The land of the Templars – part 2

This is part 2 of my latest essay, which is about a visit to the region of Tomar and Dornes in Central Portugal. Part 1 can be found here:

The History of Tomar is a very old one, dating back to pre – Roman times. The city was conquered by the Moors in 716, until re-conquered by King Afonso Henriques in 1147. Such was accomplished with the help of the Knights of the Order of the Temple. As a reward, King Afonso granted the ruling of the region to Gualdim Pais, a Templar knight. It was Gualdim Pais that in 1160 started the building of the famous Convent of Christ, which combines a religious structure with a fortification. It was the role of the Templars to defend the region from the attacks of the Moors coming from the South. With time, the Order grew in stature, and Tomar was chosen as its headquarters.

From Dornes to Tomar is a short drive. Upon approaching the city, it is possible to see the convent on the top of the hill, appreciating its defensive position. It is an important monument, classified as a World Heritage site. Its construction spanned many years, between the centuries XII and XVIII. The complex includes various structures, all of significant historical and heritage importance. The core of the whole complex is the Charola Templaria, a rare example of a circular temple, that was used by the Knights as a praying location, or inner sanctum. It is quite impressive to enter the Charola and admire all the works of art and the symbology that fills the place. The central part of the temple is organized according to an octagonal plan, surrounded by a corridor that has 16 faces. Walking around the room, it is possible to admire the many paintings and sculptures that depict episodes from the life of Jesus.

Exterior of the Convent of Christ, with the circular Charola at the end.
Entrance to the Charola.
Inside the Charola, the inner sanctum of the Templars.
Paintings depicting the life of Jesus.

One other important monument is the Manueline church, built between 1510 and 1513. This church was literally erected against the western facade of the Charola, and features one of the highlights of the visit, the famous Manueline Window. The Manueline architectural style appeared during the age of the Portuguese Discoveries, and its name comes from King Manuel I. The window combines various motifs, from religious to maritime ones; it has been described as a “poem written in stone”.

Manueline church, adjacent to the Charola.
Manueline window.

The window is quite impressive in its artistic expression, and I spend some time photographing some of the details.

Detail from the top.
Another detail of the window.
Detail of the stone ropes.

There are many more places and structures to visit in the complex, such as several cloisters and the cistern.

One of the cloisters.
The cistern.

The day had started in Dornes, with a very cold and foggy morning near the river Zêzere, plus a nice walk along a trail. Visiting the Convent of Christ was a great way to finish a very full day in the land of the Templars.

The land of the Templars – part 1

Recently I have visited the region between the city of Tomar and the village of Dornes, in the central part of Portugal. The plan was to visit some of the famous monuments of the area, namely the ones dating back to the period of the Templars, that is, the 12th century. I also wanted to walk the trail around Dornes, the small medieval village that lies on the bank of the river Zêzere. The area is shown in the figure below.

Location of major landmarks in the area. Trail indicated by the blue line.

The very old Order of the Temple was established in Portugal around 1126, a few years before the country’s independence in 1143. At the time, the knights had a significant role helping the first Portuguese King, Afonso Henriques, fighting against the Moors and expanding the territory towards the south. While the Order was extinguished by pope Clement V in 1307, in Portugal King Diniz transformed it into the Order of Christ in 1319, thus maintaining its patrimony. This important decision allowed the Order to establish its headquarters in Tomar, where they built the famous Convent of Christ. The nearby Tower of Dornes is also an interesting structure. I have decided to split this essay into two parts, the first one dedicated to Dornes, and the second one to Tomar.

The village of Dornes lies near the river Zêzere, about 2 hours drive to the northeast of Lisbon. I arrived early in the morning of 30th December, with the area covered by a freezing fog, and no soul in sight. No doubt, Covid and the cold were keeping everybody home. This is a mountainous region, characterized by forests and deep valleys. A large fire affected the area in 2017, and some of the effects are still visible when walking along the trail. Dornes has a very old history, dating back to Roman times, when the first fortification was built to protect the gold mining from the river. It also played an important role in the Christian reconquering of Portugal, when the Templar Knight Gualdim Pais decided to build the strong structure that we still see today.

Walking along the deserted streets, with the morning fog obscuring the river, it is not difficult to be transported 800 years back. The tower itself is unique due to its pentagonal plan. After a short walk near the river to admire the view, it was time to start the trail, which is indicated as PRZ1. Since it is a circular route, it really does not matter which direction to go, so I decided to do the trail counterclockwise. The first part is along the road leaving Dornes, but soon the path starts to climb the neighboring mountains. It is possible to spot the sunshine above the fog, and as the morning passes the fog starts to lift. Given the recent heavy rains, the forest is dripping with water, and green predominates.

Cold morning in Dornes.
Fog over the river Zêzere.
Branching out.
Small flower.

After a while the trail becomes more difficult, as it is clear that its maintenance has been overlooked. The path is covered with a lot of overgrowth, burnt tree stumps, and several signposts are missing at critical junctions. However, as the fog lifts, the views towards the village and the mountains are very nice and compensate for the extra challenge.

The fog lifts.

The trail keeps winding around and over the mountains and forests, until it arrives at a nice viewpoint over Dornes. From here, it is possible to appreciate its strategic location near the river. It is a beautiful view.

View of Dornes from higher up on the trail.
Dornes.

Returning to the village, I spent some time making some extra photos near the river, playing around with the reflections of the trees on the water.

Reflection.
Tower of Dornes.

In terms of photo equipment, I used my usual Fujifilm kit, consisting of a couple of cameras and lenses: one 24mm wide angle, one 90mm telephoto. This was flexible enough to allow different framing, according to the scenery.

Along the coast near Cabo Sardão, southwest Portugal

In the first week of December we had a few bank holidays in Portugal, so I drove south to spend some days in Longueira, on the Alentejo coast. During the weekend, depression Dora hit the country, with heavy rain and strong winds. Even under such conditions, there is always the chance to go out and take some photos. That is what I did during a Saturday afternoon, near the Cabo Sardão area.

From my house it is only a short drive to the lighthouse of Cabo Sardão. The weather was changing quickly, with heavy showers alternating with sun spells. I know the area quite well, so I decided I would walk along the coastal trail for a round trip of about 8 km, or a couple of hours. I simply grabbed the Fujifilm X100V and the tripod, plus a raincoat of course.

The coastal trail that passes through Cabo Sardão is part of the Rota Vicentina. From this point, it is about 20 km until the next village to the south, Zambujeira do Mar. The coastal region here is characterized by short vegetation and rocky Palaeozoic cliffs with many tectonic folds. A true natural haven, part of a protected area. Now and then the clouds would break, and a golden light would illuminate the cliffs and the sea. It was simply a question of sitting down and enjoying the quiet surroundings, with the land being buffeted by strong winds and crashing waves.

Rainbow panorama assembled from 3 photos.
During a break in storm Dora.
Cliffs at sunset. This light lasted for a few seconds only.
Saddle and arch.

It was a wonderful walk, graced with great but elusive light.

Pure light.

Early morning in Odemira

The following are just some photos that I took during a morning walk in the village of Odemira, a coastal and interior municipality of southwest Portugal, in the Alentejo province. I had to go to Odemira to buy some groceries, but even in such occasions I always bring my small camera with me, the excellent Fujifilm X100V.

Along the drive between Longueira and Odemira, there is a familiar farm house by the side of the road, that I have photographed before. This particular morning was no exception, because the land was green and the sky a crispy blue with fluffy white clouds. The sun had risen about one hour before, so the light was still good.

The terrain was soaked with rain, but I walked up to the farm house for a more close up photo. Actually, there is a natural spring nearby where I go to fill up several containers of water for drinking.

Farm.
Farm.
Farm and moon.

I took the opportunity of simply strolling through the streets in Odemira. Clearly, Covid – 19 is ever-present, even thought people try to go on with their lives. Local cafés and shops are open, but business is slow. Odemira is the largest municipality in Portugal in terms of area, and has a small population; thus, social distancing is already practiced under normal circumstances. Still, people are very worried, because a large part of the inhabitants are old. Hopefully 2021 will be a better year.

Walking by.
Enjoying the sun.
Over the Mira river.
Going up.

Another trail in the Odemira region of Alentejo, Portugal

With the ongoing Covid – 19 situation, and the concurrent confinements, I am lucky enough to still be able to go out occasionally and walk along some of the many trails near Odemira. These trails are part of the Rota Vicentina network, and over the past couple of years I have walked several of them and have written about the experience here in the blog.

In 2020 I had planned to explore the trails a bit further, in other municipalities of the southwest coast; unfortunately, the restrictions have curtailed the plan, so I have been circunscribed to the municipality of Odemira, where I have a house. Thus, it is still possible to travel and drive inside the municipality’s boundaries. As a result, I have been repeating several walks that I did in 2019, and this time I want to write about the trail around the village of São Martinho das Amoreiras. The first time I did this trail I wrote about it here:

When revisiting a familiar place it is difficult not to take photos from the same spots and of the same subjects. This second time doing the trail, the weather was far from being sunny, like in the first time. Early December, the weather forecast included heavy showers, which could provide a different feel and experience in the areas we were going to cross. The landscape is dominated by gently rolling hills and rural farms and small villages. There are green pastures and fruit orchards, that provide for the local economy.

Of particular relevance are the Arbutus (medronho), olive oil, and honey. The Arbutus is particularly attractive this time of the year, as the small trees are blooming and have plenty of the red fruits. Unfortunately, there are many abandoned and ruined farm houses along the way; as the older people pass away, there are no young ones to follow up this rural lifestyle.

Abandoned farm along the trail.
Fields and clouds.
Green and blue.

Approaching rain.

Given the large amount of recent rain, the landscape was different from one year ago, and there were more animals grazing in the field. Everything looked fresher, which was nice, following very dry Spring and Summer periods.

Grazing.
Close by.
Bird.
Food stock.

After lunch (quick picnic), the weather really closed in, with lots of rain. We decided to cut the walk short, after 9 km (of a total 13 km), because these interior roads are not very safe under such conditions, especially in the dark. While resting a little bit in São Martinho, I noticed some nice Autumn colours in the trees, and took a few shots.

Autumn colours.
Autumn colours.

On the way back the rain stopped, allowing us to enjoy the leisurely drive through a winding road that provided excellent spots from which to photograph the countryside.

Arbutus.
Along the road.
Farm house.

For this walk I used Fuji X-T3 and X-H1 cameras, fitted with the Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 and 90mm f/2 lenses. These were more than adequate to get the shots I found along the way. Light conditions for photography were changing quickly, with alternating dark and light patches on the landscape. Contrejour was common, and I exposed to preserve the highlights. Shooting RAW was a safeguard against such challenge, ensuring files were maleable enough to obtain a good result.

Autumn in Milfontes

Vila Nova de Milfontes is a wonderful place to visit the entire year. Considered by many as the jewel of the southwest Alentejo coast, the village hugs the northern bank of the Mira river, where it joins the Atlantic. It is famous for its pristine and picturesque beaches, which are part of a Nature Reserve. I have already written here many times about Milfontes, showing numerous photos taken during the 4 seasons of the year.

Milfontes is indeed full of interesting places that take on a different feel according to the season and the light. I was there recently in end November, and had the chance to make more photos during a break in the rainy weather. The Autumn light adds a different character to the landscape, augmented by the stormy clouds. A good general view of the village, estuary, and river can be appreciated from the bridge.

View from the bridge, looking West.
River and mountain, looking East.
Estuary. The small lighthouse in the distant promontory is also a good location for photography.

From the bridge, it is possible to make good photos, using both wide angle and telephoto lenses. The river slowly makes its way to the sea, and the distant mountains provide a nice background. The small fishing and recreation boats rest along the pier.

One other great location is further down the main road, in the small promontory where a small lighthouse is located. From there, it is possible to see the village and the surrounding beaches. On this particular evening, the light and the clouds were quite nice.

Beaches.
Panorama.
Clouds.
Golden light at sunset.

I never tire of Milfontes, especially off-season, where it is possible to enjoy the place without all the hustle and bustle of the summer. These photos were taken with two Fujinon lenses, 16mm f/1.4 and 90mm f/2.

Strolling in a rainy afternoon

Here in Portugal in the last 3 or 4 weeks there has been a lot of rain and some stormy weather, which is excellent to mitigate against the draught. The Covid-19 restrictions are still in place, but it is possible to travel outside of curfew hours. In the beginning of December there are a few public holidays, so I took the opportunity to spend a couple of weekends in Longueira, a small village near the southwestern Alentejo coast.

The weather was indeed rainy, which was not very inviting to go out and take photos, but that is what I did one afternoon. Bad weather is often a good opportunity to make different and interesting images. The sky was filled with clouds coming in from the south, and promising more rain. I decided to take a short walk around the village, along local dirt roads that cross rural fields and some farms. The brooding and menacing clouds would add some drama to my images. A few examples are given below.

Old house in the field.
Sheep.
Old farm.
Stormy landscape.
Menacing sky.
Raining.

My little walk took about 1 hour, and by the time I got home it was dark and raining a lot. Still, I managed to make a few interesting photos, featuring the dramatic sky as key element. So, next time it is raining, get out of the house and try to take some different photos. All the photos were taken using the Fujifilm X-T3 camera and Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 lens, a good option for rainy weather, as both feature weather resistance.

Fujifilm X100V – my experience

I don´t write about photographic gear very often in my blog, since I prefer to showcase my photos and associated experiences. It is my opinion that current cameras and lenses across several formats are more than capable to deliver excellent images. It is up to the photographer to go out, find inspiration, and produce memorable photos. As those who read my blog know, in the past 4 months or so I have been trying out the Fujifilm X100V, using it in the type of occasion where I prefer to carry only one simple but high-quality camera.

Such instances have included walking several trail paths in the Rota Vicentina in southwest Portugal; simple landscape photo sessions; and general vacation photography. My previous impressions can be found in the following links:

The Fujifilm X100V is the fifth version of an iconic camera line that first saw the light of day in 2010. So this year marks an important milestone for the little camera. In fact, one could argue that the success of the original X100 was the first significant step in the launch of Fujifilm’s X-mount system one year later. I have used several of the X100 cameras throughout the years, and the “V” still carries all of the original charm, marrying it with the modern technology and know-how of the company. There are not many camera lines that are able to maintain such strong personality traits after 10 years – this is almost an eternity in the digital age.

In order to round off this series of articles about my experiences with this camera, I have used it again recently to make some landscape photos on two occasions. Both during a weekend that I spent in the Alentejo coast, near Almograve. I merely used the camera and a tripod, can not get any simpler than that really.

On the first outing I went to the area near Cabo Sardão lighthouse, to photograph during the sunset time. The weather was cloudy, with menacing and broody skies. This made for some nice photos of the sea, cliffs, and lighthouse. For some of them I used the built-in neutral density filter; 4 stops is very useful to achieve long exposures.

Stormy sunset
Cliffs at sunset
Precipice
Approaching storm
Menacing clouds

As you can see, the weather was looking dire, but I kept shooting, as the clouds and the light were changing every minute. The interplay between the sea and the sky provided interesting compositions.

Moving on
Lights on
Cloudscape
Water world

The second outing occurred the following morning, in the small village of Longueira. Again, I simply grabbed the camera and the tripod and went out of the house before sunrise. Trying to find different and still interesting subjects after photographing a place for so many years is a challenge. However, every sunrise (or sunset) is different, and places change with the seasons. In the Autumn, often there are clouds in the sky that are illuminated by low angle sunlight, displaying warm colours. The fields are ploughed and freshly vibrant from the morning dew.

Coloured wedge
Rising sun over football field
First light
The tree
Fields of green

In conclusion, the X100V is, for me, the best version so far of this line of cameras from Fujifilm. Small, easy to operate, great lens and sensor, robust, and delivers high image quality. The final photo illustrates that in the confined world we live in today, it is still possible to imagine.

Confined

A night to day transition in Milfontes

Located at the estuary of the river Mira, Vila Nova de Milfontes is blessed with a beautiful natural setting. Here, the quiet river water reaches the Atlantic surrounded by tree-covered cliffs and golden sand beaches. No wonder that in the last 30 years or so it has become one of the most popular summer vacation destinations. In 2020 the summer was quieter than usual, due to Covid-19, but still there were some people around. Now, at the end of October, Milfontes has returned to the usual tranquility of the other 9 months of the year.

One very early morning (or rather late night?) I picked up my photo backpack and tripod and headed over to the village to make some night and sunrise photos. There are several interesting monuments and places that portray a different feel at night, and I wanted to capture that. The old church, the XVI century fort overlooking the estuary, and some architectural details, all make interesting subjects. Another highlight is the monument that commemorates the first airplane voyage between Portugal and Macau; on the 2nd of April of 1924, Brito Paes and Sarmento Beires took off from Milfontes in a risky endeavour. Two planes and 16,380 km later, they reached their destination on the 23rd of June.

Walking down the street to the river, I made photos of all these subjects, which at night display a different charater.

The old church around the corner
Chimneys
Brave pilots

The little square in front of the castle provides one of the most popular views over the river and the sea. At night, the illumination was provided by the artificial lights, which turned out quite nice on the water and the lifeguard building below.

Famous lookout at night

There was a low tide, so I walked down to the beach and made several photos of the boats and the landscape. Due to the low light levels, exposure times were quite long, resulting in subject movement on the boats and some good colour and detail in the cloudy sky.

Floating
The lifeguard building

The first light of dawn was appearing in the East. The clouds, sky, and fishing boats provided some really nice compositions. I was quite busy making a lot of photos during this period. Including a 15 minute exposure!

First light over the river
15 minutes

During this transition between night and day, the light was changing very fast, so every minute the landscape was presenting different aspects. These were typical blue hour light conditions, where landscape photographers need to work fast to catch the light at its best.

Breaking light over the distant mountains
Changing light and clouds

Looking over my shoulder I noticed the clouds in the sky turning into a fiery orange. This only lasted for a few seconds, but I managed to make a few photos. What a fantastic light that was!

On fire

Once the Sun broke through, the area became bathed with golden light and long shadows. Since the tide was low, I was able to walk under the coastal walkway. I made a few more photos, including the walkway itself, and the moored boats.

Perspective under the walkway
Fishing boat
Mira estuary

Once the Sun was shining over the area, several cats appeared to warm up. These are normally taken care for by the nice lady that ferries people across the river.

Warming up
Junior

Before I went back home for a well deserved breakfast, I took a few more photos of the castle on the top of the cliff. The light was great, and this is one of the obligatory compositions.

Castle
Shadow

Between mountain and river – Troviscais walking trail

Starting about two years ago, my wife and I have been walking along the circular trails of the Rota Vicentina inside the municipality of Odemira, Alentejo province. These trails are a wonderful way of getting to know the coastal and rural areas of the region, away from the more touristic places. This is a beautiful region located between the mountain and the sea, a singular Alentejo, as the local advertisement says.

With all the Covid-19 problems, and with the certain future lockdowns in Portugal, we have recently taken the opportunity to repeat some of these trails. Such is the case with this one, which takes us from the interior village of Troviscais to the river Mira, and back. We did this walk two years ago in November, and I wrote about it in detail here.

This time around the weather was sunny and crisp, following the passage of storm Barbara. Everything seemed fresher, and the colours more vivid, which was nice. Similar to the previous time, I simply carried a wide angle lens and a telephoto lens, respectively the Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 and the Fujinon 90mm f/2. Due to my familiarity with the trail, I had in mind making some different photos compared to the last time, especially using the close focus distance in both lenses. I also made some long exposures using my Lee Big Stopper ND filter.

Along the trail after Troviscais
Abandoned house
Wide angle close up
Telephoto close up – Autumn has arrived
Mira river long exposure
Mira river long exposure
Mira river oyster beds
Mira river long exposure
Abandoned
Window in Troviscais
Door in Troviscais
Door knob in Troviscais

Walking this trail again was a wonderful experience; we crossed rural fields with cork oak trees, up and down gentle hills, with the highlight being the couple of km along the river margin.