Some people may wonder why I am interested in windows and doors, and why do I publish photos related to this topic on this site. Well, I’m not particularly interested in this subject, but I just think that in old towns like Tomar doors and windows sometimes draw attention to them, especially for someone like me who have been living for many years in a young modern country like Australia. Old windows and doors tell you that people who are no longer with us, used to look at those windows and enter those doors. It’s often evidence of the past long gone, but still carrying on their purpose today.
This is a relatively modern building with mirror windows and doors which is located right across the Garden of Varzea Pequena. The street in front is Rua Marquês de Tomar
This is the window of an attic belonging to a house in the area of Varzea Pequena. When I was much younger I lived in a house in Tomar with an attic similar to this one
Another window of another attic in the area of Varzea Pequena in Tomar. By the way, I've just learned that the word attic comes from the Attica Greek region, around Athens
It rained quite a bit that day around the area where the Church of São João Batista in Tomar was built in the 12th century. Well it rained all over town really, but I was at Praça da República where this church is located, and also roaming around the old part of the city with an umbrella and my camera. It’s almost unbelievable that this place of worship has been there for more than 800 years! Countless number of people have already gone, lost in the mist of time, and here I was in a rainy day looking at such a old construction, which hopefully will still be there long after I’m gone.
Rainy day around the area where the Church of São João Baptista (Saint John the Baptist) in the City of Tomar, was constructed more than 800 years ago
Raining or not, kings, nobleman and people of all walks of life have visited this place of worship for centuries, and this very old building from the middle ages is still here
It might be raining but the Manueline style portal at the Church of São João Baptista is still remarkable, and if you run from the rain and go inside you will be delighted by its gothic/manueline ornamentation
Portugal isn’t Holland which is an European country with almost as many bicycles as people. Apparently there are about 13 million bikes in the Netherlands against a population of about 16 million people. Anyway the Portuguese, don’t have the geography, the structures and the tradition to ride bikes by the millions like the Dutch, but some do and here are a few examples in Tomar. These photos were shot in different areas of the city and one was taken when I was walking to the Chapel of Senhora da Conceição which is the same road that leads to the Castle of Tomar.
Bike rider at the end of the Old Bridge in Tomar, also known as Bridge of King Manuel I (Ponte de D. Manuel). People riding bikes aren't very common at least in the middle of towns and cities
Another person riding a bicycle, but this time at the start of Rua Marquês de Pombal. On top of the hill is the Castle of the Knights Templar and the Convent of Christ
I was walking to the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição in Tomar when I saw this bike rider. Who knows, maybe he is a Dutch tourist on holidays in Portugal
For some reason I clearly remember the day I shot these pictures in Tomar. Not the exact date but I know it was Wednesday and I had just climbed and came down the huge stairs of the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Piedade. I went there with my wife and son but then they went home and I stayed behind to take photos of Varzea Pequena and from it. In this case these are photos shot right from the garden Varzea Pequena and the subjects were the small bridge that crosses to the Island of Mouchão Park and a few buildings in the area, including Casa Vieira Guimarães.
I was at the garden of Varzea Pequena in Tomar when I shot this picture of the small bridge that crosses from Rua Marquês de Tomar to the Island of Mouchão Park
Picture taken from Varzea Pequena but zoomed in. People crossing the bridge to and from Mouchão Park and that tower in the distance belongs to Casa Vieira Guimarães
Another angle of the bridge that crosses Nabão River to Mouchão Park, when I was at Varzea Pequena. It's also around this area that you find the headquarters of the Post Office in Tomar
I know that this isn’t exactly a touristic spot in the City of Tomar and it is the kind of suburb where nobody wants to go indefinitely. I am talking about the Cemetery of Tomar located at Rua de Santa Iria, and a few metres away from the headquarters of the firefighters of Tomar. It is here that some members of my family are resting for eternity, at least the remains of their bodies as I believe that the soul survives physical death. There was a time this cemetery was in the outskirts of Tomar. Now it’s very central, close to Avenida Norton de Matos, and the church of Santa Maria dos Olivais.
Photo of the main gate of the Cemetery of Tomar in Portugal. This is the kind of suburb where nobody wants to go unless visiting the grave of a family member of friend
Another view of the main gate of the Cemetery of Tomar. It's here that my father was buried. I visited his grave but just felt that he wasn't really there. It's just his body not his soul
Shot of the Cemetery of Tomar taken from the other side of the street Rua de Santa Iria in Tomar. Given the expansion of Tomar, nowadays this cemetery is very central
This is Varzea Grande in Tomar, officially known as Largo 5 de Outuburo. This is an area of the town that hasn’t changed much over the years and it has been the stage of historical events, military parades and lately it’s been the space used for fairs and events, especially the Santa Iria Showgrounds, which is organized every year in the month of September. It is here right in the middle of Varzea Grande that an historical column was built when King Felipe III of Spain and Portugal, gave the ownership of this space to the people of Tomar, against the wishes of the Order of Christ.
This area of Varzea Grande is close to a former military base in Tomar and near the Statue of the Unknown Soldier who died in the World War I
This large spaces at Varzea Grande in the City of Tomar, have been the place for historical events, military parades and other events like the Santa Iria Showgrounds
Varzea Grande also known as Largo 5 de Outubro is a space also used for parking, given that it's rather difficult to find a parking spot in town, especially in the old areas of the city
Avenida António da Fonseca Simões in the City of Tomar starts near the area of Varzea Grande, close to the railway station of Tomar, near a former military base and the statue of the Unknown Soldier. This avenue directly connects to another avenue known as Avenida Combatentes da Grande Guerra (Avenue Combatants of the Great War). If you follow this avenue to the end, which is a long one, you will end up at a village called Cabeças.
This avenue called Avenida António da Fonseca Simões in Tomar, starts here. The forest seen on this photo is where I used to play when I was a kid, pretending that I was a knight from the Castle
On the left Avenida António da Fonseca Simões, is the Railway Station of Tomar, where people catch trains to Entroncamento and from there to other cities and villages of Portugal.
Another view of the Railway Station of Tomar and the start of Avenida António da Fonseca Simões in the City of Tomar in Portugal. If you follow this avenue to the end you will end up in a village called Cabeças
I have to say that I am a bit confused here. This is an avenue in Tomar which is called Rua Amorim Rosa, taking the name of a well know intellectual, writer and a teacher in a private college in Tomar. However at a certain point, though it looks like we are in the same avenue, after crossing the street Rua da Cascalheira it changes its name to Rua João Santos Simões. Anyway I believe the photos below are still of Rua Amorim Rosa, but if not please let me know.
Rua Amorim Rosa, for a small town like Tomar, is comparatively a long street which crosses Avenida Norton de Matos and Alameda Primeiro de Março, ending at Rua da Cascalheira
I believe this is still Rua Amorim Rosa but since there is no clear sign of where one street ends and another starts, may be this is already Rua João Santos Simões
Another view of what I believe to be Rua Amorim Rosa as it's continuation the the avenue that starts at Rua Carlos Campeão in the City of Tomar
Even thought this area is not too far away from the City of Tomar and right next to the Aqueduct of Pegões, I believe it can still be considered a rural area. Though it isn’t visible on these photos, on my right is the 16th century aqueduct built at the time of the king Felipe of Portugal and Spain, and on my left is the road that leads to Tomar. Furthermore there are also a few plantations of olive trees in the area, which is a long agriculture tradition in Portugal.
There are lots of pine trees and some plantations of olive trees in this rural area close to the Aqueduct of Pegões in Tomar. By the way, the aqueduct by the way was on my right side
This road on the left leads to Tomar, which is about 6 Km away. There is a small green tourist train in Tomar that uses this road to bring visitors to the Aqueduct of Pegões
A different view of the same rural area close to Aqueduto dos Pegões, an engineering marvel of the 16th and 17th centuries, which was built near Tomar.
These three photos below were shot around the area of the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição in Tomar. Well, panoramic photography is technically taking pictures using special equipment or graphic programs that captures landscapes in some sort of elongated view, but in my case I haven’t used any of that. Just a normal DSLR camera with a zoom that allowed me to capture these beautiful panoramas in the City of Tomar.
From this spot near the Chapel fo Nossa Senhora da Conceição in tomar, I can recognize in the distance the building of Alameda Primeiro de Março
As you can see the historical City of Tomar is located in a beautiful Valley which is crossed by Nabão River, possibly the life and blood of this town. Without the river Tomar wouldn't be as beautiful as it is.
Another panoramic view of Tomar from the area where the Chapel of Senhora da Conceição is located. This time, on the right of the photo, you can also see the old historical town