Now, this one is an exclusive that I'm really proud of! Made possible with the cooperation of my generous girlfriend (Coffecat) and some fetish friends, this is an original idea started at my 1999 summer holidays in a trip from Lisbon to Paris and London and back. From European capitals to stunning landscapes found "on the road", and also inside stores... We did it all. This unique collection of shots, in well known places, is not going to stop. Every time I go out with Coffecat I will produce some new stuff to put up here.
Don't hide, show it! I do just that, enjoy and have fun.
1999
Leaving from Portugal, on our way to France, we passed Spain's capital Madrid and also the stunning Barcelona. We were now on the Pirinees Hills. In the Winter, this same road safety rails are buried in snow. During the Summer, spectacular views over the mountains and valleys gave us the tranquility we needed to start our photo sessions. I asked Coffecat to balance herself on the top of the rail, so that I could keep the landscape in frame. Her sweet white slippers looked so nice that I had to force myself into concentrate on the artistic and technical quality of the photos. I wonder what the people in the cars passing by thought about us...
Taking advantage of our stop, we were also having a snack. So the apple came into frame to symbolize the "original sin", cameras are part of my daily work, but this were the fist fetish pictures I had ever taken. In the end, in a kind of "love for life" thing, I took some extra shots of Coffecat's white slippered feet with myself in black slippers. Now that was intense! We then got inside the car again and soon we were entering Andorra, a small and lovely autonomous region between the north of Spain and the south of France.
Yes, I was driving with my slippers on. Yes Coffecat also kept her slippers on. Yes that night we rocked!
After a quick visit to Marseille (which we were sorry to be so brief) and Lyon (a very interesting city), we arrived in Paris. The trip was a bit tiring specially because, although we were in August, we caught some rain and thunder storms on the way. The skies were dull for most of our time in Paris.
Of course we headed for the famous spots. The Eiffel Tower and the Triumph Arch. If in the former I was able to capture some late afternoon Sun light, on the Champ de Mars (name of the area around the Eiffel Tower) we had to hurry. The sky was heavy and in a split second an enormous shower soaked us... oh well, I was really "wet" at that time anyway. ;-)
One of the many things we have in Europe that underlines our technological skills (hehehe) is the high speed trains, and with the help of an incredible feat of engineering - the Channel Tunnel -, now the United Kingdom is no longer, technically speaking, an island. The Eurostar high speed trains, bring together Paris and London under a 3 hours distance.
In no time we were in Her Majesty's soil. In London the weather was no better than in Paris, which made us start missing the Sun, the cold drinks and the hot Summer nights at the beach in Portugal. Anyway we had to take the best out of it, we had been there some times before, so London was no stranger to us. Piccadilly Circus and Westminister's Big Ben was just two of the places we revisited.
To tell the truth I'm a bit fed up with the London's stress. After visiting Scotland two years ago, also in holidays, we want to go there again... I'm now dreaming on framing Coffecat's pointed feet in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Loch Ness!
But hey, Earth calling, over! We are still in London. "Sir, shall we dance?" She said.
After more than two weeks "on the road", we were now going home again. South was our direction and still in France we visited Bordeaux. Famous for it's wines, I found a big city still struggling to free it self from the heritages of a rural and old fashioned way of life. I know no such city in which so many "hyper-markets" (department stores) are gathered together, I mean, I came across literally dozens of giant stores, from general food stores to specialized ones, such as home and gardening, furniture, cars, toys, sports, you name it. I'm talking about a vast area in which anywhere you looked, one's could only see megastores. The French people definitely got a fetish for shopping!
Somehow Coffecat had a feeling about a sports megastore and, sure, I agreed with her. In no time we were inside the store and soon enough we found it - the ballet and gymnastics zone. I felt like a kid in a candy store.. hummm, so much choice. We tried on almost everything, this time she also had the opportunity to step into a pair of pointe shoes. Oh, mama! The problem was to photograph the scene, as I could not use flash and had to be very discreet about it. The usual cameras and pets prohibitive sign was very visible on the front door. I had to use a low light film in slow shutter, but managed to capture this unique pictures inside the store. I was sweating when we left with two bags of "goodies". Long life to the Decathlon megastores! Soon, right on the car parking, I was playing with Coffecat's pink slippered feet. Oh, YES!
Back in Portugal!
At last, home again. In the south margin of Tejo (Tagus) river, near the "Cristo Rei" (King Christ), a giant statue made in the 60's, one can get the best view over Lisbon. With the bridge and the sunset on the left side, everything was in place for the perfect framing. The Rhythmic Gymnastics Toe-Caps in the pictures are the ones bought in Bordeaux during our holidays. Coffecat took advantage of the moment and relaxed her feet, she looked so beautiful in that warm afternoon that, I must confess, after the photos I just grabbed her lovely feet and gave her some really tender and devoted kisses. Chuak! :o)
2000
The year 0 of the XXI century was a year of investment for me. I moved away from my parents house, bought an apartment and worked a lot to give the place my own touch. Most of the pics that you can enjoy in other sections of this web site were produced inside my own doors. So I didn't had much time for holidays. Opposite to this is the fact that on my professional activity (media), this year I had the opportunity to travel a lot. Some of those trips granted me the chance to meet, for real, other fellow ballet fetish friends.
In the end of the summer an opportunity came to meet another fetish mate. This time, Coffecat, my guest, and me traveled south near Évora and Monsaraz and we visited some archeological sites. Interesting places that show us the very beginning of human territorial possession, cult to the dead and establishing of landmarks. Instead of ballet slippers, I guess someone 7000-8000 years ago, definitively had a fetish for big megalithic rocks!
The Slipper Tour will continue, keep yourself aware for further developments. This saga can not be stopped. We will continue, until then, enjoy ballet!
