Blog (7)

Portugal (5), Porto

Oct 2, 2021 Blog gallery of 6 photos Travel Portugal

Porto, Portugal — Porto or Oporto is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Located along the Douro River estuary in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centres, and its core was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996, as 'Historic Centre of Porto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar'. The historic area is also a National Monument of Portugal.

Palácio da Bolsa, Porto, Portugal — The Stock Exchange Palace (Portuguese: Palácio da Bolsa) is a historical building in Porto, Portugal. The palace was built in the 19th century by the city's Commercial Association (Portuguese: Associação Comercial do Porto) in Neoclassical style. It is located in the Infante D. Henrique Square in the historical centre of Porto, designated World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Highlights of my vacation in Portugal. Fifth part: Porto. See the complete set.

Portugal (4), From Lisbon to Porto

Sep 30, 2021 Blog gallery of 12 photos Travel Portugal

Cabo da Roca, Portugal — Cabo da Roca is a cape which forms the westernmost point of the Sintra Mountain Range, of mainland Portugal, of continental Europe, and of the Eurasian land mass. It is situated in the municipality of Sintra, near Azóia, in the southwest of the district of Lisbon. Notably the point includes a lighthouse that started operation in 1772.

Peniche, Portugal — Peniche is a seaside municipality and a city in Portugal. It is located in the Oeste region, formerly Estremadura Province.

Óbidos, Portugal — Óbidos is a town and a municipality in the Leiria District of Portugal.

Nazaré, Portugal — Nazaré is a municipality located in the Oeste region and Leiria District of Portugal.

Mosteiro de Alcobaça, Portugal — The Alcobaça Monastery (Portuguese: Mosteiro de Alcobaça, Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça) is a Catholic monastic complex located in the town of Alcobaça, in central Portugal, some 120 km north of Lisbon. The monastery was established in 1153 by the first Portuguese king, Afonso Henriques, and would develop a close association with the Portuguese monarchy throughout its seven-century-long history. The church and monastery were the first Gothic buildings in Portugal, and, together with the roughly older Augustinian Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, it was one of the most important mediaeval monasteries in Portugal. Due to its artistic, cultural and historical relevance, it was included in UNESCO's World Heritage Site list in 1989.

Mosteiro da Batalha, Portugal — The Monastery of Batalha (Portuguese: Mosteiro da Batalha) is a Dominican convent in the municipality of Batalha, in the district of Leiria, in the Centro Region of Portugal. Originally, and officially, known as the Monastery of Saint Mary of the Victory (Portuguese: Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória), it was erected in commemoration of the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota and would serve as the burial church of the 15th-century Aviz dynasty of Portuguese royalty. It is one of the best and original examples of Late Flamboyant Gothic architecture in Portugal, intermingled with the Manueline style.

Mosteiro de Cristo, Tomar, Portugal — The Convent of Christ (Portuguese: Convento de Cristo/Mosteiro de Cristo) is a former Catholic convent in Tomar, Portugal. Originally a 12th-century Templar stronghold, when the order was dissolved in the 14th century the Portuguese branch was turned into the Knights of the Order of Christ, that later supported Portugal's maritime discoveries of the 15th century. The convent and castle complex is a historic and cultural monument and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.

Highlights of my vacation in Portugal. Fourth part: from Lisbon to Porto.

Portugal (3), Lisbon

Sep 28, 2021 Blog gallery of 6 photos Travel Portugal

Praça do Comércio, Lisbon, Portugal — The Praça do Comércio is a large, harbour-facing square in Portugal's capital, Lisbon, being one of the largest in Portugal, with 175 by 175 m (574 by 574 ft), that is, 30,600 m2 (329,000 ft2). Facing the Tagus (Tejo) to the South, the city square is still commonly known in Portuguese as Terreiro do Paço as it hosted the Paço da Ribeira (Royal Palace of Ribeira) until it was destroyed by the great 1755 Lisbon earthquake (the subway station located there is still called after the old name of the square). After the earthquake, the square was completely remodeled as part of the rebuilding of the Pombaline Downtown (Baixa), ordered by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, who was (chief) Minister of Portugal from 1750 to 1777, during the reign of the Portuguese King José I.

Arco da Rua Augusta, Lisbon, Portugal — The Rua Augusta Arch (Portuguese: Arco da Rua Augusta) is a stone, triumphal arch-like, historical building and visitor attraction in Lisbon, Portugal, on the Praça do Comércio. It was built to commemorate the city's reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake. It has six columns (some 11 m high) and is adorned with statues of various historical figures. Significant height from the arch crown to the cornice imparts an appearance of heaviness to the structure. The associated space is filled with the coat of arms of Portugal. The allegorical group at the top, made by French sculptor Célestin Anatole Calmels, represents Glory rewarding Valor and Genius.

Highlights of my vacation in Portugal. Third part: Lisbon. See the complete set.

Portugal (2), Sintra

Sep 26, 2021 Blog gallery of 3 photos Travel Portugal

Palácio da Pena, Sintra, Portugal — The Pena Palace (Portuguese: Palácio da Pena) is a Romanticist castle in São Pedro de Penaferrim, in the municipality of Sintra, on the Portuguese Riviera. The castle stands on the top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains above the town of Sintra, and on a clear day it can be easily seen from Lisbon and much of its metropolitan area. It is a national monument and constitutes one of the major expressions of 19th-century Romanticism in the world. The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. It is also used for state occasions by the President of the Portuguese Republic and other government officials.

Castelo dos Mouros, Sintra, Portugal — The Castle of the Moors (Portuguese: Castelo dos Mouros) is a hilltop medieval castle located in the central Portuguese civil parish of Santa Maria e São Miguel, in the municipality of Sintra, about 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Lisbon. Built by the Moors in the 8th and 9th centuries, it was an important strategic point during the Reconquista, and was taken by Christian forces after the fall of Lisbon in 1147. It is classified as a National Monument, part of the Sintra Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Palácio Nacional de Sintra, Sintra, Portugal — The Palace of Sintra (Portuguese: Palácio Nacional de Sintra), also called Town Palace (Palácio da Vila), is located in the town of Sintra, in the Lisbon District of Portugal. It is a present-day historic house museum. It is the best-preserved medieval royal residence in Portugal, being inhabited more or less continuously from at least the early 15th century to the late 19th century. It is a significant tourist attraction, and is part of the cultural landscape of Sintra, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.

Highlights of my vacation in Portugal. Second part: Sintra. See the complete set.

Portugal (1), Lisbon

Sep 23, 2021 Blog gallery of 12 photos Travel Portugal

Convento da Ordem do Carmo, Lisbon, Portugal — The Convent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Portuguese: Convento da Ordem do Carmo) is a former Catholic convent located in the civil parish of Santa Maria Maior, municipality of Lisbon, Portugal. The medieval convent was ruined during the sequence of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, and the destroyed Gothic Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Portuguese: Igreja do Carmo) on the southern facade of the convent is the main trace of the great earthquake still visible in the old city.

Buildings with Azulejo, Lisbon, Portugal — Azulejo is a form of Portuguese and Spanish painted tin-glazed ceramic tilework. Azulejos are found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, ordinary houses, schools, and nowadays, restaurants, bars and even railways or subway stations. They are an ornamental art form, but also had a specific functional capacity like temperature control in homes.

Ascensor da Glória, Lisbon, Portugal — The Glória Funicular (Portuguese: Ascensor da Glória) is a funicular railway line in the civil parish of Santo António, in the municipality of Lisbon, Portugal. It connects the Pombaline downtown (at the Restauradores Square) with the Bairro Alto (Garden/ Overlook of São Pedro de Alcântara).

Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal — The Alfama is the oldest neighborhood of Lisbon, spreading on the slope between the São Jorge Castle and the Tagus river. Its name comes from the Arabic Al-hamma (الحَمّة), meaning 'hot fountains' or 'baths,' akin to 'hammam' (حَمَّام). It contains many important historical attractions, as well as an abundance of Fado bars and restaurants.

Castelo de São Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal — São Jorge Castle (Portuguese: Castelo de São Jorge) is a historic castle in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, located in the freguesia of Santa Maria Maior.

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Lisbon, Portugal — The Jerónimos Monastery (Portuguese: Mosteiro dos Jerónimos) is a former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome near the Tagus river in the parish of Belém, in the Lisbon Municipality, Portugal; it was secularised on 28 December 1833 by state decree and its ownership transferred to the charitable institution, Real Casa Pia de Lisboa. The monastery is one of the most prominent examples of the Portuguese Late Gothic Manueline style of architecture in Lisbon. It was classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the nearby Tower of Belém, in 1983.

Padrão dos Descobrimentos, Lisbon, Portugal — Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries) is a monument on the northern bank of the Tagus River estuary, in the civil parish of Santa Maria de Belém, Lisbon. Located along the river where ships departed to explore and trade with India and the Orient, the monument celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery (or Age of Exploration) during the 15th and 16th centuries.

Torre de Belém, Lisbon, Portugal — Belém Tower (Portuguese: Torre de Belém) is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It was built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance, and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style. Since 1983, the tower has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Jerónimos Monastery.

Lx Factory, Lisbon, Portugal — In 1846, one of Lisbon's most significant factories, the weaving and textile company Companhia de Fiação e Tecidos Lisbonense, found its home in Alcântara. In the following years, the 23.000m2 industrial site was occupied by the food processing company Companhia Industrial de Portugal e Colónias and by printers Anuário Comercial de Portugal and Gráfica Mirandela. After years of being hidden from the public eye, this little fraction of the city has now been unveiled and returned to the community in the form of Lx Factory. This creative hub is fuelled by companies and industry professionals, but it has also been brought to life by an array of different events in fields such as fashion, advertising, communication, multimedia, art, architecture and music, among others, which have encouraged countless visitors to rediscover this part of Alcântara.

Highlights of my vacation in Portugal. First part: Lisbon. See the complete set.

Today I published my new site. The previous one was hosted on SmugMug, and I was very happy with it. But the cost of Power plan, necessary to use my own domain, was not justified for an amateur photographer like me. Moreover I took the opportunity to merge my portfolio site with my blog that were a self-hosted Wordpress blog. If you are technically savvy, and you want more information on how I created this site, you can read the techical about. Read more...

The Tenset

Dec 16, 2009 Quote Quote Photography Web

I’ll come right out with this…I wish every photographer’s website started out with the ten pictures (of their own, I mean) they love best. Call it a tenset to give it a name…a set of ten. A core set. A key set. A photographer’s ten best, or ten favorite, or ten most characteristic pictures, up front. Even if they recur in later categories.

Mike Johnston — The Tenset — The Online Photographer