Category Archives: Photographs: Travel

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Spain, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Table and Chairs

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Table and Chairs
“Table and Chairs” — A table and chairs under a portico in Santiago de Compostela.

One of the pleasures of (warm-weather) travel in many parts of Europe is sitting at an outdoor table to have a drink or a coffee and watch the world go by. The table and chairs were ideally situated beneath the arch of a portico, perfect for that kind of activity along a narrow street in Santiago de Compostela.

The table was empty, but my photo archive suggests that this was not the case for long. The next photographs in my collection are a series of images of espresso cups and spoons… strongly suggesting that we must have ordered coffee, taken seats at the table, and engaged in precisely that activity.

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

Orchard and Vineyards

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Orchard and Vineyards
“Orchard and Vineyards” — Lush hill country, filled with vineyards and orchards, between Sabrosa and Alijo, Portugal.

One of the days of our Douro Valley walk in Portugal included a section between Sabrosa and Alijo. Between them we descended into this lovely valley full of vineyards and olive groves. We followed turn-by-turn directions from the walk’s organizers, and because of this I did not always track our precise location. That’s my long way of saying that I think this is the valley of the Rio Pinhão, though I’ve so far been unsuccessful in this spot on maps.

Regardless, it was a beautiful area. We came down a steep hill from the heights of Sabrosa, passing around and through vineyards. We reached the bottom of the valley, followed a road for a short distance, crossed a bridge and began the climb up the other side of the valley, a walk that would eventually bring us to our accommodations in the town of Alijo.

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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: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Window with Wrought Iron

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Window with Wrought Iron
“Window with Wrought Iron” — Wroght iron casts a shadow below a window in Casals de Loivos, Portugal.

I photographed this window on the morning we departed Casals de Loivos on the final day of our one-week walk in the hills and vineyards of Portugal’s Douro Valley region. We took a brief walk thought this small village before walking the steep trail downhill to Pinhão, where this segment of our trip would end.

Our arrival in Casals de Loivos was a spectacular conclusion to the walk. We stayed at an inn with a terrace overlooking the Douro Valley and the winding Douro River far below. This window, with its wrought iron grate and fascinating shadows seems to me to capture one of the kinds of light we saw here — bright, brilliant, high angle light that somehow manages to not be harsh despite being intense.

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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: Spain, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Curving Portico

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Curving Portico
“Curving Portico” — Light spills into a curving portico and walkway in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

I can’t quite put my finger on precisely what it is, but the town of Santiago de Compostela, Spain has a different feeling than many others of about the same size. There are tourists, of course — but many of the visitors are completing a long camino. You’ll see lots of people carrying backpacks, and not the usual traveler’s carry-on luggage packs. Aside from the Cathedral and its large square, the scale of the place fells a bit smaller and more intimate.

In a few areas there are portico-covered walkways. Most streets do not have them, but where they exist they provide welcome shade and escape from the weather. I photographed this example, with lovely soft light shining between the pillars, during a moment when it was completely deserted.

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.