Tag Archives: Portugal

Aug 01 2016
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Daily Post, Landscape

Vasco da Gama bridge

Sunday 31st July 2016, 4.20pm (day 1,802)

Vasco da Gama bridge, 31/7/16

Last day in Lisbon, and this was the last thing seen in it, in the first few moments of the plane’s ascent away from the airport. The Vasco da Gama bridge crosses that wide bit of the Tagus estuary that I mentioned yesterday, and at 7.8 miles (12.3km) it is the longest bridge in Europe. Barely a quarter of its length, at a guess, is seen in this shot.

Farewell to Portugal — coming back here has reminded me why I used to like it so much. A fine country, with a lot of characteristics that some more self-important places could learn from (but refuse to).

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Jul 31 2016
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Daily Post, Transport

On the Tagus

Saturday 30th July 2016, 2.40pm (day 1,801)

On the Tagus, 30/7/16

The River Tagus (in Portuguese, Rio Tejo) rises in Spain and flows west, splitting Portugal in half as it heads for the Atlantic. A few miles from the ocean, the estuary becomes very broad, but then narrows again, making an excellent natural harbour and explaining why there has been a city here since antiquity. In the background of this shot is the Torre de Belém, one of Lisbon’s most famous buildings.

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Jul 30 2016
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Daily Post, Interior

The Initiation Well

Friday 29th July 2016, 12.40pm (day 1,800)

Initiation well, 29/7/16

This structure looks like it might be a tower, but in fact is the opposite, a well sunk into the ground. From the bottom there are tunnels to explore. The well, called the ‘Initiation Well’, can be found in the estate of Quinta da Regaleira, which is in the town of Sintra, an hour or so from Lisbon, and full of castles and palaces where the Portuguese aristocracy used to hang out to escape the heat of the city. Now it’s just full of tourists. Of which, of course, I am one. But that happens now and again.

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Jul 29 2016
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Beach time

Thursday 28th July 2016, 2.20pm (day 1,799)

Beach time, 28/7/16

Some people insist on doing this kind of thing every day on their holidays. I have never been one of them, but occasionally I indulge. Pictured at Praia da Rainha (Queen’s Beach), Cascais.

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Jul 27 2016
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Daily Post, Interior

Carmo convent ruins

Wednesday 27th July 2016, 3.00pm (day 1,798)

Carmo convent, 27/7/16

At around 9.30am on 1st November 1755, when most of the population were at Mass, Lisbon was hit by a massive earthquake. The more I hear about this the more it is clear this was one of the most devastating single events in human history. Within a very short time a combination of collapsing buildings, fires, and a tsunami had killed 60,000 people. This building, the former Carmo convent, is one of the few remaining from that date; an attempt was made to rebuild it but not that long afterwards Portugal abolished the monasteries anyway, so it was never finished (or refinished). It now stands as a memorial to 1/11/1755, and the fragility of our existence, or something like that.

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Jul 26 2016
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Street scene, Lisbon

Tuesday 26th July 2016, 5.05pm (day 1,797)

Lisbon street scene, 26/7/16

I said I was due a holiday, and so it began today: a 4.15am alarm call was the only downside. But here we are in Lisbon, Portugal — this blog’s 25th different country. Not a new one for me, I spent quite a lot of time here in 1990-91 when I had a Portuguese girlfriend for a little while (an experience I recommend if you get the chance…), but very little since. So it’s nice to revisit it. Today was just a settling in, but you’ll be seeing plenty more of it over the next few days, I guarantee it.

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