a hidden paradise

Ilha do Farol (Faro - Algarve), Portugal

With a library of books, I would be happy to stay here for a while...

in the heart of the Pyrenees

Ochagavía (Navarra), Spain

This medieval village located in the heart of the Pyrenees mountains, just minutes away from the French border, is worth a visit.  Its stone houses along the Anduña River create a picturesque setting for any time of the year.

 

shades of green

Elmwood, Wisconsin - USA

Wisconsin offers any shade of green you can imagine!

To take our minds off the cold weather we've been having, here's a picture from summer to warm us up a bit!

H A P P Y   T H A N K S G I V I N G !

Alfama

Lisbon, Portugal

Alfama - the oldest district of Lisbon transports you back in time and does something to your state of mind that is impossible to explain...

view from the castle

Castelo de Vide, Portugal - Region of Alentejo

This time, as opposed to a previous post for Castelo de Vide, the view of this marvellous medieval town has been taken from the castle.

Portugal and Spain

Valença do Minho (Norte Region), Portugal

Portugal on one side and Spain on the other...  the Minho River forming the border between the two.

dusk

Valença do Minho (Region Norte), Portugal

defense walls

Valença do Minho (Norte Region), Portugal

Valença do Minho used these defense walls to protect themselves from invasions centuries ago.

the beauty of balconies

Valença do Minho (Norte Region), Portugal

Sometimes the simpler something is, the more it grabs your attention.

village life

Wamba (Valladolid - Castillia y León), Spain

an everyday sight for people living in the Spanish countryside...  off to get the bread...

the lone cathedral tower

Valladolid (Valladolid - Castilla y León), Spain

The cathedral of Valladolid was a work in progress that was never finished as planned.  There were supposed to be four towers, similar to the one seen in this picture, one on each corner (two tall towers and two shorter towers), but only one was actually built.  If the project would have been carried out as Juan de Herrera, planned, it would have been one of the biggest cathedrals in Spain.  Construction slowed and funds were cut when the capital city of Spain moved from Valladolid to Madrid in the 1560s.

Mercat Central

Valencia (Valencia), Spain

The Mercat Central (Central Market) of Valencia is considered one of the largest and oldest European markets still running.  It began its construction during the modernist movement in 1914 using iron, brick, stone, marble, ceramic tiles and mosaics and was originally meant to hold 959 stands for the sale of fresh products.  Designed by Francesc Guàrdia i Vial and Alexandre Soler i March, both trained at the Architecture School in Barcelona, this beautiful market is a treat for the eyes and definitely worth visiting.

boat rides on the Albufera

El Palmar (Valencia), Spain

The Albufera (Arabic word meaning "small sea.") is a privileged nature reserve of more than 21,000 hectares (52,000 acres) containing a freshwater lagoon surrounded by rice fields, where flora and fauna thrive year-round.  

El Palmar (10 km south of the capital city of Valencia) offers many delicious restaurants serving the famed paella rice dish which is said to have originated in the Albufera in the 19th century.  The word paella is a Valencian/Catalan word meaning "pan", referring to the shallow pan they use to make this marvelous dish.  The restaurants in this town are lined up along a canal in a pleasant setting.  I highly recommend trying paella in any one of them.  You'll be glad you did!

ornate façades

Valencia (Valencia), Spain

Many ornate façades can be seen walking around Valencia.

 

Columbus Market

Valencia (Valencia), Spain

Built at the turn of the 20th century, Mercat de Colom (Columbus Market) was built in Art Nouveau style and served as a food market.  In 2003 it was converted into a leisure area with shopping, various restaurants and cafés.  It's a beautiful building worth a vist.

L' Àgora

Valencia (Valencia), Spain

L´Àgora is the newest edition to the City of Arts and Sciences and is used to host sporting events, concerts, performances, exhibitions and meetings.  Also seen in this picture are the tops of the suspension bridge, interactive science museum as well as the opera house.

L'Umbracle

Valencia (Valencia), Spain

L'Umbracle is a landscaped walkway making up part of the City of Arts and Sciences and was designed to display plant species indigenous to the area around Valencia.  It also exhibits an outdoor art gallery of contemporary sculptures by several different artists.  It is 320 meters long and 60 meters wide.

What I love most about this architectural complex is the contrast of the blue sky with the simple clean white lines of the different structures that make up this marvelous area.

City of Arts and Sciences

Valencia (Valencia), Spain

This complex of seven different structures and buildings devoted to the Arts and Sciences was designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela and initiated  in 1996.  Things such as an IMAX theater, planetarium, interactive science museum, landscaped walk with plants indigenous to Valencia, oceanographic aquarium, opera house and performing arts center, concerts and sporting events can all be enjoyed in the City of Arts and Sciences.

on the border

Salto de Saucelle (Salamanca - Castilla y León), Spain

If my memory doesn't fail me, I believe this picture was taken on the Spanish side of the Duero River (Douro in Portuguese).  No matter what side you're on, Spain or Portugal, it's equally beautiful to see how this river forms the natural border between the two countries.

regional dress

Miranda do Douro (Norte Region), Portugal

Miranda do Douro is located on the border with Spain, with the Douro River separating the two countries, forming part of the International Douro Natural Park, one of thirteen national parks in Portugal.  These peculiar bronze statues (José Antonio Nobre, 2006) can be found in the João III Square in the middle of this town, representing the traditional regional dress of the rural people of this area.

hanging on the edge...

Cuenca (Cuenca - Castilla la Mancha), Spain

Remarkable views of Cuenca from afar.

more than just nature...

Cuenca (Cuenca - Castilla la Mancha), Spain

Not only is the historic walled town of Cuenca surrounded by natural beauty sitting high above a gorge formed by the river Júcar and its tributary, Huécar, but its architecture and numerous museums also make this town worthy of a visit.  The Cathedral of Cuenca began construction in the late 12th century, built where a mosque once stood, and is said to be one of the the first Gothic style cathedrals in Spain, mixed with elements of the previous Romanesque period.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a magical place to be explored. If you have never visited Cuenca, I highly recommend it.  It ranks high on the list of places I have visited in Spain.

Cathedral Square

Erfurt (Thüringen), Germany

Dom St. Marien (St. Mary's Cathedral) and Severikirche (St. Severus Church) stand next to each other on Domberg Hill and overlook the Domplatz (Cathedral Square) adorned with typical German architecture.  Germany is known for its elaborate Christmas markets and it is here where Erfurt celebrates theirs.

winter wonderland

Erfurt (Thüringen), Germany

A view of Erfurt from above shows many church steeples as well as the river that that passes through the city.  The rooftops of the buildings from the Krämerbrucke (grocers' bridge) that I mentioned in another post can be seen in the foreground.

(click on the picture to enlarge it)

creepy door knocker

Erfurt (Thüringen), Germany

This creepy door knocker comes from the Dom St. Marien (St. Mary's Cathedral), the oldest church in Erfurt dating back to the early 9th century, combining Romanesque and Gothic elements.

city center

Erfurt (Thüringen), Germany

This centrical square - the Anger - has been considered the new city center of Erfurt during the 20th century as all tram lines are linked here.  Many important historical buildings can be found dating from the 18th century and beyond.

houses built on a bridge

Erfurt (Thüringen), Germany

Probably the most famous sight in Erfurt is what you see on the right-hand side of this picture - the 15th century Krämerbrücke (grocers' bridge) - 32 half-timbered houses and shops built on a bridge over a river.  This bridge was originally built out of wood in the 12th century and contained several stands selling food and other miscellaneous items.  Because of numerous fires over the centuries, the bridge was rebuilt out of stone with buildings instsead of stands.  The funny looking wooden structure on the left is a multi-dwelling bird house!

old and new

Erfurt (Thüringen), Germany

snow-covered rooftops

Erfurt (Thüringen), Germany

Johann Sebastian Bach's father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was born in Erfurt and is the city in which he was married.  Johann Pachelbel also served as organist at a church in this city and composed over seventy pieces here.  Because little of Erfurt was destroyed during World War II, the center offers a variety of medieval, baroque and classical architecture.  In addition, there are over 25 churches and monasteries in the center of Erfurt, most of them in the Gothic style and some Romanesque.

eternal love

Alcobaça (Centro Region), Portugal

Pedro and Inês' tombs in the Monastery of Alcobaça.  At first sight, people wonder why they weren't placed side by side as kings and queens usually are.  Click here to discover the reason.