Another set of photos of the Bridge King D. Manuel I in the City of Tomar. It’s interesting that many people who live in Tomar, don’t are unaware of the real name of this bridge, as most them got used to call it Old Bridge (Ponte Velha). Many centuries ago, this was possibly the first bridge to cross one margin of Nabão River to the other, but if there was a previous bridge it doesn’t exist anymore.
This photo of the Bridge King D. Manuel I, was shot from Mouchão Park in an area close to a children's playground
This photo of the Old Bridge was taken from Rua da Fonte do Choupo in Tomar, close to the Restaurants Bela Vista and Nabão
Photo shot when I crossed the cobblestone pavement of the Bridge King D. Manuel I in Tomar. Those yellowish modern buildings in the distance which in reality are white, are located at Alameda Primeiro de Março
This is once again Ponte do Flecheiro, which of course is a bridge located in an area of Tomar, called Flecheiro. Though I am from Tomar, when I last visited my home town about 12 years ago, this bridge didn’t exist as it was only inaugurated in December of 2008. So when I shot these pictures, everything I was seeing was new to me. In fact these area was basically inaccessible when I used to live in Tomar as it was covered with vegetation and in the middle ages it was a vegetable garden called Horta Del Rey, serving the Castle of Tomar.
Photo of the Flecheiro Bridge shot from Horta Del Rey Avenue in the City of Tomar. The name of this avenue was based on a vegetable garden in the middle ages called Horta Del Rey
From this point of view you can see the where Flecheiro Bridge starts, crossing Nabão River to the other side of the town. The forest in the background is behind a road called Estrada de Paialvo
At this stage I was already starting to cross Flecheiro Bridge. Behind me was the church od Santa Maria dos Olivais and on the other side of Nabão river was an avenue called Avenida Combatentes da Grande Guerra
As I mentioned in a previous post there was a new bridge built in the area of Flecheiro in Tomar, which was inaugurated at the end of 2008. This bridge was built with the purpose of facilitating the traffic in Tomar. With it people had more options to cross Nabão River in their cars, from one parish to the other. However, right next to this new bridge there is another one, which is used by people who only want to cross the river on foot.
This is a small bridge in an area called Flecheiro in Tomar. It's a bridge that allows you to cross on foot only from the parish of Santa Maria dos Olivais to the parish of São João Baptista
The small pedestrian bridge at Flecheiro is right next to a bigger bridge on the left, used by all kinds of vehicles to cross the two banks of Nabão River.
On the other side of this pedestrian bridge located in the south of the City of Tomar, called Flecheiro, lies a new area of Tomar, where more modern apartments where built
These are photos of the so called New Bridge of Tomar at Avenida Norton de Matos. People got used to call it New Bridge despite the fact that now there is a new bridge at an area of Tomar called Flecheiro. When I was a kid and went back to Angola, this bridge didn’t exist and when I got back to Portugal in 1975 it was already there. Everybody calls it the New Bridge which links one margin of Nabão River to the other. It also links the parish of São João Baptista to the parish of Santa Maria dos Olivais.
This is the New Bridge at Avenida Norton de Matos in Tomar. This was a cloudy day and for some reason not many cars were crossing it at the time. That green area on the right is where the Market of Tomar is located
This photo of the New Bridge of Tomar was shot more or less in the same spot, but this was a sunny day and cars were crossing the bridge from one side of Nabão River to the other
Still the New Bridge of Tomar but this photo was shot across the road. At the end of Avenida Norton the Matos to the right is the building of the Firefighters of Tomar
I shot many photos of this bridge as well as on top of it to other focal points of Mouchão Park, Nabão River and the town itself. I was even on top this bridge to photograph the muddy waters of the river, as shown in a recent post. Since I stayed in my mother’s house in the parish of Santa Maria dos Olivais in Tomar, I used to cross this bridge at Mouchão Park, almost everyday, to go to a coffee shop in the parish of São João Baptista. The areas surrounding this small bridge is just so beautifully green.
This is the bridge that crosses Nabão River in the area of Mouchão Park. It links the Mouchão Island to the other side of the park. The surrounding areas are just beautiful
The same bridge over Nabão River at Mouchão Park, seen from a certain distance. On the other side of the river is the island of Mouchão with a magnificent garden and benches where people can relax
Crossing the bridge from one side of Mouchão Park to the other. In this case it is my son walking across the bridge to the Island of Mouchão
The small Island of Mouchão (Ilha do Mouchão) is a beautiful place to visit and enjoy in my home town Tomar, and there are three ways to go there, one of them through this bridge that crosses the street Rua Marquês de Tomar to the island park. Of course the island is surrounded by Nabão River as it passes through Tomar. In one of these photos you can also see a partial view of the water wheel of Mouchão Park (Roda do Mouchão) which has been there for ages. There were probably water wheels like this in Tomar in the 19th century or even before.
This small bridge which crosses Nabão River in the City of Tomar, connects the street Rua Marquês de Tomar to the Island of Mouchão
Another view from this bridge, this time shot from Mouchão Park. The other side is Rua Marquês de Tomar and the building of the main Post Office
I have crossed this bridge many times, even when I was a kid and used to go swimming at the pool Vasco Jacob on the other side Mouchão Island. In fact I had to cross two bridges, this one and another one made of wood.
Flecheiro bridge or as they say in Portuguese “Ponte do Flecheiro” which crosses Nabão River, was inaugurated in the City of Tomar, Portugal, on the 23rd of December 2008. This bridge connects the Flecheiro area and Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira Avenue to Horta Del Rey Avenue in Tomar. The new bridge added great value to the area where the church of Santa Maria dos Olivais is located. They also covered its surroundings with lawn and open spaces with benches so that people can enjoy views to the Church of Santa Maria dos Olivais, to Nabão River, the Castle of Tomar, houses in the distance and the forest alongside Paialvo Road (Estrada de Paialvo).
Flecheiro Bridge crossing Nabão River in Tomar, connects Horta Del Rey Avenue in the Flecheiro area to Dom Nuno Àlvares Pereira Avenue
Flecheiro Bridge crossing Nabão River in the City of Tomar in Portugal. Behind the houses you can see a forest that runs alongside Paialvo Road (Estrada de Paialvo)
Flecheiro bridge shot from a smaller pedestrian bridge which also crosses Nabão River
I shot these photos when I visited Portugal in September and October 2010. This bridge in the City of Tomar in Portugal, is known as the Old Bridge (Ponte Velha). It crosses Nabao River (Rio Nabão) from a street called Rua Marquês de Pombal where my parents used to live in a house formerly known as Palácio dos Vales, to an intersection of Levada (Rua Everard), Corredoura (Rua Serpa Pinto) and Rua Marquês de Tomar.
Old Bridge (Ponte Velha) in the City of Tomar in Portugal, crossing Nabao River (Rio Nabão).
Old Bridge in Tomar on the left heading to an intersection of three streets.
Old Bridge in the City of Tomar know in portuguese as Ponte Velha. Notice the design of the cobblestone pathway.