The Architect’s Eye - Discoveries from our Travels
Portugal - October 2023
We completely geeked out over all of the whimsical paving patterns in Portugal, especially since we were traveling with our friend Jane Reed Ross who is a Landscape Architect. The pavers are limestone and basalt. The top left is the wide sea inlaid pavers in the Rossio Square, circa 1890 in central downtown Lisbon. The bottom one on the left is the walkway in the Parque Eduardo, VII. The two on the right are from Aveiro which is a coastal town between Lisbon and Porto.
The paving at the Royal Palace in Marfa radiates from the front of the basilica out to the streets’
Grand Views and Spaces
The top right is a view through the Lisboa Arco Triunfal da Rua Auguste at the statue of King Jose I in the Praca do Comercio. The top left is a view across Lisbon from one of the seven hills. The bottom left is the Douro Valley and bottom right is the Douro River in Porto.
Inviting Paths
Throughout Portugal we found enticing paths and streets that begged to be explored. The first two on the top row are in Libson one leading to the Praca de Comercio and the second the loggia around the square. The third is an ancient road in the pre-Roman city of Viseu. The second row starts with the walkway at Cava de Viriato which is an ancient earthen wall in the shape of an octagon in Viseu. The center photo is the staircase of a winery we visited in the Douro Valley. The path with the Plane trees is in Marfa. The first two on the bottom row are from the ancient walled city of Obidos. the final one is from the tiny town of Ucanha.
Buildings with Faces!
We always get a kick out of finding buildings that are anthropomorphic…searching for an expressive face is lots of fun. Michael drew the Torre de Ucanha on my anniversary card before our trip. Thanks to GPS we found this delightful tiny town and the bridge over the Varosa River. The tower was built in 1465 and served as the toll gate to cross the bridge. The small stone building is in Parque do Fontelo in Viseu. The two churches are in Lisbon and the waterfront building is on the pier in Nazare, the home of the largest surfable waves in the world. They can reach 30 meters high! Alas, they were quite calm on the day we were there.
Details
We are always soaking up the details from iron lanterns and railings to serpent railings! The hose bib coming out of the mouth was a first for us. The hand painted ceramic tiles throughout the county were beautiful. The final image is the built in seating along the wall in Nazare, where you can sit and enjoy the view of the waves and surfers.
