castle
Contuinuing on the theme of small medieval towns in Portugal, the village of Sortelha is one of the oldest. Its streets are probably some of the narrowest I saw. A single taxi services the entire town, which is mostly inhabited by retirees and those working in the village’s hotel and restaurant. It is a truly charming little place, which surrounds the ruins of a small castle.
The white buildings of Marvão, together with its medieval fortress and the surrounding farmland, make for incredible aerial images. I seized the opportunity to fly the drone over this stunning medieval town a couple of times, resulting in some amazing landscapes.
The town of Marvão is surrounded by typically Portuguese countryside. Even in the stark afternoon light, the landscape comes alive with the yellows and greens of the endless farms extending in every direction. In retrospect, I would have liked to photograph a sunrise over these fields, as I imagine the softer yellow would have made for even more breathtaking views.
Marvão is another small medieval town nested within the Portalegre district. It is known for its white buildings with colourful trimmings, and the local castle. I enjoyed a peaceful couple of days in this town. Here are some of my favourite images from my meanderings through its streets…
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.
Another spectacular spot from which to appreciate Lisbon is the lookout at Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. During the Summer, this is an ideal place to watch the sunset, as it colours the sky bright pink and purple. But don’t be fooled by the warm colours - it’s very cold up on that hill, so come prepared for some very chilly winds!
Below are some of my favourite images of one lovely sunset over Lisbon…
I recently had the incredible opportunity to spend two weeks in St Andrews, in Scotland, as a participant in the first ever Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute. Naturally, I packed my camera bag and tragged all my equipment to the other side of the world.
This was my second visit to Scotland and although I only had a couple of photography opportunities in my spare time, it again surpassed all my expectations. Here are some of my photos from an evening out in the city of St Andrews.
This is a more nostalgic blog post, with images taken a few years ago on my visit to Vianden, a charming town in Luxembourg, nearly on the border with Germany. The town is known for its 13th Century castle, built upon a hill. There is a chairlift taking visitors up to the castle, providing views of the town from above.
Here are some of my favourite images from many Summers ago, in this charming European town...
