The churches in Valletta tower over the apartment buildings which in turn tower over the ramparts of the city. An interesting place to visit if you are at all keen on history.
Black and White Sunday: Towering
Category: Europe
Thursday’s Special: Mirroring
The Jardin du Palais Royal, Paris, France
This elegant urban space is fronted by the neoclassical Palais Royal (closed to the public), constructed in 1633 by Cardinal Richelieu but mostly dating to the late 18th century. Louis XIV hung out here in the 1640s; today it is home to the Conseil d’État .
See more mirroring over at Paula’s site
Thursday’s Special
Paula’s (Lost in Translation) challenge this week is Inflated
A wet sheet and a flowing sea,
A wind that follows fast
And fills the white and rustling sail
And bends the gallant mast;
~ Allan Cunningham
Yachts on Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) at Montreux were struggling to catch any breeze to inflate their sails.
and the strange low mist / cloud gave the impression that they were floating in the sky.
Thursday Special
Arabesque Ribeiro da Cunha Palace @ No 26 Rua dom Pedro V
dating from 1877, now housing a university department. This once beautiful building, now somewhat dilapidated, is close to the Parque Príncipe (Prince) Real, near Bairro Alto which is a wonderful park though a little tired at the time of my visit in 2012, as indeed much of Lisbon was.
Paula’s (Lost in Translation) challenge this week is Traces of the Past
Thursday’s Special
Paula’s (Lost in Translation) challenge this week is Tall.
Following her idea of a lighthouse I have opted to show this beautiful blue and white striped pepper-pot structure, which is topped by a small glass beacon.
During the 1750s, on a rocky shoulder overhanging the sea, a small fort was erected that was part of the maritime defence of Cascais until the 19th century. In 1762 it was modernized, and began its function as a lighthouse in 1868 after losing its military value.
In the lighthouse museum are gathered representative pieces that illustrate its activity whilst it was a lighthouse, featuring a series of optical devices from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as an audiovisual centre where a multilingual documentary about the lighthouses of Portugal is exhibited.
You really need to wear good sunglasses when visiting this site – the white glossy tiles of the exhibition centre and auditorium throw off a blinding light in the sunlight which quite hurts the eyes! The tiles are laid slightly unevenly so the apparently plain surfaces catch the light and have a subtle iridescent quality.
I have been promising to show this to my blogging friend Jo for a very long time! I hope she enjoys it 🙂
TRAVEL WORDS 