A city where it is impossible not to look at what is beneath your feet is Lisbon, Portugal. The endless intricate patterns of the cream and black cobbles automatically draw your eyes down. Known as calçada (Portuguese Pavements) some, like the wave pattern above and below in Praca Dom Pedro IV Square (Rossio), can even interfere with your balance and make people look as though they are floating above the pavement.
Arch to Praca do Comércio
Belem Wave pattern
Belem Astrological Sign – Gemini
In Belém coloured marble is used with the flat cobbles to create patterns and pictures including a map of the world depicting the voyages that Portuguese explorers made during the Age of Discovery.
The Discovery Map
South-westerlies
Pavement in Bairro Alto
Astology signs in Belem
Pattern
TRAVEL WORDS 
That wave pattern really draws you in! I like these designs a lot.
Regards as always, Pete. x
Brilliant shots Jude. I would have chosen this for the theme, but I don’t have any decent photos – haven’t been there for way too long.
The Portuguese pavements and their tiles are so beautiful. A pity we don’t create squares like these instead of boring tarmac or maybe brick.
Wow, what amazing tiles!
Super slippery when wet, and somewhat uneven so you do need to watch your footing, but the endless patterns are a photographer’s dream.
I can imagine the need for caution in the wet!
Don’t try them in flipflops if they’re wet! 🙂
It only rained one day I was there and I stayed in the hotel, which was a waste 😦
Aren’t they beautiful? I find the Lisbon waves very dizzy making, i wonder if it would be even worse in reality ?
They had waves in Cascais too and they didn’t seem as bad, or perhaps I was used to them by then!
Nice selections. “Waves” makes me dizzy.
Seems to be a common feeling! Perhaps the Portuguese are better ‘sailors’ 😀
These are amazing patterns. The wave one is making my eyes swim – I wonder how hard it would be to walk on it in a straight line!
I found myself feeling decidedly queasy, especially when I got down low to capture the waves. We didn’t hang around on that square for too long!
Perhaps that is the plan – keep the people moving!
I love these pavements. Makes me want to jump on Easy Jet and see them for myself 😆
There have been times when I have wanted to jump on Easyjet […frowns :?] Oh, wait a minute YOU mean jump on a plane to go there! I think we went by TAP or BA from Manchester. Good flight and not too long either. But don’t buy a G&T at the airport – shockingly expensive!
These are beautiful. I didn’t know about these pavements, but now I want to go there! I love the one in Bairro Alto and the way it fits the space perfectly, showing such care in the design.
I should mention that they are slippery when wet and wearing high heels is not to be advised 😉
Bom dia. This brings back memories of the summer I spent in Lisbon in 1966, the first time I ever left North America.
And you still remember some Portuguese? Did you like Lisbon?
I’d taken an introductory Portuguese course in summer school in New York the previous year, and the follow-up trip to Portugal was to take Portuguese-language classes for foreigners. With that much in my background, even though it was half a century ago, I never forget the basics.
Yes, Lisbon was fun. At age 21 I think I would have enjoyed any foreign destination, but Lisbon was a great place to start.
Portuguese is not the easiest of European languages to learn. On hearing it I thought is sounded quite Slavic, though written it is more like Spanish.
I had the same impression. During my first day or two in the introductory course the teacher sounded to me like he was speaking a Slavic language, but then things clicked and I began to hear a Romance language. Brazilian Portuguese, by the way, sounds quite different, not at all Slavic, because it doesn’t have all the sh and zh sounds that are so prominent in Portugal.
WOW These are even more stunning all together in your photo stream. Artistry above and below us if only we pay attention !