Saturday Blue Skies in High Street

There are many High Streets in Melbourne, but the one I am talking about is the street that runs through the city’s inner north suburbs of Northcote, Thornbury and Preston. Surprising news this week, as Time Out magazine ranked High Street as the coolest street in the world. In my opinion it is not, but when…

Empty Chairs waiting patiently for diners

Passing by a restaurant in Porto at midday. I guess they don’t open up for lunch. Linked to Xingfumama’s Pull Up a Seat Challenge and Debbie’s Six Word Saturday – 6WS

Art Inside Pasteis de Belem

When in Belém, don’t miss trying the original Pastel de Nata. Just remember, if you’re having more than one, it’s called Pasteis de Nata. ( which I am sure you will be having two or more of them)😂😂😂 You can find tasty pastel de nata all over Lisbon, but the ones from this famous bakery…

Pena Palace Doorways

The doors at Pena Palace, Portugal, are famous for their colorful designs and intricate craftsmanship, reflecting various architectural styles like Romanticism and Moorish influences. Closed doors in the Queen’s Terrace Here are some of the doors from the interior of the palace. Opened doors and arched entry. Linking this to Dan’s Thursday Doors Challenge

I love doing this…

What activities do you lose yourself in? When I engage in urban sketching, or other art forms mentioned below, I often find myself completely absorbed, losing track of time as I immerse myself in the process. This was in The Old Cheese Factory in Berwick where I went with my friends from the Casey Urban…

Flower in Monochrome

I haven’t joined this challenge for a long time, so here is my monochrome for today. And for Cee’s FOTD challenge

Exploring the Magic of Sintra’s Most Iconic Landmark

TRAVEL DIARY: SINTRA 2 Having marveled at the grandeur of the Quinta de Regaelera in the morning, we continue on our walk and immerse ourselves with the enchanting beauty of the Pena Palace in Sintra. My daughter Pat first introduced me to this palace in 2017 through a photo from her solo European trip, urging…

Weekend sky, weekend heat

It is already autumn in Australia but for the past few days it has been scorching hot here. Still feels like summer. It is Labour Day long weekend in Melbourne so this post technically is not late. Linking this to Hammad’s Weekend Sky Challenge

A circular journey

For this week’s Lens Artist Photo Challenge, Anne Christine leads us with the topic of Circular Wonders. Let me focus on images with circles or circular patterns on architecture. On windows… Double dipping for Ludwig’s Monday Windows. On signages… On different art forms… On everyday objects… It can also be found in nature…

Too Many Seats, Not Enough Takers

LISBON, PORTUGAL Photo taken 18th October 2023 when it was a sunny day for a change. Linking this to Xingfumama’s Pull up a Seat Challenge And for Debbie’s Six WordSaturday

On our way to Sintra

Some drive by shots of DOORS on our way to Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra. Linked to Dan’s Thursday Doors Challenge

Textures in B & W

I typically shy away from posting black and white photos as I tend to lean towards vibrant, colourful imagery. My posts usually reflect my love for bright hues and cheerful colours. However, today, Sarah has prompted us to share monochrome texture images. So here are some that I’ve gathered from my gallery. These are originally…

A morning at Quinta da Regaleira

TAVEL DIARY: SINTRA 1 The Quinta da Regaleira is located near the historic centre of Sintra, Portugal. It is protected within the UNESCO World Heritage site and is a mix of Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance architecture. It is an enchanting estate about half an hour from Lisbon. It was built by an eccentric Free…

Through the Tram 28 Window

TRAVEL DIARY: LISBON 3 Because of the wet weather, we opted for a tram ride to explore the significant sights of Lisbon rather than staying indoors. Went on the TRAM 28, one of the famous Lisbon icons. It passes through the popular tourist districts for about a 40-minute journey. It took us winding up (or…

Venice at Night

This week Johnbo challenges us to focus on Tools of Photo Composition. I have decided to use lighting as part of this composition. I am keeping it simple and only including elements that are relevant to the story I am telling. So this is my story… and this is Venice at night in 2016. At…

Metal pelicans all in a row

Large metal sculptures of pelicans are set on raised platforms jn the Marriott Waters Recreation Reserve in Lyndhurst. Linked to Debbie’s 6WS

Murals and Seats in the LX Factory

LX Factory is in Alcântara, a cool part of Lisbon. It’s got over 50 shops, cafes, and restaurants, both indoors and outdoors. You can spend a few hours or even a whole day there, checking out stuff to buy or just looking around. It’s also fun to see all these Public Art. Near the entrance…

More Doors in Lisbon

This first one is 19th-century palace turned shopping mall hence the amazing architecture. This is the front door of the Pasteis de Belem where the original Pastel de Nata originated. Novelty shop Doors with tiled walls Doors inside the Mercado da Ribeira or popularly known as the Time Out Market . I love the design…

From Belém’s pastries to Fado’s melodies

(and everything in Between) TRAVEL DIARY: LISBON 2 We started early and walked to the train station. Some interesting things to see and smell along the way. Like the protruding car, some souvenirs and chestnuts roasting … yum my fave! From the train window I saw these murals. I see that cat in a lot…

A window in Cotswolds

Cotswolds is a charming countryside in England. It is famous for its endearing cottages just like this. Linked to Ludwig’s Monday Window Challenge

Shadows

LAS RAMBLAS, BARCELONA One sunny afternoon in the Las Ramlas area. I am linking it to Debbie’s One Word Sunday – Shadows

Window Shopping in Obidos

Obidos is a charming town not too far from Lisbon. It has narrow cobbled streets with whitewashed homes, accented with bright blue or red or yellow detailing, red tiled roofs and spreading purple bougainvillea blooms. It is a tiny town but it has a castle, churches, restaurants and a maze of cobbled alleyways. But that…

TukTuks of Lisbon – A Splash of Colour

TukTuks appeared in the late 2000s. They are not public transportation but are privately owned, taking tourists around even on the narrowest and steepest streets. It brings colour to the streets of Libon. This is a fun alternative to taxis but they are quite expensive. Some have a minimum charge of 10 euros while an…

Welcoming Green Doors of Lisbon

A green front door reflects wealth, health, and safety, and not surprisingly, a green door works well on the tiled traditional-style homes in Portugal. Pictured here are some of the many facades with green doors that caught my eye in Lisbon. The best part about looking for green Portuguese doors is that you won’t have…

Navigating Lisbon’s Stairways and Alleys

TRAVEL DIARY: LISBON 1 Jack and I reached Lisbon from Barcelona via Vuelling airlines in approximately 2 hours. Upon arrival, we met up with Tim and Leigh, who had traveled from London. We took an Uber to our Airbnb and true to the forecast it rained the whole day. After putting our luggage down and…

The soothing sound of the Wind Chimes

Wind chimes are often seen as symbols of good luck and prosperity, with their spiritual meaning tracing back to ancient civilizations that believed in their ability to ward off negative energy and evil spirits through their soothing melodies. I find great joy in the peaceful and harmonious sound produced by the wind chimes in my…

Dangling in Style: Toy Story Revisited

I don’t even know where I saw this. But this was taken in March 2023. There’s so many titles that you can think of for this. Maybe you can add your own haha I am linking this to Debbie’s Six Word Saturday – 6WS

Streetart shutters

BARCELONA, SPAIN As we expected, after leaving the Banksy Museum, we encountered a number of street art murals adorning the shutter doors along our route. I can’t get enough of them. The artworks may not be that outstanding, but when you see so many of them in one place … that’s pretty cool. I am…

White Lotus

BLUE LOTUS WATER GARDEN, AUSTRALIA Linked to Cee’s Flower Of The Day – FOTD Challenge