A fairy tale castle not far from Lisbon, the Pena Palace.
The Pena National Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located in Sintra, Portugal. Only a half hour drive from Lisbon, Sintra is one of my favorite cities on the Iberian Peninsula. There is way too much to see in one day, though, so you might want to stay overnight. Sintra is full of parks and palaces, it’s very near the ocean with cliff views and beaches, and there are plenty of restaurants to choose from as well.
We visited the Pena Palace in the later afternoon, after we [...]
Continue reading World Heritage Site – Pena Palace Portugal
Porto, Portugal is just one of those cities that I love to love. It has this gorgeous river, fantastic food, such a fantastic history, and the town is just laid out so beautifully.
When we were there, we rented a house with this fantastic view from Air BnB. For us, it’s such a nice way to go, especially when there are more people traveling than just Jim and me. We had five people with us, which usually equates to three hotel rooms, which ends up being more expensive than a house. The house usually comes with laundry facilities, a [...]
Continue reading Reflection #529 – Sunset in Porto
Rua Agusta Arch Lisbon
Located on one side of Lisbon’s Commercio Square is the Rua Augsta Arch. The square is a very large and open space, where people come to relax, sit and share their lunch with the pigeons or, as in the day we were there, film a movie. The imposing arch was built commemorating the 1755 earthquake which destroyed the previous royal palace. As you walk through it, you are in a walking zone filled with restaurants and shops. Even in December, people are sitting outside munching on roasted chestnuts.
Have you been to Lisbon?
[...]
Continue reading Reflection #488 – Rua Augusta Arch Lisbon
This construction crew was tearing down their scaffolding. I’ve never seen it before, so I was pretty amazed at the pattern they made along the side of the building. It was almost poetry in motion as they passed pipe after pipe down the stories of the building. This shot was taken in Porto, Portugal and is the type of shot I love…people working, people living.
What kind of shots do you like to take while traveling?
As you well know, I take laundry photos wherever I can, and here I am in Porto, Portugal. In the late afternoon walking along the Duoro River, I think this is a pretty good glimpse into what life in Porto is like for those who live in this gorgeous little city. Have you been to Porto?
Waiting for the bus on an on again off again rainy day, I kept hearing a high-pitched yet catchy whistling. I asked a lady standing near me what it was and she told me to just wait a minute. She pointed out this guy coming down the hill and whistling away. As it was the rainy season in Lisbon, no one wants a broken umbrella. It’s his job to fix them up, and he announces his arrival with a whistle. I’d never heard of such a service before. Do we even have umbrella repairmen in the U.S.? How do [...]
Continue reading Lisbon’s Umbrella Man
There are not many enjoyable ways to travel uphill, except when you have the chance to ride a funicular. I think it is aptly named, conveniently incorporating the word “fun.” What I like about this funicular is that it is right in the middle of an extremely narrow street. A street where everyday business is still being conducted. Many funiculars are up the side of the mountain or hill that no one wants to walk on, because it is too steep. It has a track and usually a wall or fence to protect people from it, but [...]
Continue reading Travel Lisbon…in a Funicular!
Driving around Portugal, I kept noticing this very red bark on the trees. It also looked like there might be a bark parasite. I don’t know what caused the phenomenon, and I don’t know if it is harmful, but I’m guessing that it is. It does make for a somewhat surreal look in the photo.
This statue, although large, is very difficult to photograph. It seems the sun never quite rose in the sky completely leaving long shadows. I took a three exposure HDR and I think it turned out quite well. I like the colors; I like the stone look, etc. What do you think?
Traipsing around Portugal, we came upon a number of bright red trees. On closer inspection, it looked like something had stripped the trees of all of their bark and left some sort of red residue. Even though it made for some stunning shots, I think it’s some sort of really destructive parasite and that just makes me sad.
|