- Via crucis
One of the chapels on Via crucis - Via crucis
- Via crucis
Moss on the chapel roof. A lot of moss. - Bom Jesus do Monte
- Bom Jesus do Monte
- Bom Jesus do Monte
The church was built in 1722-1725-1784-1811... I don't quite understand it. - Bom Jesus do Monte
The Five senses zigzag stairway and the cost of arms of the Archbishop of Braga. - Bom Jesus do Monte
Terracota sculptures, depicting the Passion of the Christ - Bom Jesus do Monte
Four of the Five senses fountains: vision, hearing, smell and taste. - Bom Jesus do Monte
Strong contrast between wet stones and recently painted facade - Braga
Another gorgeous house! - Altar das relíquias
There seen to be a lot of relics here... And below all these figurines there are the remains of S. Clemente. - The gardens
- Strelizia
You can see the colour of the sky :-/ - Bom Jesus do Monte
One last look of the church and the upper section of the stairs. - Rain
It was raining - pouring - all day. - Guimarães castle
The castle was built under in the 10th century to defend the monastery from attacks by Moors and Norsemen. WHO?!? - Guimarães castle
The entrance towers were added in the 13th century. - Guimarães castle
The castle was built by Mumadona Dias. She was a Countess of Portugal and ruled from about 920 to 968. - Guimarães castle
The entrance is not very welcoming. - Guimarães castle
The main tower - Church of São Miguel do Castelo
A Romanesque church, where "apparently" Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal was baptized... Others claim that the church was built about a hundred years later. Oh well. - Church of São Miguel do Castelo
Simple and stunning interior. - Palace of the Dukes of Braganza
Entrance to the medieval palace - Palace of the Dukes of Braganza
The doors. After being in ruins for several centuries, the palace was finally restored in the mid-twentieth century. - Palace of the Dukes of Braganza
Medieval indeed. - Palace of the Dukes of Braganza
The palace was built around 1420. - Palace of the Dukes of Braganza
More fancy medieval lights. - Palace of the Dukes of Braganza
Sabres, dating from 18th century. - Palace of the Dukes of Braganza
Banqueting Hall. The roof is built as an unturned boat and there's the famous Pastrana Tapestry that portrays the Storming of Asilah. This is one of the four tapestries, commissioned by king Afonso V to celebrate the successful conquest of the Moroccan cities of Asilah and Tangiers in 1471. However, the original tapestry is in Spain and the Spanish goverment has "allowed" the reproductions to be made and displayed. - Palace of the Dukes of Braganza
The lighting in the Banqueting Hall. - Palace of the Dukes of Braganza
The chapel - Duke of Braganza's bedroom
- Catherine of Braganza's bedroom
- Guimarães Castle
- Guimarães
- Guimarães
A Christmas tree made of plastic bottles. - Guimarães at night
- Largo da Oliveira
- Guimarães Castle
- Capo di Stella
View of the Lacona beach - Isola di Montechristo
Ahhh, the famous Montechristo island. - Porto Azzurro
Via Nardelli Vincenzo - Porto Azzurro
Passegiatta Carmignani - Porto Azzurro
- Porto Azzurro
- Chiessi
- Capoliveri
- Iron mines
Laghetto delle Conche. There was almost no lake there. But the colours were spectacular! - Iron mines
- Laghetto delle Conche
There was almost no water in the lake - but just enough to capture these reflections. - Laghetto delle Conche
Dried up lake - La Calcinaia
- Rio nell'Elba
- Via del Volterraio at night
And Scorpius underneath the Moon. - Jewellery
Some jewellery in Capoliveri - Via Luperini
View from Via Luperini on Capoliveri - Monte Capanne
View from the Capoliveri peninsula - Agave blossom
- Monte Capanne
- Sunset on Elba
View from Via Luperini - Moonshine
A yacht a night. In moonshine! - Elba aquarium
A jellyfish - Elba aquarium
- Elba aquarium
- Elba aquarium
- Elba aquarium
Someone's hiding here. - Elba aquarium
- Elba aquarium
- Elba aquarium
That is a Sea pen (pennatula). An animal. - Elba aquarium
- Elba aquarium
And these are shark eggs. - Elba aquarium
Aquarium in Marina di Campo - Elba aquarium
A piranha - Elba aquarium
A sawfish bone - Elba aquarium
- Moonset
- Sintra forest
Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais. If there is a magical forest, this is it. - The entrance
The entrance of the Convent of the Capuchos (Convento dos Capuchos), or - as it is officially called - Convent of the Holy Cross of the Sintra Mountains (Convento de Santa Cruz da Serra da Sintra). Founded in 1560 and inhabited until 1834. One of the Crosses in the courtyard of the Crosses. - Boulder Gate
The formal entrance to the Convent. - Sintra forest
Late afternoon in the forest of Sintra-Cascais - Courtyard of the Bell
The entrance to the Convent. Two paths around the cross symbolise the free will of the ones entering. - Courtyard of the Fountain
Stone benches and the fountain that gives the name to the courtyard - The Cork Convent
The Convent is insulated with cork, hence the alternative name "Cork Convent". The name was given by William Beckford in his diary of a journey to Portugal in 1787. The cork is obtained from the many oaks in the grounds. - Door of Death
The Door of Death is the entrance to the Convent, symbolising renunciation of the world - The Convent
The Convent is built around/between/under boulders. Probably my favourite place in the whole Portugal. It's just magic. - The Convent
Left and right from the hallway are the tiniest rooms I have ever seen. The doors are about 70 cm tall. - The kitchen
A rather luxurious kitchen in comparison to other rooms. - The Washroom
There are washing facilities, a cistern, a vat and latrines in the washroom. - Narrow pathways
Again, magic. I just can't imagine living here. - Stairs
A lot of people walked through these doors... - Saint Francis
Chapel of Our Lord in Gethsemane painted by André Reinoso (17th century). The Convent was inhabited by the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, which were founded in 1525 from Franciscans. They wore hoods (or cappuccio), which also gave them the name. Oh, and the colour of their robes was brownish, which gave the name to capuccino :-) - Convento dos Capuchos
View of the Convent from the central Cloister. Unfortunately, the cloister was under reconstruction. - View from the Convent
View from the Convent towards the Atlantic Ocean - Tranquility
Such a magical place, the words cannot describe it. - Why?
- Remains of a statue
The Convent was abandoned in 1834 when religious orders were suppressed in Portugal. It was privately owned until 1949 and in 1995 it fell under UNESCO protection. Renovated, it opened for public in 2001. - A cross
Scallop cross - The Church
Marble altar-piece was donated by the Castro family. The coat of arms of the family is on the left. It was D. Álvaro de Castro who founded the Convent. - Entrance to the Convent
The Convent was built according to the simplicity of the Brothers and their complete submission to spiritual values. The harmony between human and divine works was established by placing the convent literally between the boulders. In the middle of a wonderful nowhere.