Back in Porto

Outside my office window there’s a driving wind from the southwest today, with slanting snow and ice. Through the visual static, I can barely see the house across the street, or the brave woman hunched over, walking her little dog. This is normal Montreal weather for March.

What I’m witnessing reminds me of a cold war-era black-and-white TV, always on the fritz. You play with the antenna, bang the side of the TV, hoping to fix the picture and understand what they’re trying to show you. You turn the knob, smell the ozone. On every channel, the same white noise, the same buzzy veil of static. The same jumpy, incomprehensible world. Not unlike the present times, I suppose.

I offer the photo above as a respite from all this heavy weather. Titled “Back to Porto,” I took it in July 2018, in Portugal, and this is the first time I’m showing it.

You’ll find more photos like it — maybe too many more — at my new website, TAKEN. You can also get there by clicking on Spyro’s Photos in the header above. (Or by laboriously typing out spyrorondos.com on your web browser.)

Please have a look. Let me know what you think. (There’s a contact page on the site.) I’ll be updating TAKEN regularly with new photos and removing those that no longer strike my fancy.

We’re leaving for the island of Crete soon. Expect new words written, new photos taken.

Thanks.

20 thoughts on “Back in Porto”

  1. What a great initiative! You’re inspiring me! Off to Spain tonight ! I love Porto and Montreal has been annoyingly traditional in its winter scene this year. Looking forward to being bedazzled by your images!

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    1. Thanks, Isobel. Enjoy Spain. It’s the perfect time to be in the Mediterranean. Spring arrives sooner and the tourists are still at home.

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  4. As usual, some poignant metaphors: “The same jumpy, incomprehensible world”.

    Pundits struggle to understand this terrifying environment, but artists cut right to the essence. 

    Looking forward to even more words and images

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  5. So pleased to see an entire website dedicated to just your photography, Spyro, you make the world a better place!

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    1. Thank you! Making the world a better place is a bit lofty (and laughable), but I accept the exaggeration. BTW: I tried commenting on your Cover to Cover post but can’t seem to figure it out. Anyway: This is one of the great Elvis songs, and as much as I admire Sinatra, I’m not sure I like the “swingin'” treatment. Having said that, Sinatra came to his senses because business is business. This is the comment I was trying to make. And as I’ve written earlier, I have great interest in historic flotsam related to pop songs (reminds me of Bing Crosby’s duet with Bowie, which I actually saw “live” on TV — that’s how fucking old I am). Thanks for dredging up this one.

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      1. Oh, you mean Sinatra’s swinging ‘Love Me Tender’? Yeah, it doesn’t quite work does it? But seeing the two of them singing together is pretty crazy 🙂 Did you ever see the parody of that Bing and Bowie duet? It’s played totally straight, word for word, until right at the very end… https://youtu.be/EJBFD-Wvc7U?feature=shared

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        1. Oh, that’s hilarious. Don’t know how I missed it. I used to watch Funny or Die with my sons — big fans of Will Ferrell and John C. Rilley. Thanks! Just as surreal as the original.

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  6. Interesting analogy regarding snow and televisions; my brother has never forgotten how he missed ABBA wining the Eurovision Song Contest as he was on the roof moving the aerial to try and get a better picture! Bit left of field but thanks for stirring my memory.

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      1. Strangely no bearing in mind the effort he went to. He had all Nana Mouskouri’s records though…………….

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  7. I was always telling myself while reading your blogs, (that always included a couple of amazing pictures), that you might have tons of pics that didn’t make the article, that would be great to share, and I see that you finally granted my silent wish!. Thanks for that! Have a great trip and waiting for the new pics and words 🙂

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    1. Thank you, Julio. Always great to hear from you and maybe someday we can get together. As you may or may not know, we now live in Saint-Lazare, which makes running with people difficult (though not impossible). Which is why I run far less (in volume and distance) than I used to. Oh well. All the best to you and your family.

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