Batalha - 28th of April 2008

My guide said that the dominican abbey of Santa Maria da Vitória is a UNESCO Heritage site and a masterpiece of Portuguese
gothic architecture, famous though for Manueline elements. We found there the tomb of João I and of his English wife Philippa of Lancaster, as well as of Henry the Navigator, one of their sons.

I found a place that I've seen before, that amazed me with its stained glasses and the colors reflected on the ground of the church.

Alcobaça - 28 de Abril de 2008

For those who don't know, Alcobaça has Portugal's largest church, Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça, founded in 1153. This church is linked to a tragic event, I would say even to some kind of obsession maybe triggered by grief. Among those buried in the church are the "tragic lovers" Kind Pedro and his murdered mistress Inês. Pedro, son and heir of Afonso IV had to marry Constantza, Infanta of Castile, even though he was in love with a lady at court, Inês de Castro. When Constantza died, Pedro went to live with Inês in Coimbra but convinced that she was a danger for Portugal, Afonso IV had her murdered. After his death though, Pedro took revenge, killed her killers and had Inês's corpse exhumated and crowned. He also compelled his court to kneel before Inês and kiss her decomposed hand. The kind insisted that their tombs face each other so that his first sight on Judgement Day would be of his beloved. Impressive, romantic but freaky story.
This is one of my favorite places and the church is absolutely amazing, gracious, I would say baroque and beautiful.

Fátima-orthodox Easter, April 2008

The Catcher in the Rye

Yellow Algarve

A terceira vez

I start being a master in landscapes and forget about people, and this is not my aim. Tranquility brings landscapes into my life, when I am fascinated by a ray of Sun on a tiny blade of grass, or by its audacity after a storm, or by the colors and feast it offers to my eyes.

Serra da Arrábida e Tróia - 24 de Fevereiro de 2008

Mountains in Continental Portugal can be easily climbed and this is when I miss climbing for hours and hours our mountains-a nostalgic feeling that I didn't use to have before starting to love the mountains-because yes, I am addicted to the sea, I love the sea, its life, its waves, its power, colours and beauty. Even though I am not saying anything new here, the measure of greatness was more visible for me when being on top of a cliff, when climbing the highest mountain I got to see or just when looking at the flight of a seagull, at its grace and freedom.