fog
Despite the fact that my inadequate footwear kept me mostly stranded in the middle of South Bay, having to take all photos from pretty much one single location, this was still one of my favourite sunsets I have seen in New Zealand. The golden light rolling over the hills bounced off the coarse beach gravel, giving it a sparkling quality. The low mist added some drama to the scene, blurring the trees behind. This is one of my fondest memories of the sleepy coastal town of Kaikoura.
Unfortunately our visit to Piódão was not a particularly lucky one. The town was shrouded in mist throughout our stay, and it rained quite often. Nevertheless, the eerie atmosphere of the part-time ski-destination, part-time sleepy village made for some interesting photos. We were lucky enough to get excellent views out of our hotel room, overlooking the town and the surrounding cliffs.
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.
