portuguese
The Douro is one of the largest rivers in Portugal, and flows from Spain to near the city of Porto. It is the world’s oldest demarcated wine region, and a World Heritage Site. It was a change of landscape from our travels through the small medieval towns of Portugal. Douro Valley is a great place to relax and enjoy the vibrant green landscapes, a good glass of wine, and some local olive oil to boot.
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 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.
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.
My most recent trip to Portugal started off in the capital city of Lisbon. We spent a few days there enjoying the mouth-watering food and the incredible architecture. Lisbon is famous for its painted tiles, colonial architecture, meandering trams, and colourful streets. All of which I have tried to capture a little bit off for my very first post on it. From now on, I will be posting new content from Portugal every Saturday - so check back next week for more!
