Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Circles

Circular outdoor ceiling detail of the Sushi Bar at Carcavelos beach.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Driftwood

Tagus river estuary.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

The cascade 'backstage'

I have previously posted some frontal shots of the Poets Cascade at the gardens of Oeiras Palace; these are the back stairs leading to the top.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Motherhood

Fernando Botero's 'La Maternidad' on top of Parque Eduardo VII, Lisbon.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Tile panel

It's not very common to see a curved tile pannel like this one (private house at Oeiras).

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Remnants in the river

River Tagus estuary mouth, next to Lisbon. Enlarging the photo, Bugio Islet (Fortress/Lighthouse) can be seen in the backgroud (left).

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Thai food

Sawasdee Restaurant, at Cascais (sawasdee is the thai word for welcome).

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Chimneys

Farol Design Hotel at Cascais

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Peace

Graffiti on an abandoned villa at Parede.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Spring

I know it's just a cow, but... a cow at Oeiras??? I've found this friend eating green weed near the railroad; no idea where she comes from or to whom she belongs, but this surely is an unexpected sight around here! :-)

Friday, March 20, 2009

A good example

Modern architecture can really fit in an old neighbourhood. This condominium stands next to the house shown on the previous post.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The Rocky Horror Show

Check this post for a day view of this old house.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Camouflage

Ruddy Turnstone flock (click to enlarge the photo).

Mimetism: the resemblance which certain animals and plants exhibit to other animals and plants or to the natural objects among which they live, a characteristic which serves as their chief means of protection against enemies.
(Source: biology online)

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Santo Amaro Chapel

All photo bloggers know how much more attention we pay to things that surround us from the moment we start a blog. I think this was the first time I've visited this small chapel at Oeiras, dating from 1601 but rebuilt in the 18th century.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Cycad

Endemic to many tropical and subtropical parts of the world, cycads are pretty common in public parks and private gardens.
Though they are a minor component of the plant kingdom today, their apogee took place during the Jurassic period.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Oeiras downtown

Yes, the title is right. This is Ribeira da Lage, the small river that runs through the city. The shot was taken at Jardim Municipal, the downtown public park.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Windmill

This wind mill can be seen on the first photo of the previous post.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Fancy a picnic?

This used to be the picnic area at the gardens of the palace where the Marquises of Pombal/Counts of Oeiras lived in the 18th century (Oeiras).

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The naked Truth

Eça de Queiroz (1845-1900) is considered to be the greatest portuguese writer in the realist style and one of the great figures of european 19th century fiction. His work been translated into about 20 languages.
This bronze statue, located at a little square in Lisbon downtown, is replacing the original one made of stone (1903) removed to the City Museum after beeing vandalized in the 50s.
 
A new play based on this novel can currently be seen at Teatro da Trindade, one of Lisbon old theaters.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Fast skater

Although it's still winter, the weather is great! Temperature has reached 24ºC (75.2ºF) yesterday, so beaches start getting busy.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

It all started with the house for the Hieronymite monks, a hermitage that was founded by Prince Henry the Navigator at about 1450, where Vasco da Gama and his men spent the night in prayer before departing for India in 1497. The existing structure was started on the orders of King Manuel I to commemorate their successful return, whose construction began in 1502 and took 50 years to complete. Surprisingly the building withstood the great earthquake of 1755 without too much damage.
This monastery can be considered one of the most prominent monuments in Lisbon and is certainly one of the most successful achievements of the Manueline style. In 1983 it was classified by the UNESCO, with nearby Belem Tower, as a World Heritage Site.
The building is huge, these are just partial views.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Saturday, March 7, 2009

#10

Detail of an old building façade at Oeiras downtown (click to enlarge the photo).

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A couple of days ago I was honored with this award. Thank you so much, Tricia (Bluff Area Daily), I really appreciated it.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Oeiras jungle

Old greenhouse at Jardim Municipal, the downtown park.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

The welcoming guy

Farol Design Hotel entrance at Cascais.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Bones under your feet

 
Archaeologists are working right in the middle of a busy street at Cascais a few meters from the 16th century Mother Church, which is now supposed to have been built over a Visigothic necropolis.
 

Monday, March 2, 2009

Night meets day

Click to see the moon.

Sunday, March 1, 2009