{"id":1154,"date":"2020-03-13T08:53:59","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T08:53:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/?p=1154"},"modified":"2020-03-13T08:53:59","modified_gmt":"2020-03-13T08:53:59","slug":"a-trip-to-northeast-portugal-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/?p=1154","title":{"rendered":"A trip to Northeast Portugal &#8211; part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This is the third and final part of a series about my recent\nvisit to the Vila Nova de Foz C\u00f4a (VNFC) region. Parts 1 and 2 can be found\nhere:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-paulobizarrophotoblog\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"c540P5FBbR\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/?p=1149\">A trip to Northeast Portugal &#8211; part 1<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe title=\"&#8220;A trip to Northeast Portugal &#8211; part 1&#8221; &#8212; PauloBizarroPHOTOBLOG\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/?p=1149&#038;embed=true#?secret=c540P5FBbR\" data-secret=\"c540P5FBbR\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-paulobizarrophotoblog\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"RA5wciVkzi\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/?p=1151\">A trip to Northeast Portugal &#8211; part 2<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe title=\"&#8220;A trip to Northeast Portugal &#8211; part 2&#8221; &#8212; PauloBizarroPHOTOBLOG\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/?p=1151&#038;embed=true#?secret=RA5wciVkzi\" data-secret=\"RA5wciVkzi\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We departed VNFC early in the morning and started the\njourney to Freixo de Espada a Cinta (FEC), several km to the North. The road\npasses through a beautiful area of Portugal, limited to the East by the Douro\nriver, which marks the border with Spain. This is a high altitude granitic and\nschist plateau, part of the geographic feature known as Iberian Meseta. The\nfirst village is Castelo Melhor, which I have alluded to before. From there,\nonly a few km away, lies Almendra, considered one of the most beautiful\nhistorical villages in Portugal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"636\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Slide3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1158\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Slide3.jpg 636w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Slide3-298x300.jpg 298w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Slide3-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px\" \/><figcaption>Road map between VNFC and FEC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Its name comes from the Arabic word for almond, and it is\nobvious why; once more, the almond trees are conspicuous in the surrounding\nfields and farms. The village has several historic buildings, like the Manor\n(\u201cSolar\u201d) that for generations belonged to the Almendra Viscount. It is a\npalace from the XVIII century, built in the baroque style. Even though it lies\nin ruin today, its grandeur is still very apparent, with imposing granite\nfacades. A long time before that, in the year 569 AC, the region was under\nVisigoth domain. The other important building is the Church of Our Lady of\nAngels, which was built in the XVI century; it has an imposing profile, and its\nlarge size and strongholds attest its relevance in these frontier lands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almendra_24_2_20_3_net-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almendra_24_2_20_3_net-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almendra_24_2_20_3_net-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almendra_24_2_20_3_net-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almendra_24_2_20_3_net.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Almendra &#8211; old manor house.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almendra_24_2_20_9_net-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almendra_24_2_20_9_net-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almendra_24_2_20_9_net-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almendra_24_2_20_9_net-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almendra_24_2_20_9_net.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Almendra &#8211; church.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From Almendra, the road leads to Castelo Rodrigo, even\ncloser to Spain. The landscape in between is characterized by granitic plateaus\nand sparse vegetation, with isolated boulders that have resulted from erosion\nby wind and water. Today it is quite warm for February, but it is not difficult\nto imagine the cold winter winds whistling thorough the region. Castelo Rodrigo\nsits atop a hill, which at this time of the year is surrounded by blooming\nalmond trees; this makes a very picturesque scenery, so I had to stop to make a\nfew photos. The entire medieval town is enclosed inside the castle walls, as a\nfortification, which was required, given its tribulated history that tells of\nmany frontier wars with Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crodrigo_24_2_20_8_net-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crodrigo_24_2_20_8_net-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crodrigo_24_2_20_8_net-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crodrigo_24_2_20_8_net-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crodrigo_24_2_20_8_net.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Castelo Rodrigo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the history of the place goes well into the past, from pre-historic times to romans and Arabs; finally, in 1297 it was incorporated in Portugal. It is well worthwhile to spend some time walking along the narrow streets, feeling the history of the place. Also spend some time tasting the delicacies in the shops, particularly the almonds and almond liqueur. Inside the castle, note the &#8220;defamed upside down coat of arms&#8221;, a punishment by the King of Portugal imposed on the local nobility, who sided at the time with the opposing Spanish party in the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crodrigo_24_2_20_13_net-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crodrigo_24_2_20_13_net-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crodrigo_24_2_20_13_net-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crodrigo_24_2_20_13_net-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/crodrigo_24_2_20_13_net.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption>Castelo Rodrigo &#8211; defamed coat of arms.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The next leg of our trip would take us to Barca de Alva, one\nof the entry points of the International Douro Natural Park. Before getting\nthere, be sure to stop in the roman villa of Almofala, with its well-preserved\ntower. Given that it was lunch time, we had a picnic in a small resting area by\nthe side of the road, under the shade of a willow tree, and close to a small\ncreek. I even made a few long exposures of the running water, just for fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almofala_24_2_20_4_net-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almofala_24_2_20_4_net-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almofala_24_2_20_4_net-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almofala_24_2_20_4_net-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/almofala_24_2_20_4_net.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption>Almofala roman tower.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Approaching Barca de Alva, it is interesting to notice that\nthe topography starts to change; in fact, the plateau area we had been crossing\nsince morning, transitions into a rougher terrain, that descends precipitously\ntowards the Douro valley. This is an important location, as it marks the end of\nthe 200 km long train route that starts in Porto in the coast and goes along\nthe Douro river upstream. Unfortunately, part of the route has been deactivated\nand is in disuse. It also marks the point up to which the Douro is navigable.\nThe Mediterranean microclimate of the region, and how it affects the Douro\nvalley, becomes apparent here: there are many fields cultivated with vineyards,\nalmonds, orange and olive trees. This is where the region of Port wine truly\nbegins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"406\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_2020_PANO_2_net-1024x406.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_2020_PANO_2_net-1024x406.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_2020_PANO_2_net-300x119.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_2020_PANO_2_net-768x304.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_2020_PANO_2_net-1536x608.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_2020_PANO_2_net-2048x811.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Barca de Alva &#8211; a nice viewpoint before the road descends into the Douro valley. This is a 13 shot panorama.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_2020_PANO_1_net-1024x315.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_2020_PANO_1_net-1024x315.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_2020_PANO_1_net-300x92.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_2020_PANO_1_net-768x236.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_2020_PANO_1_net-1536x472.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_2020_PANO_1_net-2048x629.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Barca de Alva &#8211; another panorama.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The rest of our trip will follow the road along the border\nwith Spain, and it is impossible not to stop along the way to admire the\nlandscape from several viewpoints. The most famous one is located just before\narriving at FEC and is called Penedo Dur\u00e3o. This is a rocky spur that juts out\nover the Douro valley, at an altitude of around 700m. From this vantage point,\nand in the right season, many birds that are typical of this Natural Park can\nbe observed: griffin, Egyptian vulture, peregrine falcon, amongst others. It is\na great place to stop and appreciate the surrounding nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_20_6_net-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_20_6_net-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_20_6_net-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_20_6_net-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/balva_24_2_20_6_net.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>View from the road over the Douro river. Border with Spain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pdurao_24_2_20_1_net-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pdurao_24_2_20_1_net-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pdurao_24_2_20_1_net-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pdurao_24_2_20_1_net-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pdurao_24_2_20_1_net.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>View over the Douro river from Penedo Dur\u00e3o.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>By the time we arrive at FEC, the sun is going down behind\nthe mountains. This is another town rich in history, and whose foundation is\nlost in the mist of time. The origin of its name \u201cFreixo\u201d (Ash tree) and\n\u201cEspada Cinta\u201d (sword at waist) is not clear, and there are several legends.\nOne story says that a goth nobleman whose name was \u201cEspadacinta\u201d took a nap\nunder a Freixo after battling the Arabs in the Douro river. Another tells how\nking D. Dinis, when passing through this land, lied down to rest under the\nshade of a Freixo tree, but not before placing his mighty sword against it. While\nsleeping, the tree\u2019s spirit guided the king to establish wise guidelines for\nthe future. Regardless of the story, the town is full of interesting places to\nvisit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/fecinta_24_2_20_2_net-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/fecinta_24_2_20_2_net-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/fecinta_24_2_20_2_net-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/fecinta_24_2_20_2_net-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/fecinta_24_2_20_2_net.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Freixo de Espada a Cinta &#8211; main square with church and castle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/fecinta_24_2_20_8_net-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/fecinta_24_2_20_8_net-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/fecinta_24_2_20_8_net-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/fecinta_24_2_20_8_net-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/fecinta_24_2_20_8_net.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption>Freixo de Espada a Cinta &#8211; onion basket.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From FEC to the fluvial beach of Congida is a quick and\nshort drive. This is a great place to spend the night, in peaceful tranquillity\nby the river Douro. The light of the setting sun reaches the banks of the\nriver, bathing them in golden hues. I make haste with my tripod and camera to\ntake a few shots of the surrounding scenery. At night, I went out to make a\nstar trail session. As the river runs North to South, pointing the camera to\nthe North will ensure a nice star trail rotating around Polaris. Fujifilm cameras\nmake this extremely easy to set up, with their built in intervalometer. I\nprogramme the camera to shoot 100 frames of 30 seconds each, this will give me\na total of 50 minutes of movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_PANO_2_net-1024x268.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1204\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_PANO_2_net-1024x268.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_PANO_2_net-300x79.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_PANO_2_net-768x201.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_PANO_2_net-1536x402.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_PANO_2_net-2048x537.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Congida fluvial beach. Panorama of 16 shots of the Douro river.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_trail_net-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_trail_net-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_trail_net-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_trail_net-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_trail_net.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Star trail.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_night_2_net-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_night_2_net-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_night_2_net-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_night_2_net-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_24_2_20_night_2_net.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Night photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The following morning, I was out of the room before sunrise; the weather had turned cloudy, but that was good, as it added some more interest in the sky area for the photos. I walked around the beach, trying out different foregrounds such as boats and willow trees. I also opted for some long exposures, between a few seconds and 2 minutes; this has resulted in some interesting movement effects in the clouds. In the end, I decided to convert some of the photos to black and white, for added visual drama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_2_bw_net-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_2_bw_net-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_2_bw_net-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_2_bw_net-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_2_bw_net.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Congida before dawn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_4_bw_net-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_4_bw_net-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_4_bw_net-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_4_bw_net-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_4_bw_net.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Congida before dawn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_15_net-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_15_net-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_15_net-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_15_net-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/congida_25_2_20_15_net.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Congida before dawn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was with a sad feeling that we left the area and returned home, after a few very fulfilling days in a beautiful part of the country. But we left with our hearts and minds richer, after experiencing all the culture, history, and landscape of the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"635\" height=\"646\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Slide4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1159\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Slide4.jpg 635w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Slide4-295x300.jpg 295w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 635px) 100vw, 635px\" \/><figcaption>Between VNFC and Peso da R\u00e9gua. Route 222 follows the Unesco World Heritage site, for the Douro wine country landscape.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/regua_25_2_20_1_net-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/regua_25_2_20_1_net-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/regua_25_2_20_1_net-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/regua_25_2_20_1_net-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/regua_25_2_20_1_net.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Douro valley near Peso da R\u00e9gua.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is the third and final part of a series about my recent visit to the Vila Nova de Foz C\u00f4a (VNFC) region. Parts 1 and 2 can be found here: We departed VNFC early in the morning and started the journey to Freixo de Espada a Cinta (FEC), several km to the North. The &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/?p=1154\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">A trip to Northeast Portugal &#8211; part 3<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1154"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1154"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1224,"href":"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1154\/revisions\/1224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.paulobizarro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}