Sunsets of Crete

Photos taken on Crete’s north coast, a place of whitewashed stones surrounded by sparkling Mediterranean blue waters. Nearby, the traditional Cretan village style architecture is spread around colorful gardens from where sunset views may captivate your senses.

Retro-style Mediterranean cruise ship

Cruise ships are not always organized like floating hotels, with a complete hospitality staff in addition to the usual ship’s crew. Within the calm Mediterranean waters (Southern Greece – Northern Africa) you may find some retro style jewelries like the one bellow sailing over sparkling waters. I used no filters or digital processing for the sparkling effect, just my old loyal camera.

Spinalonga – the Venetian “long thorn”

The Venetian cartographer Vincenzo Coronelli mentions that, in 1526, the Venetians cut down a portion of the Kolokitha peninsula and thus created the island Spinalonga. Because of its position, the island was fortified from its earliest years in order to protect the entranceway of the port of Ancient Olous.

The island was subsequently used as a leper colony, from 1903 to 1957; the last inhabitant, a priest, left the island in 1962. You may see bellow the remaining walls and the Christian church from inside the island.

Sakura: spring’s cherry blossom

A cherry blossom is the name for the flower of cherry trees, also known as Sakura in Japanese. They bloom and usually fall within a week, before the leaves come out. One say that samurai warriors were fond of cherry blossom as their short life mirrored the duty they had to die for their master at a moment’s notice. In 1910 the Japanese sent cherry trees to Washington DC as a token of goodwill and friendship. In 1952 America sent cherry trees back to Japan to replenish their collection following World War II.

In the UK, Batsford Arboretum (botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study) holds the national collection of Japanese village cherries, sato-sakura group.

Lisbon trams – the 19th century “americanos”

A traditional form of public transport in Lisbon is the tram. Originally introduced in the 19th century, the trams were imported from the U.S.A. and called “americanos”. These distinctive yellow trams are one of the tourist icons of modern Lisbon, and their size is well suited to the steep hills and narrow streets of the central city.

Route 28, which I captured in the photograph bellow, is the classic tram route of Lisbon in the Alfama district and includes a steep, twisting section as the route leaves Lisbon centre towards Prazeres, up the Calçada de S. Francisco.

The New Levites – studio photo session

I recently had a studio photo session for the New Levites music band. We played with combinations of darkness and light, hard and soft contrasts and expressions. Bellow you may find some of the results.

Oasis man

There is nothing more relaxing than drinking your coffee at the shadow of a house surrounded by palm trees in the middle of an oasis. You are protected from sun heat, you have food and water so you have all the reasons in the world to be fulfilled with complacency.

Sunrise at “Chott el Djerid” salt lake

The salt lakes of North Africa are a very curious feature. They stretch with only two short breaks in a line from the Mediterranean at the Gulf of Gabes to the Algerian frontier, which they penetrate for a considerable distance.

The French term “chott” is a transliteration of the Arabic shat, a term for a broad canal, an estuary or lake. These shats however are, strictly speaking, not lakes at all at the present day. They are smooth depressed areas (in the case of the one I photographed, the Shat el Jerid, lying a few feet below the level of the Mediterranean), which for more than half the year are expanses of dried mud covered with a thick incrustation of white or grey salt. During day light, this salt covering gives them at a distance the appearance of big sheets of water.

Tossa de Mar – resort of medieval flavour

Tossa de Mar is located on the Costa Brava, about 100 kilometres south of the French border. Sometime in the 12th century the mediaeval town was walled off and a castle was built on the highest point of Mt. Guardí, this castle was to be subsequently replaced by a wind mill, and this in turn by a lighthouse which is still operational.

Contrary to popular belief that Tossa has traditionally been a fishing town, in mediaeval times and until the arrival of tourism, the local economy was mostly based on agricultural production, principally Grape vine and cork (material). There was a thriving export market of the latter (in the form of cork taps shipped to the Americas) during the 18th century and early 19th century.

Fishing has traditionally been a relatively minor contributor to the village’s economy, although it has consistently provided an alternative source of income in times of economic crisis. A small fishing industry is still active as of 2005 and occupies a few members of local fishing families. Most of their captures are sold to local restaurants and in the fish markets in neighbouring Blanes and Sant Feliu de Guíxols.

The pirate ships of Hammamet

Hammamet is located in the south east of the northern peninsula of Cap Bon in the Governorate of Nabeul, on the northern edge of the Gulf of Hammamet. It is particularly known for jasmine, and this is how the tourist resort of Yasmine Hammamet got its name.

As it is a popular destination for European tourists, attractions such as a cruise with the pirate ships I captured bellow is a common entertainment.