Wandering without a specific destination is one of my favourite hobbies. This gives me the opportunity to sometimes find out either something 'precious' or someone special. This happened to me a few years ago. Rambling in a Lisbon high-class residential district a bit distant from my place, on a somehow steep street, the farther I walked it up, a strange outdoors display was getting closer to me, making me get puzzled by such a big volume of miscellaneous items. I was curious to understand what that was. As I stopped just in front of it and peeped into a very narrow entrance I saw a man working inside a tiny space. He was a shoe cobbler...
We started talking and since then he has become my shoe mender. Perhaps I should say he is jack of all trades, a master of shoe mending.
Inside the store, we see seemingly chaotic shelves of shoe polishes leather cleansers, needles, threads and so many items that are not directly related to his job. Many of them are dusted over from years of quiescence
He does good work and has these pretty birds that I took a picture of in a cage but he often lets them fly out of the cage even outside which is nice.
Armando is very proud of his activity that has been in the hands of his family for over one century. Last century, his grandfather was already a shoe cobbler and so was his late father.
He has skilled hands and he always tries to do his best so as to please his customers. Even if he is requested to do something like a chef knife set case....
Super nice guy Armando is... He always provides an incredible service ...
~~ Thanks for stopping by ~~
Artisans and tradesmen such as Armando are unfortunately disappearing in the modern world. He should be treasured and given business to keep his trade alive for perhaps the next generation, also!! Thanks for introducing us to this interesting character.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Mitch! It's so sad to see how nowadays these traditional jobs are disappearing. Our times are characterised by use and dispose in every aspect. This is the society of today.... Thanks for visiting and commenting.
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