town
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.
Burano is a Venetian island full of colourful fisherman’s houses and quaint little shops. It is a short ferry trip away from Venice, but a world away in its aesthetic. The residents clearly take a lot of pride in their homes: every faccade (which originates from an Italian word - facciata -, by the way!) is uniquely decorated to suit the owner’s preferences. Burano is also much quieter than the mainland city, providing a perfect escape in the busy summer months.
From all the places I’ve ever been, Italy was definitely one of my favourites. The food, the views, the architecture, and the culture of this country are all incredible and like nowhere else in the world. Back then I used to photograph with my first ever DSLR camera, my trusty crop-format Canon 7D. Even so, I still like many of my images from Assisi, a little town in the region of Umbria surrounded by beautiful countryside.
This week’s blog post is a mishmash of a last few images of the photogenic island of Santorini, in Greece’s Cyclades archipelago. Again, you will find the relatively common white-and-blue theme, and variations on it… Next week, it’s back to the mainland for a final Greek blog post!
The villages of Fira, Imerovigli, and Emporio in Santorini are just as stunning as their more readily recognised cousin, the exclusively blue-and-white Oia. Here, the houses and churches take on different architectural styles and residents get a little more creative with their house paint colours. So here is a little more Santorini…
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.
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.
I was lucky enough to photograph the sunset over the town of Monsanto from the town’s plaza, half-way up the steep hill to the medieval ruins that sit above the city. The so-called “most Portuguese village” is truly unique, mixing natural rocks and stonework for a truly unique architectural style. I hope you enjoy the fantastic light in these images as much as I have.
Monsanto, deemed “the most Portuguese village”, is a town of small red-roofed houses interweaved with enormous rocks. Its narrow streets climb up the sides of a small cliff, from which you can gain a spectacular view of the village. The top of the cliff is also the grounds of the ruins of the town’s medieval past, with a couple of buildings still left standing.
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…
Perhaps the most spectacular views of Óbidos are from above. During my visit, I made the most of the birdseye views from the city and of the city. There are two ways to capture these images: by walking along the medieval walls that envelop the town, and by flying your drone from outside the city for a view of the castle and its surroundings. Here are some of my favourite images from both viewpoints.
Óbidos is a small medieval town to the north of Lisbon. It provides an interesting mixture of medieval fortress walls encapsulating the city, where white buildings with colourful trimmings are nestled between narrow cobbled streets. The progression of the city through the ages is clear in its eclectic architecture.
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.
When thinking about Uyuni, the first picture that comes to mind is of the white salt flats stretching to the horizon. However, there are other incredible landscapes in this extremely arid part of Bolivia. One of them is the fantastic Train Cemetery. A couple hours’ drive away lies San Cristóbal, a traditional village on the ride to the Andes from the salt flats.
Below are some of my favourite photographs from these two locations (and see this for tips on how to best explore Uyuni and its surroundings as a photographer).
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...
