144. PORTUGAL

A street procession as part of a festival - like the Spanish, organised religion is not big any more in Portugal

This is their national dress for festivals and tourists

This gothic monstrosity is the Jeronimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an iconic Lisboa landmark

These shots from the cloisters are my favourite

The Belem Tower is the symbol to the country's Age of Discovery. It's a UNESCO world heritage monument. As I approached it I couldn't help but notice its 3 flags have seen better days...

Another interesting sculpture by the waterfront...above, not the yoghurt van...

 

  

The Discoveries Monument by the waterfront in Lisbon commemorates their navigators, best known amongst them would be Vasco da Gama. Like the Spanish, the Portuguese had ships. They seem more benign, were not known as aggressive colonisers of lands and peoples...save for the catholic faith. Portugal for a period of time was known as the poor Man of Europe. It seems to be crawling out of its pit slowly but surely perhaps aided by the EU

There is a Portuguese tart originating from the country after all not something which came out from another part of the world - this one is superb...

 






 

Cabo da Roca is a cape which forms the westernmost extent of mainland Portugal and continental Europe. The river Targus flows through Spain into Portugal and empties right here into the North Atlantic...

They take pride in this artform - sword making and armour - more for collectors and the movie industry...

Crossing the border into Portugal was an interesting diversion to take a peek into a small part of the country, chiefly its capital of Lisbon (Lisboa) and of course, Fatima - frequented by pilgrims from Singapore who have been convinced this is a must-see before-they-die kind of location...

The crypt commemorating the shepherd children who had a vision...which resulted in today's tourist trap for pilgrims...

I see the lotus adorning temples and mosques in Asia, this is the first time I see them on a Catholic church, this rooftop terrace could be an old original part of the church...

SPAIN - MORE PICS...

Sintra and in particular, Salamanca has a good number of historical buildings, some with strong Islamic influences...

This place in Sintra is best known for this craft - medals, medallions, pendants...beautifully handcrafted

Walled town in Toledo...

Recognise him? From LOTR...

Bazaar lanes - to soak in the atmosphere and colours...

When there's so much land to play with - a quiet residential area by a main road is possible - no noise no crowds....just bliss...Ommm

This grotto on the ground is quite a sight! When the tide comes in water gushes out of the opening just outside the kitchen window! It's so beautiful to live so close to Nature and to accept its eccentricities instead of fighting it - perhaps it explains why its people are so artistically inclined - their inspiration is from Mother...

Peninscola is a nice little town by the Mediterranean - picturesque, laid-back, warm and friendly...

Even their modern structures are aesthetically pleasing - this pool was for a previous Olympics...the building below a hotel office complex the Edificio Espana...

This is the Cervantes monument in Plaza Espana - Spain Square - there's a Spain Sq in every city - Miguel Cervantes is best known for his book on Don Quixote....immortalised in the bronze sculpture above with his sidekick on a mule...

During Spain's and Portugal's glory days they were adventurers and explorers. They had ships and could sail far and wide, lands were conquered and plundered, it's people too, riches from the conquered lands were shipped home to King, Queen and God. 

After the foot soldiers moved in, the missionaries came over to colonise the minds of the conquered peoples...

Their adventurers were immortalised in such tombs - names like Vasco de Gama, Christopher Columbus....the latter was Italian but because his adventures were financed by Spanish royalty, the loot went to Spain...they are just pirates...

This is the Cathedral of Cordoba which has changed hands between Christians and the Islamic Moors. The Muslim additions are further down the page.

Buildings full of character never fail to catch my eye so these posts would be chiefly buildings as Europe overall has heaps of such monuments, many of historical and cultural interest. At the end of the trip I was feeling jaded at another church/cathedral/chapel/monastery and another palace/castle...ho hum...

The Royal Palace in downtown Madrid is certainly grand. Nobody do things in half measures than, for such grandiose architecture make powerful statements of the wealth and power of its occupants and the ruling classes.....they eventually paid the price for their excesses...I like what I see for their artistic and creative beauty...it's like going through the rooms of a very large museum...

Islamic calligraphy

In Cordoba is this glorious mosque - as noted in post 145, Europe was under the Islamic Moors for several centuries - they are now reclaiming what they considered as theirs...by flooding Europe with immigrants and refugees...elsewhere in the world they are doing likewise through breeding like rabbits and what other insidious methods only Allah knows...I've seen the changes in Malaysia and Indonesia and in Hindu Bali there are now a lot more mosques...

So this is their paella (pae-ya) - this place did it well but it's possible to eat lousy ones...

Board game called parchis - looks islamic...

 





The famed Jamon Iberico hams...one of Spain's best known exports...

 

The largest bullring in the country - used once or twice a year at festivals..

Another common sight from warring times - forts on hills...

What's left of this wall is used as a road divider...

In Segovia and Salamanca, the Romans left behind a good many aqueducts. It's an ingenious piece of architecture put together without cement. They carry water like a drain and there are wider ones that boats may travel along it. The Arab Moors may have added their own style...but they were good to leave things as they are and utilised structures left behind instead of demolishing everything like what today's destructive forces are doing when they invade a place and destroy everything in its wake...most times, it's the places of worship

In Guadix there are a good many cave homes built into the cliff sides. I popped into one such home in which its owner had turned it into a museum of sorts and a souvenir shop...real neat idea.

Like a Goldilocks checking out the bears' bed...

                      

                                        OLE!