Europe
Although I admittedly spent much of my time in Belgium eating chocolates and waffles, I did find some time for photography! If I am not mistaken, all the images shared here are of the little town of Bruges, which you might also spot elsewhere on my website. I would love to return some day and spend more time exploring this adorable country.
Another classic part of Oia’s landscape are its white windmills. They are actually part of a villa which can be privately hired. I presume that the residents unfortunately miss out on the very best sunset view in Santorini - that of the windmills themselves, from a nearby hill!
As we were there in the (pre-pandemic) summer, there were countless other tourists around, and with this being a coveted spot, we arrived at the lookout and set up our tripods about 3 hours before sunset to guarantee the best views. It was worth it, as about an hour later, hundreds of other people started trickling in, many with their own large tripods and cameras that they set up alongside us. So if you ever want to capture this iconic view, make sure you plan ahead and arrive early.
As I mentioned last week in my Meteora post, I will be sharing some older images from past trips over the next few weeks. The travel bug has truly bitten me as I’ve gone through my archives, and I can’t wait until I can start seeing more of the world again!
This week, I am sharing some of my favourites from Milos and Mykonos, two islands in the Cyclades in Greece. The first three are from Milos, featuring Sarakiniko Beach and Firiplaka Beach, and the final three are from the party island of Mykonos.
I’ve finally come to that time where I’ve run out of recent images to share and won’t be able to do any travelling for a little while. Work is keeping me busy, and of course, international travel is still out of the question. So for the next few months, I’ll be posting older images that I haven’t yet shared here on the blog. These will be from all over the world, but I’m starting with a few weeks featuring photos from all over Greece.
Today, I am sharing some of my favourite images of Meteora. This spectacular location consists of several orthodox monasteries precariously perched on top of finger-like rock formations. It looks like something out of a fantasy novel, and you may have spotted one of those images from elsewhere in my portfolio before. So without further ado, enjoy these photos from the good old days when travel was a much easier business than it is now!
Just a short boat ride from Peniche, on the coast of Portugal, lies the Berlenga Grande Island. The island is famous for its red fort, sitting in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and connected to the island by a narrow bridge. The Fort of São João Baptista das Berlengas was originally built as a monastery, from which monks could assist the regular shipwrecks in the area. However, the plan soon proved insurmountable - the monks regularly contracted diseases, were unable to contact the mainland, and were attacked by pirates. The ruins of what was once the monastery were restored as the fort we see today, which is now open for visitors in the Summer months.
Berlenga Grande Island is part of an archipelago, a short boat ride away from the seaside Portuguese town of Peniche. Although it is known for its fort, it is worth exploring other parts of the island itself - including a view to the lighthouse and the small beaches caved out along the coast.
Cape Carvoeiro sits at the westernmost point of Peniche, perched over the Atlantic Ocean. We visited this spectacular location on the way to Peniche, and then again on the way to the Berlenga Islands. The wind was suprisingly calm on that day, which provided an excellent opportunity to fly the drone over the area and get a bird’s eye view of the place.
The oldest of Sintra’s six castles and palaces open for visitation, the Moorish Castle originally dates back to the 9th Century. It was built as a fortified observatory, and sustained the test of time - through the Christian Crusader invasion, a fire, and two earthquakes. In the 19th Century, it was restored to its former glory by the Portuguese monarchy. To this day, it provides stunning views over the other palaces of Sintra and, on a less foggy day, the coastline beyond the town.
Sintra is a small town, surrounded by castles. It is where the Portuguese monarchy used to spend their holidays away from Lisbon, bringing their sumptuous palaces and gardens along with them. Two of the palaces we explored during our visit to Sintra on a very foggy day were Quinta da Regaleira and the National Palace of Pena. The national palace was almost entirely shrouded in mist, giving an eery atmosphere to the place.
Azenhas do Mar is a stunning seaside village north of Lisbon. It boasts two excellent seafood restaurants and two hotels, even though its population is of only about 400 inhabitants. It makes for a great overnight stay on the way from Lisbon and Sintra to the beaches further up along the coast. We spent only one night there, and made sure to stop by the lookout to watch the sunrise. It proved a worthwhile visit - we stayed for a while and watched as the colours of the sky changed dramatically over time.
Following my visit of the Tower of Belém, I stayed behind and waited for the sunset. As most tourists disappeared into the nearby restaurants, a golden light surrounded the tower and coloured the sky yellow. Soon after, a full moon had risen just behind the tower. I just wish I had had a longer focal lens with me to make the most of the moonrise at blue hour! Even so, I’m happy with several of my images from that evening, and I hope you enjoy this selection too.
The Tower of Belém is arguably one of the most recognisable landmarks of Lisbon. I enjoyed exploring it both from the waterfront, and having a look at it from the inside (which was well worth queueing up for!). If you are planning to visit, don’t miss out the top floors, which provide jaw-dropping views over Belém and beyond.
No visit to Lisbon is complete without a day in Belém. Belém offers beautiful waterfront walks, and some of the most iconic tourist destinations in Lisbon: the Belém Tower, Jerónimos Monastery, and its monuments.
Upon arriving, I took the picturesque riverside walk to the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monastery, towards the 25 de Abril bridge. It was a beautiful day with vibrant blue skies. Here are some of my images from in and around the waterfront.
