Some people believe that panoramic photography must capture elongated views and therefore needs special equipment of software. I have a slight different opinion. According to well known dictionaries, a panorama is just a view of a wide area that is pleasant to look at. That’s what I think these three photos represent. They were shot from the Castle of Tomar and show pleasant wide area views.
This is what you can see if you take a photo from a certain spot at the Castle of Tomar
Another wide angle photo shot from the Castle of knights Templar in the City of Tomar
I caught this column of the Convent of Christ in Tomar when I took this panoramic photo
Traditional markets often reflect the life style, culture and habits of people. In this case it is a long tradition in Tomar for people to head to the local market on Fridays. It’s a weekly event that has been taking place for a few centuries, even though some people now prefer supermarkets and shopping centres. Even if you don’t want to buy anything it’s still interesting to feel the atmospheres of the Tomar market.
Vendors and customers at the traditional Friday market in Tomar
People walking around at the weekly market of Tomar. The mature couple on the left seem to be tourists visiting the market
People in another area of the market in Tomar, which sells a wide range of tapestry
These green areas in the City of Tomar are at Varzea Grande, which is also known as Largo 5 de Outubro. Varzea Grande doesn’t have many green spots as it is mainly an open space, but these ones are the exception. This set of photos were shot near the Catholic Convent and Church of São Francisco, which was built in the 17th Century by Franciscan monks, which started in 1628 and was completed in 1660.
Green area at Varzea Grande, close to the Convent of São Francisco in Tomar, which is that white building on the right
Small garden at Varzea Grande in Tomar. On my left is the Church of São Francisco. There's also a forest on the other side
My wife and son sitting on a bench under a palm tree, right across the Convent of São Francisco st Varzea Grande in Tomar
There is one thing that Tomar doesn’t lack and that is Coffee Shops. Everywhere you go, be it in the central areas or in the outskirts of the city, you are bound to always find Cafes nearby. Coffee Shops are part of the Portuguese culture as it is there that people get together to talk, make friends and of course drink a coffee or “bica”. Many people even prefer to go to a coffee shop to write something. rather than going to a library. These photos below were shot in different areas of Tomar like Rua Coronel Garcês Teixeira, Praça da República and Rua dos Arcos.
This coffee shop in a small lane close to Rua Coronel Garcês Teixeira in Tomar
This an esplanade and cafe located at Praça da República in Tomar, In summer people love to have their coffees outside
This coffee shop is called Tendinha and it is very old, located at Rua dos Arcos in Tomar
This is an old street of Tomar at night, called Rua Silva Magalhães. This street took the name of António Silva Magalhães, known as the photographer of Tomar, who lived in the city at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century. Most old photos of Tomar were shot by him and later by his son Mário Nery de Magalhães. His first studio called “Typographia Photographia” was at the end of this street and opened its doors in 1862.
This is the beginning of Rua Silva Magalhães in Tomar, on the side of Praça da República.
At this stage I was possibly in the middle of Rua Silva Magalhães in the City of Tomar
This is the other side of Rua Silva Magalhâes. At the end of this street the photographer of Tomar called António Silva Magalhães, set up his Photography Shop in 1862
The Portuguese azulejos which are ceramic artistic tiles, are famous worldwide, and the tradition started a time long ago. That’s why when you visit the Convent of Christ in the City of Tomar you find this kind of tile workmanship everywhere, just like these tile paintings, which seem to be from the 16th century and are essentially based on biblical scenes.
Portuguese tile mural paintings at the Convent of Christ in the City of Tomar
These tile paintings at the Christ Convent in Tomar are basically inspired on biblical scenes of the Catholic Church
Another two tile paintings at the Convent of Christ with religious themes from the 16th century
Another set of the statue of Henry the Navigator (Infante D. Henrique) in front of the gates of the Seven Hills Forest. Tomar reached an high level of development and importance when Henry Navigator lived in the city in the 15th century. It was in Tomar that he planned the Portuguese maritime discoveries and the town was considered the centre of Portugal as people travelling to Lisbon, Coimbra, Santarém and even Porto, usually had to go through Tomar.
Statue of Henry the Navigator close to the main gate of the Seven Hills Forest in Tomar
At the position I was when I shot this picture, the gate of Mata dos Sete Montes in Tomar was behind me and on the other side of the statue is Avenida Cândido Madureira
The statue of Infante Dom Henrique, the Portuguese prince who made Tomar a very important city in the 15th century
This used to be the small stadium of Tomar. It was here that the local football club, União de Tomar used to play top teams like Benfica, Porto and Sporting of the first division of the Portuguese football championship. In time things changed dramatically. União de Tomar is now playing soccer in the lower divisions and the stadium became just a football and athletics track at Mouchão Park.
This is the former stadium of Tomar where the local club União de Tomar, used to play in the Portuguese Premier League
In time the football stadium of Tomar at Mouchão Park, became a soccer field and an athletics track
To the left of the soccer field there is a sports pavilion and it's the end of Mouchão Park in this area
I believe that photos of skies are beautiful, charming and sometimes even mysterious. Skies are something that many people are fascinated with and in this occasion I was interested in the skies of Tomar. So I shot these pictures in a more modern area of the city. These photos were taken at Alameda Primeiro de Março and Rua Amorim Rosa. Those blocks of apartments aren’t exactly skyscrapers but they are among some of the tallest buildings in town.
The photo of this sky of Tomar and the buildings in the area was shot at Rua Amorim Rosa in Tomar
Another photo of the skies in the City of Tomar, taken at the corner of Rua Amorim Rosa and Alameda 1º de Março
This picture of the skies of Tomar was shot when I was at Alameda Primeiro de Março in Tomar
Another set of indoor photos of shops in Tomar. The first shot was taken at night and is a shopping gallery located at Avenida Cândido Madureira. The photo in the middle is a gift shop at Rua Infantaria Quinze and it’s specifically related to all things about Tomar. It sells souvenirs connected to the history of the city and it even sells wine produced in the region. The last photo is just a shoe shop indoors located at Avenida Nuno Álvares Pereira.
Photo shot at night of a shopping gallery at Avenida Cândido Madureira in the City of Tomar
This is a very interesting gift shop at Rua Infantaria Quinze in Tomar. It sells souvenirs and lots of other things related to the City of Tomar, including good wine from the region
My wife had a quick look inside this shoe shop at Avenida Nuno Álvares Pereria in Tomar and I just took a quick snap