Category Archives: Photographs: Portugal

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

House with Blue Trim

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House with Blue Trim
“House with Blue Trim” — A white hour with blue doors, Casals de Loivos, Portugal.

This past May we spent a week on a walk through the hills, villages, and vineyards of Portugal’s Douro Valley, completing a large loop that began and ended in the town of Pinhão. We walked every day, and stayed each evening in various local accommodations. The last of those was in the remarkable little village of Casals de Loivos, perched high above the Douro Valley.

On the final morning we were scheduled to do the short, pleasant (and entirely downhill!) walk from there to Pinhão, where we were scheduled to catch a train back to Porto. Before setting out from Casals de Loivos we wandered around the small village for a while. I found this striking little building on one of its streets.

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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

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel

Forest and Fog

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Forest and Fog
“Forest and Fog” — Fog envelops the forest near Pena Palace, Portugal.

Back in May, during our Portugal travels, we took the train from Lisbon to Sintra so we could visit the historic Pena Palace. This structure sits on a high point in the mountains above Sintra, and it is a remarkable visual presence. I suppose that on a typical day this could be a warm and sunny place — but we arrived to light rain, fog, and clouds, a bit to our surprise.

This was not necessarily a bad thing. The temperatures were cool but comfortable, the crowds were likely suppressed a bit, and the fog and clouds produced some dramatic effects. I stopped along the walk to the palace and made a series of photographs of this fog-covered forest.

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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

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel

Grapevine and Door, Provesende

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Grapevine and Door, Provesende
“Grapevine and Door, Provesende” — A volunteer grapevine grows against an old wall next to a doorway, Provesende, Portugal.

Our May week-long walk in the hills above Portugal’s Douro River Valley began in the small town of Pinhão — with a rather stiff climb from the river up into those hills at Provesende. (We used Portugal Green Walks to organize the trip, and I give them a lot of credit for designing the trek to start with a short, steep day… and conclude the trip at a place with a stunning view overlooking the Douro.)

Provesende was one of many charming small towns we passed through on the walk. Most are quiet places, with old buildings and narrow streets, and surrounded by vineyards. If I recall correctly, this scene was part of a small rural building on the edge of town. The textures and colors of the old building attracted my attention, as did the solitary, opportunistic grapevine growing from a crack at the base of the wall.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (If you are reading this on the home page, click the article title to see the full article and the comment form.

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

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Portugal, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Lisbon Rooflines

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Lisbon Rooflines
“Lisbon Rooflines” — A succession of rising rooftops against a cloudy sky, Lisbon.

On one level this photograph is about the forms and colors of the buildings in this Lisbon neighborhood. The color palette is more typical of Southern Europe — from here to Italy and beyond — with the earth tones and the red tile roofs. The angle relationships are compressed, in part because the buildings are so close to one another.

It is also about the “atmosphere” of the place — the light of this region seems to me to have a particular quality. On one hand it can be sharp edged, I suppose due to the southern location and the high position of the sun. But there can also be a softness to the atmosphere that isn’t like the harsh quality often seen in, for example, the American Southwest.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (If you are reading this on the home page, click the article title to see the full article and the comment form.

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

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.