At Varzea Pequena in the City of Tomar, right next to Hotel dos Templários (Templars Hotel) there’s a house painted in pink but to be honest I don’t know much about it. When I was there, I shot a few pictures but for some reason I didn’t make any inquiries. I suppose it belongs to the hotel as I saw a sign in front of the house but if that’s the case I wonder what do they do with it.
I shot this photo of this Pink House at Varzea Pequena in Tomar when I was standing next to the Chapel of São Gregório
Another view of the Pink House near Hotel dos Templários, surrounded by beautiful green areas at Varzea Pequena
Another perspective of the Pink house near Hotel dos Templários in Tomar, Portugal
Varzea Pequena is possibly one of the most picturesque areas of the city, and in the past was a pole of attraction for the people of Tomar, especially young couples. My mother tells me that there were two places where blokes looking for a female companion would go in those days. They would go to the church and they would come to Varzea Pequena, especially on Sundays when a traditional band was playing at the 19th century built bandstand.
Varzea Pequena is a very picturesque area in Tomar, especially because it's right next to Nabão River
The vegetation in the area of Varzea Pequena and Nabão River is profuse and beautiful and you feel good to be there
There are a good number of benches around the garden of Varzea Pequena, where you can relax, read a book or just enjoy its beautiful surroundings. If you prefer you can rent a boat and sail around Nabão River
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
Apparently there was a time in the City of Tomar where people would go for a walk at Varzea Pequena, especially on Sunday afternoons and among other activities, like listening to a philharmonic band playing in the bandstand built in 1897, they might rent a boat in this small dock seen on the photos below, and row their way around Nabão River with their families and friends. This dock is no longer used. Later they created another dock in the Island of Mouchão Park, next to the inn Estalagem de Santa Iria, and now they rent yellow boats in a different place.
Photo of a small dock at Varzea Pequena in Tomar. In the past people used to rent a boat here to row their way around Nabão River in a leisurely and quiet Sunday afternoon
Columns at an old dock that used to provide access to small boats at the garden of Varzea Pequena in the City of Tomar. This dock is no longer in used but it's still a nice place to be
The old dock at Varzea Pequena seen from a certain distance. This garden is one of the most beautiful spots in the City of Tomar and right next to it is a five star hotel
The garden of Varzea Pequena, which is one of the most beautiful areas of Tomar, can be seen on the other side of Nabão River, from Mouchão Park. When I shot these pictures I was in the Island of Mouchão and on my left is Estalagem de Santa Iria, a popular inn in town, and on my right across the river, is Hotel dos Templários. To take one of the photos I had to step on a platform floating on the river and I remember that many years ago, from here, small boats were rented for those tourists who wanted to paddle along Nabão River.
The garden of Varzea Pequena is one of the most beautiful spots in the City of Tomar and here can be seen in the distance across Nabão River, from Mouchão Park where I was when I shot this photo
Close up of the luxuriant garden of Varzea Grande on the other margin of Nabão River. On top of the hill you can still see part of the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Piedade
I stepped on a platform on Nabão River to take this photo of the garden of Varzea Pequena. The white building on my left is the inn Estalagem de Santa Iria with views to the river
As mentioned in previous posts, the Bandstand (Coreto) located at the garden of Varzea Pequena was built more than a century ago and as might be expected, it has been used a lot for philharmonic bands, many of them coming from different cities of Portugal and even from Spain. However, recently I read in a Portuguese newspaper, that the Varzea Pequena Bandstand was also used for rock music, during the Festival of the Trays (Festa dos Tabuleiros). I wish I was there, but living so far away from Portugal (Australia) doesn’t allow me easy access to my home town. So I wasn’t there.
This photo of an old Banstand at Varzea Pequena in Tomar, was shot from the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição. In the distance, you can also see the waters of Nabão River
Shot of the Varzea Pequena Bandstand in Tomar, right in the middle of a beautiful garden on the banks of Nabão River and near Hotel dos Templários and the Chapel of São Gregório
Partial view of the Banstand in the garden of Varzea Pequena in the city of Tomar, which in Portuguese is also known as Jardim do Coreto (The Garden of the Bandstand)
Varzea Pequena is a beautiful green space in Tomar, which as you may know, is a small historical city located in the centre of Portugal, not far away from the cities of Santarém and Leiria. This specific spot in the town, according to my 87 year old mother (2011), used to be the place where couples in love or singles looking for a companion used to spend Sunday afternoons, in those good old days of the beginning and middle of the 20th century. There was no TV in those times and radio broadcasts were rare, so the entertainment used to be philharmonic bands playing on the Varzea Pequena bandstand built in 1897.
Beautiful garden of Varzea Pequena in Tomar, Portugal, near Hotel dos Templários. This garden is very old but this specific spot seems to have been added later
Another area of the garden of Varzea Pequena in Tomar. This pathway heads to the Chapel of São Gregório and the staircase of the Chapel of Senhora da Piedade
In the early days and middle of the 20th century people used to spend their sunday afternoons walking around the garden of Varzea Pequena and listening to philharmonic bands
Varzea Pequena is one of the most beautiful spots in the City of Tomar in Portugal. It is located near Nabão River, the Hotel dos Templários, the Chaple of São Gregório and nearby you can find a monumental staircase of 286 steps that leads you to the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Piedade. Also, right in the middle of the Varzea Pequena, you can find a bandstand built in 1897. These photos were shot from across a street whose name is Rua Marquês de Tomar.
Varzea Pequena is a beautiful garden in the City of Tomar in Portugal, near Nabão River and Hotel dos Templários. This photo was shot from across the street
Another angle of Varzea Pequena, photo taken from Rua Marquês de Tomar. In the middle of the garden you can see a bandstand built in 1897
Another perspective of Varzea Grande. The street Rua Marquês de Tomar is heading to a junction of several streets and the old bridge of Tomar