo by: João Quarenta

 
 

SENDING LIGHT
My speech to the riders was translated by Ricardo standing next to me. When I got to the part about my friend Malia - I couldn't help it - I got really emotional - and he stopped translating. But everyone understood. Most Lisboan's speak English. After I told them that my very sick friend loves this city and this country of light - Lusitania - and I want us to send her the light and send it to anyone in their life who is in need - they all applauded and some cried with me. People on the ride asked me - what do you think? Are we sending your friend the good light? My heart would swell with a big yes. I told Malia that I was sending her some mega energy in the morning and when it was over what it was. She said she felt something good and thanked me with her love.

photo by: João Quarenta

  OOPS
The funny part is I forgot to put the batteries in the lights and everyone was helping me put them in before the ride and this girl from Brooklyn who used to ride with Black Label just happened to see us and came and helped too. It really made the world feel small in a good way.

photo by: João Quarenta
  photo by: João Quarenta

  BABY SHOWER
This ride and the Bicycle Film Festival are like a baby shower for the bikes in Lisbon. Its exciting - there is a great amount of momentum in a small number of people. So when the police moved or stopped a car for the cyclists here they felt the pleasure of recognition and importance.

photo by: João Quarenta
  photo by: João Quarenta
  UKULELE MAMA
Everyone calls my ukulele a Cavaquinho here. Turns out it is the mama of the uke and was brought to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants in the 19th century - I read the word ukulele in Hawaiian means "gift that came" but later I found out in Hawaii it means "jumping fleas" because of the Portuguese musician's fast moving fingers jumping over the fret board.

photo by: João Quarenta

 



photo by: João Quarenta

 
 

photo by: João Quarenta
 

photo by: João Quarenta
 

photo by: João Quarenta
 

photo by: Paulo Teles

 



photo by: Jessica Findley

 





photo by: Jessica Findley

 
 
photo by: Pietro Boselli
 

photo by: Jessica FIndley



photo by: Jessica Findley

 
 




photo by: Jessica Findley

 


photo by: Jessica Findley

 
  BEST CURVES
on the route

photo by:Jessica Findley
 

 




photo by: Jessica Findley
 


photo by:Jessica Findley
 

photo by: Jessica Findley
 


photo by:Jessica Findley
 


photo by:Jessica Findley
 



photo by: Jessica Findley

 

photo by: Jessica Findley
 

photo by: Jessica Findley


 



photo by: Jessica Findley

 
 

photo by: Jessica Findley
 

photo by: Jessica Findley
 

photo by: Jessica Findley
 


photo by: Jessica Findley
  LISBOA FOR BIKES?
The cyclists asked me what did I think of Lisbon for bikes. Many people complain because of the hills - but if you know the city - you can do as San Francisco riders do as well - avoid them. Or if you want a serious workout, just muscle up them. The weather is perfect for cycling. The city is gorgeous. There are some areas where the car traffic can be very tight and difficult for a rider who isn't used to city riding. I think the more riders the city gets, more solutions for safety will be discovered.

photo by: Jessica Findley
 




photo by: Jessica Findley

 


photo by: Jessica Findley

 

 






photo by: Jessica Findley

 

 

 




photo by: Jessica Findley

 
 

photo by: Jessica Findley
 
photo by: Jessica Findley

 

photo by: Jessica Findley

 
 
photo by: Jessica Findley
 


photo by: Jessica Findley
 

photo by: Jessica Findley




photo by: Jessica Findley

 
 


photo by: Jessica Findley




photo by: Jessica Findley

 
 



photo by: Jessica Findley



photo by: Jessica Findley

 
  ANTONIO!
Antonio, later took me to a seafood restaurant Portugalia and we ate the strangest most beautiful seafood. I think it is called Precibus,which also sounds like "to understand" in Portuguese. This is ironic because when you see them you can't understand.

photo by: Jessica Findley
  PRECIBUS
I wanted to make jewelry out of the tops. You pull off the part that looks like jade embedded into rubies and you are left with a little tube that looks and feels like a tiny elephant trunk, from which you pull the meat that tastes like the sea.

photo by: Jessica Findley
 


photo by: Jessica Findley
 
photo by: Jessica Findley
 




photo by: Jessica Findley

 

photo by: Jessica Findley
 


photo by: Jessica Findley
 


photo by: Jessica Findley
 

BUBBLES DOING WHEELIES!
He held it most of the way up this long hill...

photo by: Jessica Findley

 



photo by: Jessica Findley

 
 


photo by: Jessica Findley
 
photo by: Jessica Findley

 



photo by: Jessica Findley

 
 


photo by: Jessica Findley
 


photo by: Jessica Findley

 





photo by: Jessica Findley

 
 


photo by: Jessica Findley
 

photo by: Jessica Findley



photo by: Jessica Findley
 


photo by: Jessica Findley
 
 

photo by: Jessica Findley
 



photo by: Jessica Findley


photo by: Jessica Findley


photo by: Jessica Findley




photo by: Jessica Findley

 


photo by: Jessica Findley

 




photo by: Jessica Findley

 




photo by: Jessica Findley

 




photo by: Jessica Findley

 



photo by: Jessica Findley

 


photo by: Jessica Findley


photo by: Jessica Findley



photo by: Jessica Findley



photo by: Jessica Findley
CAMPO PEQUENO
Riding around the bullfighting ring

photo by: Jessica Findley


photo by: Jessica Findley



photo by: Jessica Findley

 
 
photo by: Jessica Findley
 
photo by: Jessica Findley

photo by: nice guy
 
photo by: Jessica Findley
 


photo by: Jessica Findley

 


photo by: Jessica Findley
 


photo by: Jessica Findley

 
photo by: Jessica Findley
 
photo by: Jessica Findley
VOER COELHO
flying rabbit!

photo by: Jessica Findley
THAT SUPER BUNNY
he went a long way

photo by: Jessica Findley


photo by: Jessica Findley

photo by: Jessica Findley

photo by: Jessica Findley



photo by: Jessica Findley

 
 
photo by: Jessica Findley
 
photo by: Jessica Findley
ARRIVING AT THE THEATERHOSTING BFF
where we will celebrate our ride

photo by: Jessica Findley
 
I BET
the local police have never protected so many puffy people on bikes before

photo by: Jessica Findley
 




photo by: Jessica Findley

  ONE LAST LOOP
in the park nearby

photo by: Jessica Findley
 
photo by: Jessica Findley
 



photo by: Jessica Findley

 

photo by: João Quarenta
 
photo by: João Quarenta
 


photo by: João Quarenta
 

photo by: João Quarenta
  MIDNIGHT RIDES.
One of the riders is an Acrobat, Tina Clay. She was so excited that the bike festival was here in Lisbon because she misses bike culture. I told her to start a midnight ridazz in Portugal to make the biking event into a social one that will entice people to come out and play and that I would support her by sending the message to all the riders on my mailing list. She immediately contacted Ricardo and I think they may do it!


photo by: João Quarenta
 

RENATO
Renato worked on a movie that played in the festival called Via Stencil, where they created their own bike lane in the city of Lisbon with a stencil. Later the city came and replaced their stencil with official bike lane paint! Success!.

photo by: Jessica Findley

  DON'T THINK ONLY OF YOUR BELLYBUTTON
These are stickers that some people put on cars that park on the sidewalk.

photo by: Jessica Findley
  IT WAS SO LOVELY
To ride in lisboa. Thank you for the love you put into the ride. I know your city will only get more bike love as time goes on. Obrigada!!!

photo by: Jessica Findley
  MANY THANKS to all who participated & helped. Thanks to Brendt Barbur, Sandro D. Araújo, Ricardo Sobral and the Bicycle Film Festival & and all the volunteers for making it happen. I have huge love for the city and its people ++++, Thanks to Ricardo's Roomates for their hospitality. Obrigada for the lovely photos to João Quarenta, Paulo Teles. Thanks to Miguel Reis and Rui Soares Costa for the video! And SUPER BIG HUG to all the beautiful, wonderful riders. I hope you had as much fun as I did!