Detail, Pena Palace

Detail, Pena Palace
“Detail, Pena Palace” — A pattern of balls and pyramids, details of the Pena Palace, Portugal.

The Pena Palace sits on the top of a ridge above Sintra, Portugal, a short train ride from Lisbon. (You do have to get to the ridge from the train station, perhaps a story for another time.) It is a remarkable structure that appears like something from a fantasy, especially in the foggy and rainy conditions while we were there. The palace and its turrets and towers are painted in brilliant colors.

But the large-scale aspects of the palace are not its only interesting features. Everywhere you look there are other fascinating small details. This photograph is of a small section of the building where this elaborate, geometric design functions as decoration. Seen apart from the building it almost seems abstract.


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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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