While I am taking photos of landscapes, houses, etc, sometimes I am also drawn to taking pictures of people I see on the streets. If I see someone doing something interesting I can’t help but try to capture the moment with my camera and I often get interesting shots. Since I am building a site about Tomar, the town of the Knights Templars (Cavaleiros do Templo), which lodges the Castle of Gualdim Pais and the UNESCO listed Convent of Christ (Convento de Cristo), I think that the people of Tomar or those visiting the town, should also have a special place in this photoblog.
Two young ladies and backpackers at Mouchão Park, heading to the Camping Park of Tomar. On my left is the entrance to the soccer field. Notice the chemtrails in the sky
Father and daughter near the soccer field of Tomar in Portugal. As you can see this gentleman is pushing a pram with a little lady in it, possibly his daughter
I met these three friends (The Three Amigos) at Mouchão Park in Tomar, while they were playing guitar. Initially they thought I couldn't speak Portuguese and tried to start a conversation with me in English. In the end I took a few photos of them and I left as the fourth amigo.
Believe it or not but these photos were shot basically in the heart of the City of Tomar in Portugal. It may look like somewhere in the Caribbeans with its lush vegetation, but when I took these pictures I was at Mouchão Park (Parque do Mouchão) on top of a wooden structure on Nabão River (Rio Nabão), right next to Santa Iria Inn (Estalagem de Santa Iria). Notice the beautiful water reflections at the river and the luxuriant landscape around.
Water reflections at Nabão River near the heart of the City of Tomar
Lush vegetation and water reflections at Nabão River in Tomar, Portugal
Photo shot from Mouchão Park near Santa Iria Inn (Estalagem de Santa Iria)
There is a traditional weekly market (Mercado de Tomar) every Friday in the City of Tomar in Portugal and you can buy basically everything there, from vegetables, fruit and meat to things like clothes, baskets, kitchen wares, etc. I happened to visit this market with my wife, my mother and my son and shot a few very interesting photos. When I was there, by chance I even served as a five minute translator between a couple of tourists with an accent from England and a gipsy clothes vendor. These three photos of Tomar Market were shot from the other side of Nabão River (Rio Nabão), but it wasn’t Friday so not many people were there that day. In the future I will publish more photos of the market with lots of people around, all the fresh produce and the many other things to buy.
Tomar Market in Portugal (Mercado de Tomar) from a distance. Photo shot from the other side of Nabão River
This is a Traditional Market in the City of Tomar in Portugal, held every Friday, but this was a different day of the week. So not many people around
Another perspective of Tomar Market seen from a passageway near Nabão River
These three photos of Nabão River (Rio Nabão) in Tomar were shot from the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição which is situated on one of the hills of Tomar. Nabão River is probably the reason Tomar is one of the most beautiful small towns in Portugal and maybe even in Europe. This is a place which was once the town of the Templars, a city which many people believe should be known throughout the world for its beauty and historical riches and Nabão River is very much part of it.
Photo of Nabão River in Tomar, Portugal, shot from a hill where the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição is located
A different perspective of Nabão River. At a distance you can also see the old Bridge of Tomar, heading to Rua Marquês de Pombal
In this shot you can see not only Nabão River but also the green areas of Mouchão Park and the bridge that crosses from the street Rua Marquês de Tomar to the park
I remember that when I arrived in Portugal coming from Angola in 1975, I immediately became a regular patron of Santa Iria Coffee Shop (Café Santa Iria) in Tomar, which is located at Rua Marquês de Pombal. I was 21 years old, and at the time it was the place to be for young people. It was there that I met all my new friends, who were introduced to me by Luiz Filipe Lopes Diz, who I used to muck around with in the 60’s when I lived in Tomar for a couple of years. It was also here that I first saw the lady who I later got married with and who is still my wife. I have great memories of Santa Iria Coffee Shop and of course I went there a few times in 2010 to enjoy the traditional bica (Portuguese expresso coffee).
This is the street Rua Marquês de Pombal in Tomar, Portugal, and on the right is Santa Iria Coffee Shop, one of the oldest and more interesting coffee shops in town
Another view of Café Santa Iria in the City of Tomar with lots of people outside. This was the first coffee shop that I became a regular customer
When I shot this photo of Santa Iria Coffee Shop I was sitting on a bench nearby. Behind me was the Chapel of Santa Iria. That's why this Café is named Santa Iria
This is another collection of photos from Mouchão Park (Parque do Mouchão) in Tomar, Portugal. Previously I had published a few photos of this park seen from the street Rua Marquês de Tomar, but now two of these photos below were taken inside the park and a third one from a distance near the old bridge of Tomar. In the first photo you can see lush trees, Nabão River (Rio Nabão) and on top of the hill on the left the chapel of Senhora da Conceição. The second photo was shot near a kids playground and the soccer field and on the other side of the river is Vieira Guimarães House. The third photo was taken from one side of Mouchão Park to the island where a inn called Estalagem de Santa Iria is located.
Mouchão Park (Parque do Mouchão) seen from a distance near the old bridge of Tomar
Another perspective of Mouchão Park and Nabão River (Rio Nabão). On the other side of the river is Vieira Guimarães House
Photo taken inside Mouchão Park. By using that pathway on the right you can go to the island of Mouchão on the other side
The location of this tile painting or tile mural (azulejos artísticos) in the City of Tomar is at an old cobblestone street stairs which is an extension of the street Rua da Cascalheira. So I believe that this street steps are still called Rua da Cascalheira. In any case I used to walk down this street stairs everyday, as my mother’s apartment is nearby at Travessa da Cascalheira in Tomar. These three photos bellow are of the same tile painting but with different levels of details and it alludes to Festa dos Tabuleiros (Festival of the Trays) which, by the way, is going to be held between 2 and 11 of July 2011.
Traditional and artistic ceramic tile mural at a cobblestone street stairs which is an extension of the street Rua da Cascalheira in Tomar
The same tile painting but a little bit more detailed. This is a good piece of street art based on the Portuguese tradition of hand painting tiles
Close up of this artistic tile mural of Festa dos Tabuleiros (Festival of the Trays) in the City of Tomar in Portugal
Norton de Matos Avenue is another area of the modern part of the City of Tomar in Portugal. When I was living in Tomar, more than 20 years ago, there was a time I had a few friends who were regular patrons of the D’Arco Coffee Shop. So I often visited this area, which by the way was about five minutes from the street Rua Marquês de Pombal, where I used to live at the time. Behind me is a bridge crossing Nabão River to the other side of the town and on my right is the headquarters of Tomar firefighters.
Nice corner at Norton de Matos Avenue, near D'Arco Coffee Shop, which is part of the modern area of Tomar in Portugal
A close up of the same spot at Norton de Matos Avenue in the city of Tomar in Portugal. There is a nice green area at this place
My wife and son at a distance walking up Norton de Mattos Avenue. At the time (September 2010) we were going to meet a long time friend.
When I left Portugal more than 20 years ago, you couldn’t see many floating vessels at Nabão River (Rio Nabão), except for a very small number of boats stationed near Santa Iria Inn (Estalagem de Santa iria), in Mouchão Park, for tourist purposes. Nowadays there is a thriving sporting activity in the City of Tomar, called canoeing. Hardly a day went by that I didn’t see someone riding a canoe or groups of young guys and girls practicing this paddle sport in the waters of Nabão River. Here is a few photos of people enjoying this water-based sporting activity in Tomar.
Large group of canoeing enthusiasts gathering at Nabão River in the City of Tomar, Portugal
Canoeing in a very popular sporting activity in Tomar. Many people, especially boys and girls practice this paddle sport at Nabão River in Mouchão Park
Two young canoeists paddling around Nabão River near the wood bridge that crosses both sides of Mouchão Park in Tomar
The City of Tomar in Portugal is renowned for several matters and one of them it’s the beauty of the town, full of green areas, green pleasant corners created by both mother nature and the care of the local council gardeners, who we also have to thank for keeping Tomar so remarkably picturesque. In the first photo, between branches you can see Nabão River and water falls, houses in the distance, among them Vieira Guimarães House and on the right the Castle of Tomar. The second picture was shot in another area of Nabão River and Mouchão Park where palm trees and other vegetation is fairly abundant. Finally the third photo is of a Mouchão corner near the kids playground and the soccer field.
Nabão River and its waterfalls at Mouchão Park in Tomar. At a distance you can see houses, especially Vieira Guimarães House and on the right the Castle of the Knights Templar
Abundant vegetation and trees at Nabão River and Mouchão Park in the City of Tomar in Portugal
This photo was shot from Mouchão Park near a children's playground and the soccer field