Out walking, pounding the streets of Barcelona.
Photographs
Moon rise this evening near to Cadaqués.
Outdoor spaces at Salvador Dali’s house in Portlligat, Spain.
This morning’s view.
The Caixa Forum, Madrid.
When I was younger and my grandfather came to visit he use to give me the empty end of an ice cream cone. I never knew the reason why, and asking my mother she does not know why either? My wife and I were eating at this very good Gelato place in Possanco, Comporta called Gulato, and I was reminded of my grandfather’s gifts as I bit down towards the end of my cone.
By the way, I can’t say enough good things about Gulato. It is a bit off the beaten track but still not far away from everything else in the area. Hunt it down. Lovely staff, the owner trained in making Gelato in Italy. Delicious gelato all made on the property. A beautiful location.
Some friends in Alcácer very kindly arranged a sunset boat ride for us along the Sado River yesterday evening. This was completely unexpected and a lovely gift. The boat was solar powered and so there was no noise of an engine or exhaust fumes. There was just the sound of water lapping against the boat as we sailed forward along the river, of fish jumping, of the wind blowing through the grasses at the river’s edge. This made for a very relaxing trip.
Drinks and snacks were provided for the ride. The boat’s captain, Manual, shared with us the history of the Sado River, once a busy trade route through the Alentejo area of Portugal and further afield. Earlier that day a new Alcácer acquaintance shared the trade that use to take place between Alcácer do Sal and Cornwall, England. Cornwall had tin and this was used for making steel in Portugal. With the history of human settlement in the Alcácer do Sal area going back 40,000 years, the river has been an important trade route for a long time.
Chatting, eating, drinking, watching, listening, laughing.
If you find yourself in Alcácer do Sal, look up Sunrice boat trips. A good host, great company. We had a wonderful evening.
Views along the Sado River at sunset.
Heavy skies over the beach at Carvalhal yesterday while we were out walking. That said it was warm when the sun broke through, and some people were I the water. The threatening clouds came to nothing.
Pine trees to distant rice fields.
Shall I, shan’t I? …. I did.
I walked past this gentleman a handful of times as l was running errands in Lisbon. He appeared totally engrossed in reading his newspaper. Something I rarely see these days. Phones yes, I’m on mine now, newspapers no.
As unobtrusively as possible, I took the shot.
These two donkeys lived in the hotel grounds that we stayed in while down in the Algarve over the weekend. They were not always in their corral, but sometimes were wandering the grounds. On our return one afternoon, the older one greeted us with some loud braying as we got out of the car and walked towards him.
Fresh fruit. Young grapes on the vine growing above us, and providing shade from the sun.
Ciao!
This way.
An Algarve morning.
This is one way to protect your car from the heat of the day.
Shapes and shadows by a pool of water.
Yesterday’s exhibition. Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira at the Gulbenkian Museum. He is so prolific, even into his 90s, that I found the exhibition exhausting. Fascinating, inspiring, but exhausting.
Church, Vila Ruiva, southern Alentejo.
Spotted while driving through Vila Ruiva is southern Alentejo today. A little bit of searching online revealed this information on the insect zoo.
I found this cage with Budgerigars in the Center of Alcácer. Next to it was a similar cage with pigeons. I don’t know what or who they were for? It has obviously been there for a some time - though how long, I don’t know?
I miss maps, old paper maps that you could spread out over the floor to plan your route. That you could fold up to hold on your lap with the section of the map that you were traveling through. I loved looking over them to see all the details they hold - thinking here especially of the British Ordinance Survey maps. Maps that you could stick pins in of places visited and draw out roads traveled.
The Sado estuary.
Another photograph of Cais Palafitico da Carrasqueira, the ramshackle, zigzagging, interlocking piers on wooden stilts, near to Comporta in Portugal. There have been other photographs of the same area here on my website. It’s a very photogenic area.
Barrosinha, Alcácer do Sal.
Images of Design Week in Lisbon.
Some of welcome relief from the hot sun yesterday afternoon in Lisbon.
Checking out the wine.
Monsaraz - one street of maybe two.
At Barrosinha nr, Alcácer do Sal
