Eboracum-Eoforwic-Ebrauc-Yórvík-York

Having visited York in July 2013, this is long overdue. And for that I apologize to the old joey bean who I spent 3 fantastic days with exploring this gorgeous, historical town. The reason that took me to York – besides the Yorvik Viking Centre (one of the best museum experiences I´ve ever had) – was the fact that at the time I was thinking of applying for an MA in Archaeology at the University of York. (Well, that and my travelling – healthy – obsession, which I´m always happy to indulge in). I loved the town so much and the Department of Archaeology seems so incredible that I decided to apply and… boy oh boy! I was accepted and will be moving to York in September 2014!!!

But enough about me. York – previously known as Eboracum by the Romans, then Ebrauc, then Eoforwic by the Anglo-Saxons and Yórvík by the Vikings – has an amazingly complex and interesting history which can still be read through the town itself, in its walls, towers, houses, etc. York is a living history book and that is why I fell in love with it.

The River Ouse, the Shambles (the late medieval butchers´ street) and one of many quirky little houses

York Minster and the lush surrounding gardens

The Department of Archaeology is in the King´s Manor. The idea of studying Archaeology in such an old, beautiful building makes me tingle with anticipation!

 

The smallest window in York which used to belong to a bathroom, according to our walking tour guide. Part of the Roman walls (which surround the whole town), with the Medieval additions. Romantic York Minster

  

Adorable old houses and more of the Ouse. The paths that run along the river provide a most picturesque running route

 

Medieval Clifford´s Tower. Vikings, of course

The quantity of Tudor houses in York is unbelievable!

Last but not least and probably one of my favourite things in York – in the middle of a public park you can find the Gothic ruins of St Mary´s Abbey. These were a consequence of the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century. The Department of Archaeology is 1 minute walk from here (I can´t stop grinning!)

One last note – this is the first post I have written after doing a 2 month photography course. Going through the photographs I took then made me realize just how much I learnt in a few weeks – and I used to think I took reasonably good photos! But that´s the amazing thing about life, this endless process of exploring, discovering, learning…

Colours and water

 

 

   

(2013/2014)

I simply love watching the colours spread out and interact with each other on a piece of paper. Sometimes I like using oil pastel too precisely because it does not interact with the water colours.

Abandoned, feline and artistic Athens.

After three months, my Hellenic Experience has now (sadly) come to an end. I will probably write more on the subject, but for the sake of closure here is a small (miniscule, to be more precise) sum up of the past few months.

After forming many special, multi-cultural (not only Greeks, but also Americans, Croatians, Africans, Ukrainians and Asians) and (hopefully) long lasting friendships, after getting to know (what seemed like a lot but was in fact a minute part of) Greece and its fascinating (and delicious) culture, after two interesting and enriching cultural-heritage-and-archaeology-related volunteering experiences (at the Initiative for Heritage Conservancy and the Athenian Agora with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens), after many wanders through Athens and incredible trips around the country (Cape Sounio, Kinetta´s beach, Nafplio, Crete, Konitsa, Mastorochoria, Meteora), after experiencing three earthquakes and two or three massive thunderstorms (in Greece the weather seems to be as passionate and emotional as its people), after attempting to learn Greek but coming to the conclusion that it is too difficult a language to learn if you don´t actually intend to live in the country (I mean, where else would it be useful besides Cyprus!?), after discovering Kazantzakis´ geniousity in Zorba the Greek (a marvelous book indeed), after some minor physical injuries and a dog bite (and consequently now trembling with fear at the sight of any stray dog), after experiencing the Greek nigh and day lifestyle (and loving it!), after gaining more than 3 kgs from ridiculous amounts of scrumptious Hellenic nourishment, after creating an incredible blog inspired by the will to share my experiences in this amazing country with all my family and friends (you´re most welcome!)… And after a lovely yet incredibly sad week of saying goodbye to all the people and places and little things that I discovered and fell in love with in Greece, I am now back in the UK for Christmas and New Year´s Eve and then off to Portugal, where I will be continuing the second part of my gap year experience.

I am already filled with saudades and so decided to do a little photographic compilation of three of Athens´ main features – abandoned buildings (Ancient but some not so Ancient), cats and Street Art. I have also included some views from some of Athens´ various stunning hills. If you enjoy the pictures I am here sharing with you half as much as I enjoyed the real deal, my endeavour will have been worthwhile.

 

Plaka

 

LIFE in Monastiraki´s central square

  

Corner of the Acropolis Museum. Lykavittos Hill in the distance

Views from the Hill of the Muses

Views from the Lykavittos Hill

Near Anafiotika, cats staring at each other

  

Some nice and some not so nice Street Art (Feminism? Anatomy? Aestheticism?) 

 

 

Near the Hill of the Nymphs 

Anafiotika´s Cats (or A Good Excuse to Write About Anafiotika Again)

Leaving Greece in a few days and wanting to spend as much time as I can with the wonderful friends I have made during the past few months (and also working on a very tight scheduled translation) explains my silence for the past week or so. I have been feeling a mixture of extreme excitement about going back and seeing my family and friends again, really sad about how much I will be missing my new friends as soon as I go back home (and Greek food. Oh, how will I ever feel happiness again having discovered this treasure, eaten more than double my weight of it and now having to survive without it? I am truly concerned. Hence why I have been binge-eating every time I go out) and also a slight childish Christmas frenzy (I can´t help it – regardless of its intrinsic capitalistic waste, I still think it´s an extremely joyful, colourful and literally illuminated time of the year). (It´s a wonder I haven´t yet burst with all the emotions! And the food…)

But I´m not writing to apologize for my silent and no, this article is not dedicated to cats – the omnipresence of cats is quite a Greek thing, although definitely not exclusive to Anafiotika. I just want to share with you one of my favourite places in Athens. Yet again. But nowwith some cats included, for the sake of cuteness.

I first heard about Anafiotika through my Lonely Planet guide of Greece (regardless of the free advertising, I must admit it is a very good guide). When I read about the ´picturesque maze of little white-washed houses´ built on one of the slopes of the Acropolis, I was immediately enthralled. I have mentioned Anafiotika several times but I think a whole article devoted to this gorgeous place is well deserved.

Anafiotika lies in the equally picturesque neighbourhood of Plaka and the first houses were built during the 19th century when construction workers from the island of Anafi came to Athens to work on the restoration of King Otto´s Palace. Hence its island-like appearance.

I first entered it through the stairs leading upwards near the Church of St George of the Rock. This was my very first weekend in Greece, back in early (boiling hot and beer-soaked) September. I almost forgot I was still in the centre of Athens, as I wandered through the narrow and labyrinthine streets of tiny doll-like houses and overgrown gardens filled with beautiful bright colours contrasting with the whiteness of the walls and the ground. Images of the gorgeous Greek islands came to mind. As I got higher up – always intimidating shadowed by the Acropolis – it was not the sea but breathtaking views of Athens that lay at my feet. From the highest point of Anafiotika, you can not only see all the winding little streets and rooftop gardens of this little neighbourhood, but far into the distance. The view is only interrupted by the Lykavittos Hill, which proudly cuts through the urban fabric, and by all the dramatic looking mountains surrounding the city.

   

 

All the whiteness and the narrow and labyrinthine alleys make Anafiotika a pretty surreal place. The fact that every time I´ve been there the sky reflected an amazing strong blue might have helped to create such an atmosphere, with gorgeous contrasting colours.

 

   

The fauna and flora in Anafiotika. The plants look really pretty against the white washed houses, especially those that climb up the walls.

I just love the shadow that the Acropolis is overcasting over Athens in this first picture. This was a great day for photographs, as you can see in the second one.

  

The so obviously Greek Acropolis and cats cats cats, everywhere cats! The first one shows one of the the best cat I´ve ever met – I knelt down to pat him and he oh so very casually jumped onto my lap and stayed there until my joints hurt and most of my beer had spilled on the ground.

As you may see, I can´t get enough of the view over to the Likyavittos Hill. And I love what is pictured in the last photo of the sequence – some little cafes that follow up a big flight of stairs into Anafiotika and that is always full of life, even during the recent freezing days,

Postcards from Elefsina

Elefsina is a small, industrial town on the outskirts of Athens. When I first arrived here, over three months ago, I thought it was a very scruffy looking place, which worried me slightly for I know how much my mood can be affected by the physical environment I´m in (and having spent many summers in the gorgeous English countryside, my standards of beauty are quite high). But time (and having no choice but to live here) has made me realize that although some places might not be stunningly pretty at first glance there is always some hidden beauty waiting to be revealed. And the challenge posed by having to look for this beauty beyond first glance makes its discovery even more exciting! Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

If at first glance this is what you see when you get here, the following pictures are a result of my openness to see beyond my first impression of Elefsina and to appreciate it for what it is.

Elefsina lies in a sort of valley, on one side surrounded by dramatic looking mountains and on the other, by an extremely bright blue sea (and again more mountains – you can see mountains everywhere you turn your head to in Greece).

 

Besides the big archaeological site, one can find a few other Ancient ruins scattered around town, such as the Roman aqueduct and the Roman baths (although I have photos of neither because when I go past them it´s either too dark or I´m running). I am still not used to bumping into archaeological ruins ever so often.

Besides the Ancient ruins, what I find even more interesting are all the unique material remains of Elefsina´s Industrial Heritage – the disabled train track that cuts through the whole town, the old Eleusis train station, the intimidating “fortress-factory”, the (actually lived in) abandoned ship (it was not the first time when I was about to pop into an abandoned structure only to realize it was actually someone´s home!!), etc.

 

Besides the Industrial Heritage, there are some other interesting looking structures, especially the “abandoned” ones. Sometimes, while wandering about, I stumble upon amazing looking houses – some new, others not so much. The same goes for street art and the occasional cute looking café. One thing you do find anywhere you look is cats and also (and unfortunately) stray dogs – I have developed quite a fear of the latter ever since one actually bit my leg (although I like to blame the full moon for that); on the contrary, my love for cats grows stronger every day. I am now quite used to expecting at least two cats to jump out of big rubbish bins every time I walk past them.

Most of the things I come across happen during my runs around and about Elefsina. That is the case of the cemetery, for example. I have a weird fascination about anything related to death rituals and beliefs – I find that, ironically, they say a lot about the living.

 

 

  

After having happily lived here for over three months, during this amazing experience that living in Greece has been for me and also the fact that I am almost going back home, Elefsina has actually grown on me and will now become, whether I like it or not, an important part of my memories.

“I study Archaeology”. “What? Why?”

“The past belongs both to its own time and to the future it creates”[1]

This article was inspired by and is mainly dedicated to all the people who have in the past asked me the most astonishing questions after hearing I had chosen to do a degree in Archaeology. These include “So you really like fossils and dinosaurs then?”, “Is there anything to dig in Portugal?” and my all time favourite – “What is Archaeology?”. Sadly and worryingly, only a few people actually knew the answer to this last question.

Therefore and before going into why I made this decision, I think a definition is in order – Archaeology (from the Greek archaios – ancient – and logos – study) is the study of the HUMAN past (since Prehistoric times up to the Industrial Era we are living in) through material remains. Archaeology is like travelling through time, while at the same time doing detective work in order to find the answers to our many questions about past human cultures and societies. And because placing together the pieces of an incomplete (material deteriorates over time) puzzle is very hard, we have to resort to the widest sources of information, from as many different social and exact sciences as possible.

The material remains include everything we have invented and made (such as pottery, glass, metalwork, clocks, trains, etc.), built (such as houses and castles – where Archaeology of Buildings/Architecture comes in), eaten (through the study of animal bones – Zooarchaeology – and other types of remains such as seeds and pips – Archaeobotany), the way we connected with the environment around us (Landscape Archaeology) and much more. In most countries it doesn´t involve the study of our own bodily remains – our bones are usually studied by biological anthropologists; and it definitely does not include the study of dinosaurs, since when Humans appeared they had long been extinct (this is the field of Paleontology).

In order to find these things we excavate and then we interpret every little thing in order to piece together the puzzle. Sometimes, to find the best place to excavate, we do prospection work (not quite like a treasure hunt, but just as adventurous!); at other times, we use old maps and Historical references; unfortunately not that often, we go on planes and take aerial photographs, which can sometimes reveal interesting human impressions on the landscape; sometimes we go underwater in search of sunken ships or even entire towns (like Port Royal, in Jamaica). In order to interpret the findings, archaeologists have to know what the historical documents say (if they exist – not the case of Prehistory and some Early Medieval sites, for example), about ceramic and metalwork, building materials, past environments (climate, flora, fauna) and much more. Sometimes archaeologists turn to Ethnography to help understand the material evidence; at other times, archaeologists actually try to reproduce objects from the past in order to learn more about them – this is called Experimental Archaeology. Archaeology is an extremely multi-disciplinary area of studies, which is what makes it so diverse, enriching and exciting.

Another very important part of Archaeology (unfortunately not valued by everyone in the field) is communicating and sharing the results of the research with the general public (this is called Public Archaeology – archaeologists love concepts and definitions). This can be done through documentaries, books, websites, advertising archaeological sites and museums, social media, letting people participate in digs as volunteers, having open days at excavations and other types of recreations, etc. (a great and very successful example of how to do all this is the Lyminge Archaeological Project). And why is this so important? Because what we are studying and what we discover belongs to everyone – it is our Heritage, our shared human experiences. Besides this slightly intangible value of Archaeology, this public engagement and communication has very practical outcomes – it can help preserve archaeological remains (people won´t want to destroy something they value), it can help bring more money into archaeological research (people will want to spend money on something they like and value) and it can even help bringing people, communities and countries together (here is a very good example). And these are only a few examples!

And why, you may ask, did I decide to study Archaeology before I even knew everything it involved? Well, for that I will have to share with you a little about my own past. One of the things I am most passionate about is learning, especially about us humans – our past, present, all the different cultures, people and spaces and even our biological evolution and biological way of functioning (at some point I also wanted to be a psychologist, a sociologist, an anthropologist, a philosopher and even a psychiatrist). This may explain why I have enjoyed History ever since I started studying it in school (unfortunately, Archaeology is still not a part of the curriculum, although in my humble opinion a restructuring of the subject of History is due in order to include Archaeology).

But why Archaeology and not History or any of the other Humanities´ subjects? Well, I was brought up by a father who loves camping and have spent many weekends and holidays outdoors, exploring mountains and rivers, running around in forests and spending long hours at the beach. I have always loved exploring things outdoors, but also learning about them indoors. And Archaeology manages to combine physical and outdoor activities, such as excavating and prospecting, with intellectual and nerdy work. But some very specific events triggered my decision.

I can recall an afternoon when I was quite young and bored at home and I asked my dad if I could watch television. Being him, he naturally said “No, read a book. You have loads of books to choose from in the study” (being raised by two intellectuals, my brother and I have always had very limited television time and we missed out on many children´s programs considered by my mum to be too silly and offensive to one´s intelligence – in hindsight, not such a bad thing). Although annoyed at the prospect of becoming even more bored, I indulged. I chose an encyclopedia about South America. Going through the pages, I stumbled upon pictures of Machu Picchu – I was dumbstruck. I started reading about the Incas and something caught my attention and has stayed in my mind ever since – “…and under the leaves and earth in the thick forests of Peru, many ruins are yet to be revealed”… And this was when I slowly started discovering the world of Archaeology.

Not very long after, I remember going with my parents and brother to visit a friend who was setting up a kids´ farm in Alpiarça (a place in Portugal very well known amongst archaeologists for its abundance in Prehistoric sites). As we were walking around, our friend spotted two very bizarre looking rocks. I looked at them and asked what they were and he told me those were Prehistoric tools called coup de poing, hand axes or bifaces, made and used many thousands of years ago, by humans living in a very different way from our own. I was fascinated by the idea of holding the same object held a long time ago by very different people. I wanted to know everything about its creators. Our friend must have noticed my huge smile and sparkling eyes and so decided to give me the bifaces. I remember thinking of them as my most precious belongings and to this day I still have them on my desk, in my home in Portugal. I think it was on this particular day that I decided I wanted to become an archaeologist. Having studied and practiced it for four years now, my fascination has only increased and besides being paid to travel and photograph the entire world, I can think of no better career choice for me.

My precious artifacts (photographs by my precious father).

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[1] This quotation comes from a book that isn´t on me at the moment but I shall include its due reference when possible.

Expedition to the Epirus region

 

Although passionate about any kind of travelling (as this blog must surely testify), doing so with locals is obviously the best – because authentic – way to adventure through new places and cultures. For the past few months I have been extremely lucky to have gone on several trips with some of my new, lovely Greek friends – to Cape Sounio, to Nafplio and now to Konitsa and Mastorochoria in the North of the country (as far North as you can go before crossing the mountains into Albania). Besides my very special friend T and F, my Ukrainian friend T was also part of the expedition, so through their stories I learnt not only about our destination, but also about the Balkan region. During the long drive up to Konitsa we listened to great Greek and also Gypsy music, including the amazing soundtrack of “Time of the Gypsies” – listening to “Ederlezi” while driving through the dramatic, mountainous landscape of Greece was quite an emotional experience!

Besides music, a very important part of any culture is gastronomy and being with locals allows you to taste the truly typical, home-made food and not the standardized “typical” one, consumed only by tourists. Although I must say that in the case of Greece this gap is pretty subtle – very often you see both Greeks and tourists eating in the same restaurants. I think that this has to do not only with the tourism issues I went through in a previous post , but mainly with the fact that Greek food is GOOD and very affordable. And also because Greeks love to eat out and socialize in restaurants and cafés for very long hours (for example, one of the dinners we had lasted some 4 hours of eating, drinking and simply socializing).

After having driven through the Peloponnese, Central Greece, up to the Epirus region and Thessaly on the way down, I came to the happy conclusion that Greece is extremely mountainous and as you go further North, the greener and prettier the mountains get (to most people, I´m probably just stating well known facts, but please bear in mind that my knowledge of Greece was sadly pretty close to nothing before coming over. On the bright side, almost everything is a novelty to me!).

On the way up we crossed the Rio–Antirrio bridge, which is the longest multi-span cable-stayed bridge in the world and it links the Peloponnese (near Patras) to mainland Greece (near Antirrio). I took hundreds of pictures of Greece´s outstanding geomorphology but I shall try not to bore you with my obsession over mountains.

Before arriving in Konitsa, we went through the beautiful city of Ioannina. The picture shows its lake (no, not the sea – just a HUGE lake) and to the left you get a glimpse of the town. It slightly reminded me of the photos I have seen of some gorgeous towns in Switzerland, like Lausanne.

  

We arrived in Konitsa at night; I was absolutely stunned when I woke up in the morning and opened the door of the gorgeous mountain cabin we stayed in (third picture, on the left). And then I jumped back into the house because it was freezing!

 

 

These pictures show the way to and the village of Pyrsogianni – the first of the three Mastorochoria villages we visited. Mastorochoria is part of the municipality of Konitsa and includes several charming historic villages, well known because of their famous stonemasons (hence almost all the houses being made of stone). In the last photo you can see the church of Ayios Nikolaos, which I think is medieval, although I am not entirely sure since there are lots of churches with this name around Greece, so I didn´t manage to get Google to confirm this information for me.

 

In this first photo, taken in the village of Kastania, you can see some of the typical stone building techniques – this roof is made of stone slates and nothing else! The second picture shows a tiny little entrance to a very old house near the village of Ganadio. I simply love the metal door! In Pyrsogianni we tried some Tsai to vunu, which literally means “tea of the mountains” – it is yummy, especially with LOADS of honey (Winney-the-Pooh would have been proud of me)!

 

   

All the pictures above show the village and surroundings of Ganadio – the prettiest and most rustic of all the Mastorochoria villages we visited. In the photo on the left immediately above is a little white miniature of a chapel or church – you can see them all over Greece on the sides of roads and they are built in memory of someone who died in a car accident. Their quantity is a bit alarming and when you see how fast most Greeks drive, you might see a connection.

On the way back down to Athens, I was very surprised and extremely happy (and probably a bit too bouncy and hysterical) when I heard we were going to go past METEORA – the place I´ve been wanting to visit and that I´ve been going on and on about since being in Greece. This World Heritage listed place is very well known for it´s really weird looking rock formations. Its name derives from the Greek word meteoros, which means “suspended in the air”. From the 11^th century, hermit monks lived in the various caverns of Meteora. By the 14^th century, because of the Turkish incursions the monks began to seek a safer place and the inaccessibility of the rocks of Meteora made them the perfect retreat. The first monasteries were reached by climbing removable ladders and later on, windlasses were used so that monks could be hauled up in nets (I really don´t know which option sounds more exciting!). Unfortunately, nowadays one accesses the monasteries by steps that were carved into the rocks in the 1920´s or by a very convenient road.

Kalambaka (the gateway to Meteora and the town where we had lunch and from where I took most of the pictures), having been burnt to the ground by the Nazis in WWII, is almost entirely modern and, I must admit, pretty uninteresting – except for when you look up, of course!

Although this blog is mainly about travelling, I have recently realized I am slightly obsessed with photography (I might have already mentioned somewhere how this Hellenic Experience has been above all a self-discovery adventure) and so I included some pictures for aesthetic purposes only. One of them is this lovely old shop window in Kalambaka. Have I ever mentioned I love vintage things!? I guess it goes without saying, considering how I chose Archaeology as my field of studies and future career…

“On the road again” to romantic Nafplio

“And if home is really where the heart is
Then we’re the smartest kids I know
Because wherever we are in this great big world
We’ll never be more than a few hours from home…
And that’s important because I need to travel
I’ve had this itching in my shoes since I was just a little kid
[…]
On the road again
Just can´t wait to get on the road again”
(My Rollercoaster, Kimya Dawson)

The first time I heard this song I felt like the lyrics were coming from inside my head. I thought this was a good way of starting my new post since humming this song was the first thing I did when I jumped in the car two Saturdays ago. This time, the road lead me to Nafplio, through the stunning Corinth Canal and making a short stop at the Theatre of Epidauros – the most amazing Ancient theatre I have ever visited! As with Cape Sounio, I owe this trip to a very good Greek friend who always remembers me when it comes to doing roadtrips – Thank you, L, you´re the best!

Corinth Canal. The concept of cutting a canal through the Corinth Isthmus in order to link the Ionian and Aegean Seas was introduced by Periander (tyrant of Ancient Corinth) in the 7th century BC. The magnitude of this task defeated him, so instead he built a diolkos (paved slipway) across which sailors dragged small ships on rollers, a method which was used until the 13th century. It was Nero who actually began digging in the 1st century AD, but the project was soon halted by the Gauls´ invasions. It was only completed in the 19th century (1883-93) by a French engineering company. It is cut through solid rock, is over 6km long and 23m wide. The vertical sides rise 90m above the water. This canal contributed to elevate Piraeus´ status as a major Mediterranean port.

Theatre of Epidaurus. It is one of the best-preserved Classical Greek structures, well known for its amazing acoustics (it is true – a coin dropped in the centre can be heard from the highest seats!). Nowadays, it is used for performances of ancient Greek drama during the annual Hellenic Festival.

Romantic Nafplio. The town has been a major port since the Bronze Age; after Classical Antiquity, it was occupied by Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, Turks and Ottomans; it was the capital of the First Hellenic Republic, from the start of the Greek Revolution in 1821 until 1834. Through the photographs you can see quite a few similarities with Rethymno, in Crete – it is also a gorgeous, romantic little town, full of beautiful old houses, overlooked by two (unlike Rethymno, which has one) big Venetian fortresses on one side, and facing the bright blue sea on the other (where you can find yet another fortress!).

The Palamidi fortress overlooking Nafplio.

On the way back to Athens we stopped at Fougaro – an old factory centre now converted into an art centre, with a workshop, a library and some bars/restaurants. Having studied Industrial Archaeology during my degree I am very aware of the fact that Industrial Architecture is also part of our Heritage and it should be preserved as much as possible. Another good example of what I think is a great way to “recycle” (and hence, preserve) industrial buildings is the LXFactory in Lisbon.

Saudades de Portugal

A few days ago I found myself nostalgically gazing at photographs I took over recent years in different parts of Portugal. I figured this was the result of the saudades I was feeling (or having, as we would say in Portuguese if literally translating) of home… Saudades is a very unique and Portuguese word that describes a profound emotional state of nostalgia or melancholy when one is longing for someone or something that is absent, or somewhere one has been and want to return to. This feeling features in a lot of Portuguese Art, such as paintings and literature, and especially in the Portuguese music genre called Fado (since 2011, inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists).

I decided that a compilation of pictures of different times and places motivated by such a Portuguese emotion was the perfect way to start the “Luso-wonders” category (long due!). Most of them were taken during various archaeological fieldworks I have participated in all over Portugal – bear in mind it is quite a tiny country; although extremely diverse for its size. Quite a lot of the photographs were taken on very grey, gloomy (and beautiful) days – but this compilation is not representative of the Portuguese typical weather, i.e., very bright and sunny. It is also not at all representative of Portugal´s diversity and many many wonders!

Curiously enough, while writing this article I was drinking an orange juice – did you know that in many languages (Greek, Arabic, Persian, etc.) “Portugal” (although pronounced and spelt differently) is also the name used for “orange”, the fruit? Do you know why? No? Well then, I will have the pleasure of telling you all about it (please bear with me for a moment my love for learning and sharing). This is due to the fact that it was the Portuguese who first brought oranges from Asia in the 16^th century and exported them around Europe and the Middle East. Isn´t that interesting!? I really can´t understand how anyone can feel anything towards History other than fascination, or at least some mild interest (Yes, brother Jayjay, I do have you in mind!).

North

Fraga da Pena (Celorico da Beira), which was once a Bronze Age settlement. (fancy waking up to this view everyday!)

Not the Alps but almost – cloudy Serra (mountain) do Gerês and view from Castelo Rodrigo (Almeida).

   

(Very marbly and typically Portuguese) Cemetery and castle of Montalegre.

 

Montalegre 

 

 

Monastery and church of Pitões das Júnias (Montalegre) – one of the prettiest places I have visited in Portugal and which I had the good fortune to write a little article about (you can find it here – I´m afraid it´s in Portuguese but it has some really nice pictures!).

 

Vila Nova de Cerveira, where I stayed in 2008 or 2009 for a week while volunteering at the Bienal de Cerveira with my very special friend M.

 

Vila Nova de Cerveira and Ponte de Lima, both as far North as you can go in Portugal without reaching Spain.

 

Monastery of Batalha, one of Portugal´s most important examples of Gothic architecture.

 

Castelo Mendo and Covilhã (which used to be a major wool related industrial town).

 

Celorico da Beira and its castle.

 

Castelo Mendo – one of the cutest little towns I´ve visited in Portugal. Sadly, it´s undergoing a process of desertification and increased neglect.

Almeida´s castle (one of the castles I´ve excavated in) and somewhere near Almeida .

Lisbon and near Lisbon

The typical means of transportation in Lisbon – the eléctricos – and Alfama´s riverside.  At the back of the second picture you can more or less see the 16th century Casa dos Bicos (House of the Points).

Lisbon´s rooftops. More or less in the middle of the second photo, on the left hand-side of a big yellow building, you can see the amazing Gothic Carmo Convent (next to which I excavated an early modern cemetery).

The very historical neighbourhood of Alfama. The oldest parts of Lisbon include a series of old neighbourhood – besides Alfama, Mouraria (whose name derives from Moors) and Bairro Alto (High Neighbourhood, literally translating) are amongst the best well known. Today, besides historical, these areas are known for their bohemian and artistic air, and are great places to meet up for drinks during the day and especially at night. In most of these neighbourhoods (especially Alfama and Mouraria), one can always find a little bar or restaurant where Fado is being sung. 

Very medieval-looking Alfama – I love it! (and in some parts it smells pretty medieval too).

 

Alfama´s 16th century houses (a topic my good friend C and I wrote for one of our University subjects – we now know this neighbourhood by heart!). In the second picture you can see some of the decorations for the annual (June) festivity called Santos Populares (Popular Saints, which used to be a religious celebration but now it´s mainly an excuse for the entire population of Lisbon and surroundings to go out for drinks and grilled sardines until sunrise) – this is the best time of the year to visit Lisbon!

Palácio da Pena on the gorgeous Sintra mountain.

National Palace of Sintra and Castle of the Moors (Sintra) – another castle I was lucky to excavate in!

Historic center of Sintra and the centre of Lisbon (you can see the famous Santa Justa elevator in the middle). This area of Lisbon was the most affected by the 1755 Earthquake that devastated the city. What one sees today in this part of town is the 18th century reconstruction led by the Marquis of Pombal, who was famous for having said “What now? We bury the dead and take care of the living”, after disaster struck Lisbon.

More Lisbon rooftops – I have mentioned I love gazing at cities from above, have I not!? Especially in a city with so much light. Lisbon´s famous and unique brightness is due to the fact that, unlike most European capitals, it is very very near the sea. And that´s just ONE of the things that makes Lisbon such a special city!

The roman galleries underneath Rua da Prata, opened to the public once a year (Lisbon).

The lovely Gulbenkian Gardens (so many hours did I spend studying and enjoying the sun with my friends and colleagues in this gorgeous oasis in the middle of Lisbon, between and – I´m not proud to say – sometimes during lectures) and somewhere near Entrecampos – both very near my old University in Lisbon.

 

Somewhere near Algés, overlooking the Rio Tejo (Tagus River) and the “25th of April Bridge” in the distance; View of Lisbon and of its cathedral.

Carcavelos beach – about 30 minutes away walking from my house – and the S. Julião da Barra fortress.

Carcavelos beach and a gorgeous sunset on the Rio Tejo, seen from Belém (where the yummy Portuguese custard tarts typically come from).

Spooky day in the forests of Sintra.

Both these pictures were taken in Sintra – obviously on different days. The second shows the Monserrate Palace.

The Monserrate Palace (and its obvious Moorish architectural influences) and the famous Bairro Alto neighbourhood in Lisbon, especially well know amongst the night owls.

Center and South 

Near Serpa (Alentejo), where I spent a lovely weekend with one of my best friends from Secondary School, A.

 

Breathtaking Arrifana (near Aljezur).

 

Aljezur and Arrifana – these are both in the Southern Portuguese region of Algarve.

Aljezur and the Cromeleque dos Almendres, a famous megalithic structure near Évora – especially interesting to visit it at night, for this is the best time to see the engravings on the stones.

 

Somewhere in the Distrito of Marvão (Alentejo). The weird circular structures are called chafurdões and there are lots of theories as to when they were built. One of them was presented by some colleagues and myself at a conference in 2012, in Évora.

Évora and its cute roman temple. Évora (as well as Marvão and other of the places I´ve mentioned) is in the Southern region (although not as Southern as the Algarve) of Alentejo – the name means “beyond the Tagus” (the river I´ve already mentioned a few times).

Évora´s cathedral

Évora cathedral´s cloister and Marvão (one of the most amazing little towns in Portugal – the surroundings also help to its amazingness!).

Stunning Marvão

Monsaraz (Alentejo). Just outside the village, two colleagues (and special friends of mine, Kiki and Prof. J) and I found the remains of the old medieval gallows of Monsaraz. This was also a topic of one of our University essays. Did you know (nerd alert!!) that Portugal was one of the first countries in the world to abolish death penalty?

More Monsaraz and also the famous Alqueva dam.

Somewhere near Monsaraz.

Tomar  – it is actually a bit North of Lisbon, but it´s still considered the Centro (or center) region of Portugal.

After all this travelling photographically I am craving the yummy Portuguese custard tarts (or Pastéis de Belém, especially scrumptious if eaten warm and with cinnamon on top!), I am longing to go wondering around in the Sintra woods (especially during gloomy days), to go listening to Fado in one of the little old bars in Alfama and drink some Porto wine, to go out with my friends in Bairro Alto and have some delicious Portuguese beer and so much more… Que saudades de Portugal!!”

Human´s strange nature

I´m not quite sure what I was thinking/feeling when I drew this, although I´m pretty sure it might reflect some people´s reaction on seeing my drawings of human beings. Not in a good way. 

Something I like doing is drawing or (especially) photographing people when they are not aware of me doing so. I suppose anyone can agree it makes the result much more authentic. You might (probably not) have recognized the third person – yes, for those of you with an extremely developed imagination, it is Frida Kahlo, one of my favourite (real) artists. The last drawing shown in this sequence is of my very very special Grandmother (drawn from a very old photograph), T. Another thing I really like is quotes. The following quote has really nothing to do with the topic at hand, although I´m pretty sure it´s human´s strange nature that makes it so hard for me to draw them.