Exploring with my camera
The Iberian Peninsula has been inhabited for an eye-popping length of time, and this is evident in the area around Monsaraz as seen in the many megalithic sites – antas, circles, standing stones dating from c.5,000 BC or earlier.
The countryside was exquisite – flowers everywhere in shades of pink, yellow, purples, and whites tinged with colour, and with a wonderful sweetness in the air. Cork oaks and olive trees on grassy hillsides and goats, cattle and sheep – I … Continued
The Castle of Terena was one of the chain of castles either built or fortified by King Dinis (1261-1365) to protect the borders of Portugal from Spain. The castles in this area (we were based in Vila Vicosa) are Elvas, Juromenha, … Continued
We set off from the Pousada D João IV in Vila Viçosa to explore castles along the Portuguese border with Spain.
Vila Viçosa is a traditional Portuguese town on a site which has been inhabited for over 2,000 years (like London), but remains very modest in size (c.9,000 people), and which nowadays earns a living from marble and tourism.
The formal gardens of the Ducal Palace in Vila Viçosa were closed for restoration work and so all my photographs were taken from or through windows. But you could wander elsewhere in the Palace grounds and as it was a warm and sunny day … Continued
The Palace of the Dukes of Braganza was begun in 1501 and completed in the 17C. I popped out to photograph the Palace and the square on several occasions – the buildings and their setting are magnificent! A guided tour enables … Continued
Inside the Castle in the Mediaeval Town of Vila Viçosa are two museums which are a must-visit, and at the same time you can wander around the Castle itself.
Vila Viçosa started life as a small Roman settlement which then became part of the Visigoth Kingdom, and in the 8C the Moors gained control. The Order of Avis reconquered the area in 1217 and in the early 14C King Dinis I built … Continued