Portugal's parliament votes in favour of same-sex marriages

LISBON, Portugal — Portugal's parliament passed a bill Friday that would make the predominantly Catholic nation the sixth in Europe to permit gay marriage.

Conservative President Anibal Cavaco Silva is thought unlikely to veto the Socialist government's bill, which won the support of all left-of-centre parties. His ratification would allow the first gay marriage ceremonies to take place in April - a month before Pope Benedict XVI is due on an official visit to Portugal.

Right-of-centre parties opposed the change and sought a national referendum on the issue, but their proposal was rejected and the government's bill was passed by 125 votes to 99.

Gay rights campaigners applauded from the galleries, hugged and kissed outside the building and ate wedding cake.

"This law rights a wrong," Prime Minister Jose Socrates said in a speech to lawmakers, adding that it "simply ends pointless suffering."

Socrates said the measure is part of his effort to modernize Portugal where homosexuality was a crime until 1982. Two years ago his government lifted Portugal's ban on abortion, despite church opposition.

Gay marriage is currently permitted in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway. Canada, South Africa and six U.S. states also permit it.

The bill removes a reference in the current law to marriage being between two people of different sexes.

"It's a slight change to the law, it's true," Socrates, the prime minister, said. "But it is a very important and symbolic step towards fully ensuring respect for values that are essential in any democratic, open and tolerant society: the values of freedom, equality and non-discrimination."

Like neighbouring Spain, which introduced same-sex marriages four years ago, Portugal is an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country and previous efforts to introduce gay marriage ran into strong resistance from religious groups and conservative lawmakers.

Paulo Corte-Real, head of a lobby group called Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual Intervention, said Portugal had become a pioneering country in gay rights.

"This is a historic moment. We just hope (the bill) gets ratified quickly," he said.

Socrates said a referendum was not necessary because the gay marriage proposal was included in the Socialist Party's manifesto in last September's general election, when it was returned to power.

In 2001, a law allowed "civil unions" between same-sex couples which granted them certain legal, tax and property rights. However, it did not allow couples to take their partner's name, inherit their possessions nor their state pension, which is permitted in marriages.

A proposal from the Left Bloc and Green Party allowing gay couples to adopt children was voted down Friday. Gay campaigners said they would continue to fight for gay couples' parental rights.

The main opposition Social Democratic Party proposed granting non-married cohabiting couples of the same sex more rights, as in France, but its bill also was rejected.

Source:AFP

Al Hamra

Al Hamra (Arabic: الحمراء‎) is a 400-year-old town in the region Ad Dakhiliyah, in northeastern Oman. It is home to the mountainside village of Misfat Al Abryeen.

Al-Hamra is also known as Hamra Al-Abryeen with reference to the Al Abri tribe who live there. Some of the oldest preserved houses in Oman can be found in Al Hamra, a town built on a tilted rock slab. Many of the houses have two stories, with ceilings made of palm beams and fronds topped by mud and straw. Visit the nearby souq and watch a halwa maker at work in the only halwa shop still operating in the old souq

Article Source: http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Hamra

Guggenheim Museum Bilboa

The Guggenheim Museum Bilboa, in Spain, was built in 1997 by Frank Gehry, a Pritzker Prize winning Canadian/American Architect. Mr. Gehry is well known for his modern architecture, much of which seems to defy logic with its curves and bends. Unlike many architects, he completed construction of the museum on time and within the original budget.

The curvatures of the museum were created using a combination of titanium, limestone and glass. The artwork protected from heat damage by the glass curtain walls that were built throughout the structure. The entire museum took three years to complete; it was started in October of 1994, and was first open to the public on October 19, 1997. Built beside the Nevion River, water reflects beautifully off the glass walls of the building that looks more like the sculptures it houses, rather than a functional museum. Even the entrance makes one commend the architect’s vision in making the building an extension of the modern art inside.

Design of the Guggenheim was created using computers due to the mathematical complexity of each curve. The resemblance of the museum to a ship was deliberate, due to the port status the town holds. If you look closely at the glass walls, you will note that they look like scales of a fish, and this fish design, which can be found in much of Gehry's work, is carried throughout the structure.

Though the magnificence of the museum itself will leave you spellbound, do not forget the brilliance of the artwork within and on the grounds of the building. Many of the exhibits change periodically, giving visitors incentive to come often, though there are permanent exhibits as well. The museum is easy to navigate, which many be surprising considering the complexity of the exterior. Gehry's creativity can be seen inside the structure, as visitors enter the atrium. Gazing up, your eyes will be drawn to the skylight, which resembles a metal flower, allowing natural light to bathe the room. A canopy covered terrace, glass elevators, a sculptural tower, curving walkways, and stair turrets are also featured in the interior design. The hours spent exploring this modern museum will be well worth the visit.

Not far from this impressive structure, still along the banks of the river, lies the Sheraton Bilbao Hotel. The hotel offers a variety of ways to relax, with an outdoor heated pool, sauna and fitness centre for your pleasure. The Café Chillida and Aizian Restaurant both serve Basque cuisine, designed to delight even the most discerning palette. Each room is equipped with modern conveniences, allowing you to enjoy your experience to the fullest. The Sheraton Bilbao Hotel is within easy access to Dona Casilda Park, where the Museum of Fine Arts resides, as well as the Euskalduna Conference and Concert Hall, making this the perfect choice to stay during your visit to Bilbao, Spain.

Article Source: http://www.travelarticlelibrary.com

Memories Of Barcelona

It was just soddin’ typical I had the seat with the broken air blower. Beads of sweat ran down my face as the temperature approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside. The smell of body odour had got progressively worse from the moment we departed for the Catalonian capital of Barcelona.

To be honest, I was one of the main culprits; my shirt had stuck to my back and needed constant peeling to allow some air circulation around my body.

“We’ll be stopping in about ten minutes at the Nou Camp. Please be back on the coach no later than 12 o’clock,” bellowed the driver’s voice over the tannoy. All I could think of at this moment was getting off and finding a shady corner with a cool breeze.

As a football fan I found the Nou Camp fascinating. Home of Barcelona Football Club, it’s a magnificent example of modern stadia, holding over 100,000 supporters when full. The size of the trophy room is testament to their successful history and standing in the European game.

Back on the coach, we headed through town and the myriad of streets lined with tall trees and even taller buildings. Every household name was present and trading with the locals and tourists drawn to this great city.

We were dropped off at the docks and as luck would have it a showboat was about to set sail offering tours of the harbour. I jumped aboard, intrigued to see Barcelona from the sea. I wanted to stand back and capture the city’s character from afar.

Immediately after setting sail the fight for shaded seats began in earnest. The clever ones had got in early, sacrificing the great dockland views to secure their seats for the long haul. The rest of us had to decide between standing at the back and suffer the impending backache, or sit in the sun and toil under the intense rays.

The backache wasn’t too bad in the end. The city looked great but some of the yachts looked even better. Back ashore I headed for Las Ramblas, a wonderful cocktail of street entertainers and market traders. Everything from children’s shoes to chickens can be bought along the famous walkway.

However, the sheer volume of tourists acts as a magnet for pickpockets and scamsters. At night it can also turn into something of a red light area. But keep your wits about you and there’s no reason why you can’t have a great time about the Ramblas.

Article Source: http://www.travelarticlelibrary.com