Monday, 07 January 2008
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> 44
Summer at Alentejo II
I keep posting previous Weekly Photo Challenges!
As I've told you, personal reasons made me go to Alentejo several times last Summer and every time I took pictures, thinking on making entries about it, since I didn't had the time to do it then. Now I'm posting!
I hope you keep enjoying traveling to Alentejo, the south interior region of Portugal, one of the most forgotten and, thanks to that, well preserved in their traditions and way of living. One of the strongest and well individualized culture of Portugal.Weekly Photo Challenge hosted by: Sherrytwinklz
Subject: Absence of color
One of the things we, at Lisbon, don't pay much attention is to bread. On the contrary, every time we enter a small city at Alentejo we immediately become aware of it. Why?
Because there, bread keeps being baked on wood ovens, so cities always smell to hot bread…Fences
Weekly Photo Challenge hosted by: OK123Letsgo
Subject: Fences
One of the biggest events of Alentejo is the annual fair of Beja, the main city.
They were displaying this steam machine used on agriculture. It was the first time I saw it "in person"!
The steam machine was used to pull and make work this one that was used at the crop of wheat.
Next was the animals pavilion.
These are traditional cattle at Alentejo. Their good condition is due to the fact that those animals live freely grazing.
Being from Lisbon, soon we were petting all of them... I wanted to buy them all…
But what surprised us the most was that every people was petting the cattle too, which is strange in a rural city…
But some didn't wanted to be petted as they are used to run free! The sign says: "Please don't touch me" Thanks. And we didn't!
Now you are probably wandering why an I posting so many cows… but this one is very special! This is a Mertolenga Cow, the rare breed that only live here at Alentejo and that you saw at the previous post in "the wild"…
Later we went to have lunch in a restaurant only of Mertolenga meat and I have to say that I never had any better in my life. Poor cow…
Next was another animal who also live free "in the wild"… the black pig.
This kind exist both in Portugal and in Spain, but of course "our" ham is much better as it's made according to tradition and not in the industrial way.
Poor pig… he also was longing for running again free…
Pets and their people
Weekly Photo Challenge hosted by: Handmade_n
Subject: Pets and their people
Horses couldn’t miss on a fair at Alentejo.
This albino Lusitano is gorgeous. The owner is dressed with the traditional Portuguese country costume, but the saddle is not a traditional one.
These are traditional saddles, much more suited to country work with cattle as it's really hard to fall from it.
Lusitanos usually are hair dressed with a braid and it was most funny as this young girl was learning the way of doing it.
Beautiful face, although his ears pointing back were clearly showing he wasn't enjoying my company…
Nearby the competition of shepherds of Alentejo, a kind of dog used both as a shepherd and a guard that is also autochthon, was going on.
Owners do love their dogs… Of course I went pet this one… he smelled me and then try to pee at my leg… we ended up laughing!
This group called my attention not only by the beauty of the dogs but because they reminded me of Portuguese recent colonial past.
Those black boys, standing there for pictures, each one showing "his own dog", were clearly servants, as white people used to have in Africa.
But we couldn’t leave without buying something! So my daughter decided to try some sexy Arabian costumes... And what about that bikini at the back?
Here are some "electric" Indian as they were making quite a noise!
But what people were listening was this group of singers as at Alentejo everyone adore their traditional music.
Those men voices go straight to the heart.Peace
Weekly Photo Challenge hosted by: CanadianNational
Subject: Peace
Nothing is more peaceful than going to Altinho, that literarily means small bump.
It's the highest hill in many miles of plain.
At the top there's this small chapel.
But despite being so small, it's the most important church of the region and gather thousands of people in Easter.
The reason is that at in the shaded interior "lives" that tiny image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Easter is the time when She leaves her home and goes for some days to the city.
(Click the picture to enlarge)
And this is the view we have from Altinho.
The building next to the chapel is a hotel, a very peaceful one too.
It's nice being at the veranda…
Quietly enjoying the afternoon…
Of course my daughter immediately became friend of the guard dog, a beautiful shepherd of Alentejo.
We had a coffee, something that Portuguese drink all the time, and spent there the rest of the afternoon.
This is my artistic picture of the day…
Fire and Ice
Weekly Photo Challenge hosted by: Gitarezan
Subject: Fire and Ice
We couldn’t leave the place without some of these flowers.
According to tradition, they must be burned on the fire place and then put into water.
If they bloom again, it means that who we love, love us too…
Well… I didn't submit those flowers to the proof of fire… But not because I was afraid of an iced result! No… I know I'm loved! =)Next on Photo Challenge:
Poetinme (Fruit)
BookWormExtreme (Enchanted)
TheSunnyC (Fungi and Wild Flowers)
Gitarezan (ALien)
Photographics (Up, up and away)
Sezwick (Undermining Authority)
Junjie1800 (In your Bowls)I hope you enjoy visiting Alentejo!
I love the south Portugal, so it's my pleasure to take you in this travel!
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Comments (12)
As always, these are gorgeous photographs. I especially love the ones of the hotel. That seems like the perfect place to vacation - it is very beautiful.
I really enjoyed your entry! I had hoped to travel to Portugal when I lived in Scotland however when the time came for a holiday I was unable to get a cheap flight. I ended up traveling to Ireland which is when I met my now husband!
This is a huge array of photos and all so interesting. You have really done a job on catching up.
I'll comment on the current challenge, "absence of color" and using bread for the photo is amazing as I love good bread and though it lacks in color it excells in fragrance and taste. I can remember my grandma making bread, mixing it without a recipe, just adding ingredients and kneeding the dough then the smell of the yeast while it rose. Wonderful photo and a wonderful memory recalled because of it.
Loved all the photos; the animals, the architecture, the people and the story with all of it.
Isabel, what an amazing post. I love the photo of the bread and of the beautiful chapel at Altinho. I want to go to Portugal right now!!
Isabel,
Thank you for taking us with you and your daughter to the Beja fair. There are many similarities between that fair and the county and state fairs that we have here in the United States.
The Alentejo countryside is very beautiful. It is not boring at all, especially the wonderful view from the hotel in Altinho! Your post started me thinking on how I look at the world. As you said in #41, the photos of Alentejo do not show breathtaking, mountain views. For me, though, they are glimpses of a far away, exotic land. They were new and exciting experiences, even if the landscape that they show is not much different from the prairies that we have here. Also, I was fascinated by your early pictures of the streets of Serpa, but I normally do not find pictures of my own neighborhood very interesting.
"Why is that?", I asked myself.
I think that there are two reasons for this apparent paradox. First, I am interested in your pictures because they were posted by someone I know (you!), someone I feel is a friend, not some nameless, faceless professional photographer. That connection of friendship sparks our interest in the life and lifestyle of the friend.
Second, there is the fact that I was viewing pictures of a place that was new to me. Alentejo is one of the (too many) wonderful places on earth that I've just never heard of before. I was viewing your pictures through the eyes of a "traveler".
I've noticed that, when I am traveling, I view the places that I am seeing as new, exciting and full of history, even though the same scenes in my own community would seem old, shabby, boring. "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.", the old saying goes. I normally shun New Year's resolutions, but I have decided to start trying to look at my surroundings, at my life, through "traveler's eyes"; to look for the beauty, history, and uniqueness in my surrounding, no matter where I am. Not only should this help me gain a new appreciation for where I live, it should help me to develop my "photographer's eye", too, and help me create better photographs. - Len
I have so enjoyed the tour. And your photography is amazing. The bread is technically perfect. Thank you.
Hi Isabel, amazing pictures. Oh the foxes in my previous post were reared for their fur...
my site the_old_girl had to be closed down.....just wanted to drop by and get subed to you. take care -g
Hi! Beautiful pictures! Thanks for the comment, haven't had much net access lately :). You have a great 2008 as well!
Your photos are amazing! Just beautiful!
Hi Isabel, i'm only just getting around to see these after a long break in our connection, they are all really wonderful photos , i love the steam engine.