Some Recent Shots

Here are a few of the photos I've taken recently.

During a visit to Lisbon, I took this photo of the wonderful old trams. I was on a tram waiting for the two coming uphill to clear the narrow single-track section. A very nice view that really captures the narrow lanes of Lisbon.

A rainbow seen from our verandah. On a clear day, we'd see Portugal's highest point just about where the pot of gold should be...

One of many villages in the Serra de Açor mountain range -- just south of here -- that was lucky to escape being burnt in 2005. The fire completely surrounded it, as can be seen by the stunted or dead trees nearby. But at least the black colouring of last winter has given way to green.

Night scene (taken on Boxing day or St. Stephen's Day) in Aldeia das Dez, a lovely little village in the Serra de Açor.

Elaborate terracing, now apparently disused, in the Serra da Estrela range. In our area, there is an incredible amount of terracing. Tiny terraced fields have been carved out of rocky hillsides everywhere. But this is the most spectacular and sophisticated example I have seen; it almost looks like part of the garden of a large residence, but there is no house nearby...

Autumn colours as seen across our little valley just a few days ago. The mighty Tábua River (actually flowing now after all the rain we've had) is between us and there.

It could almost be Japan. Rice fields on the other side of Coimbra from here, towards the Atlantic coast. In this colder weather, they have a bleak, wintry feel -- emphasized by the white birds, which are presumably a kind of egret.

In recent days we've had a lot of hazy weather, perhaps not helped by smoke from all the wood fires. This sunset is seen between two of our orange trees.