GOLF AND SIGHTSEEING ... slide-show

The participation in a golf tournament in the south of Portugal was a good chance to revisit Lagos, one of the most historical coastal cities in the Algarve. The old city walls and winding streets date from when Lagos was the capital of the Algarve and ships set sail from here to explore the world and bring home ships of spices and slaves. Its fame derives from its association with Portugal's 14th-and 15th-century Age of Discovery. It was here that Henry the Navigator had his vessels built and prepared for the voyages of exploration down the coast of West Africa which ultimately led to the sea route past the Cape of Good Hope to India. 

After having had lunch at a small restaurant famous for its chicken dish, I drove through a narrow road and reached Lagos. No enough time to revisit everything I would have liked to... on the following day, I had to get up early.... anyway, I tried to make the most of the afternoon over there. It was really a hot day and the many foreign tourists I saw wandering through those narrow streets showed happy faces.

The golf course of a breathtaking natural beauty was a delight to play.

I returned back home, thinking that I should have devoted more time to roaming around the old town. Lagos boasts an abundance of historical sites and intricate architecture. The endless pedestrian streets with outdoor restaurants and coffee shops, and of course the boutique shops would have been sure to round out two full days..

FIRST TIME FOR LISBON ON THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE

Lisbon has hosted the end of the transatlantic stage of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 - the race that is considered the one and only Around the World - and, for a week,  the city has been on the world stage as the main and only European capital city of the Volvo Ocean Race. Yesterday, June 10, the Day of Portugal, the boats left Lisbon heading for Lorient (France).

The Volvo Ocean Race is simultaneously a media event and geographically global, so therefore brings a legacy of close relationship within the journey, the sea and the populations. It is undoubtedly the greatest exponent of human endeavor, on the motto: ‘Life at the extreme’.

Yesterday, the weather was not at its best. The port of departure was so crowded that I had no alternative but driving farther away and watch the boats from not an ideal spot. Even though, I enjoyed what I could see...

 

SHOULDN'T HAVE EVER SAID 'NEVER' .... SLIDE-SHOW

Some years ago, I had a bad sailing experience when I went on a cruise to Istanbul and all the way through the narrow Dardanelles strait - connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea - we had very strong winds and (downwind) waves.

Since then,  I have always said that I would never board, again in my life, any boat sailing the ocean. Not until yesterday did I. Yes, yesterday I broke my personal promise. Friends of mine convinced me to go sailing with them.   The inaugural America’s Cup World Series had got under way in the port city of Cascais - 30-minute driving from Lisbon - and they were going to watch the fleet race from their boat, on the second day of the event. At first, I said 'never' but they insisted so much that I decided to accept their kindness. 

The day was perfect for sailing, warm, no strong wind and the sea was not rough at all. Boats dancing on the water, people watching the race crowded the piers... However, the best place to appreciate all those boats was from the water - close to - and I could hardly have been better placed. It was a fun day and a good lesson, too... From yesterday on, I will be careful when I say 'never'.

Hope you enjoy sailing without getting seasick...

 

SYMBIOSIS BETWEEN GOLF AND ART??? - SLIDE-SHOW

It was going to be my first time to play on that course in the Algarve, a region where summer starts earlier and golfing knows no bounds.

It was early in the morning. I was driving more carefully than the usual. The road was narrow and full of curbs. As I was getting closer to the golf club I saw a circle with a very bright-coloured sculpture at the center of it. At that moment I wondered whether or not I had been driving on the right direction. I thought that woman sculpture would make sense if I were driving towards the seafront. I stopped the car and took photos. I looked around and my eyes set on the golf course signboard. Good.. I had taken the right road.

As I parked my car, a bear was watching me... I went to the putting green, and saw another bear... Oh my God on the pathways to the several teeing grounds, players were greeted by a large number of near-life size bears. You may ask me 'did you like it?'. Well, they were cool but I would have preferred to see them somewhere else but not within the golf course area... The course was so nice with many trees, ponds and hedges that it didn't need any of those decorations. Or had they been placed intentionally there to wish good luck to players? They did it to me and their wishes came true.... Golf is a game that tests your skill, fitness, patience and at times, good luck...

The  fibreglass bears, the sculptor has called 'The Dance of the Bears', were created by Karl Heinz Stock, a German resident in the Algarve, and more than 30 artists of different nationalities throughout Portugal were invited to design and paint their interpretation of the  theme 'evolution' on each bear.

The eternal theme of the beauty of the female body was interpreted in a highly original form in the voluptuous but elegant ballerines, called The Graces, displayed in bright red and silver gray in the area surrounding the clubhouse.

I guess someone may be wondering how I, playing competitive golf, could take so many photos. Very simple: I had been there on the day before, not only to practice but also to photograph... the course, the bears and the ballerines....

"DID YOU ACTUALLY GET TO PLAY ANY GOLF?"

"Did you actually get to play any golf?", questioned one of my friends, as he visited my blog of yesterday. I smiled when I read it. Playing alone or playing with friends is totally different. I mean, you can take photos and play, without bothering anyone. On week-days, golf courses in the vicinities of Lisbon normally have few players, specially from the late morning on. 

 

As I am not an early bird, I usually tee off around 1:00 pm which allows me to play the 18 holes and return back home not very late in the afternoon. Today, another gorgeous day. I went to a different golf club and, once again, I realized spring is in the air, already. The golf course is integrated in a very large condominium dotted with mansions of assorted architecture designs. Some good, others not so.

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I STOPPED AND SMELLED THE FLOWERS...

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon at my golf club after a short absence. The course was more beautiful than ever. The first thing which caught my eyes were the colourful flowers. Everywhere, as far as I could see there were flowers. Their sweet fragrance brought immediate meaning to the saying that one should... "take time and stop and smell the flowers". I did it and... took photos, as well. Fortunately, I was playing alone... I like to have my own pace...

 

MY TRIP TO JORDAN (2) - GOLFING, JERASH AND MADABA - SLIDE-SHOW

The day started early, as the golf course was at a one-hour drive from the hotel. I, as well as my friends, were enthusiastic about experiencing golfing in a totally different environment from what we are used to. However, surprise of the surprises, the golf course was far and beyond our expectations.... the greens were not green but black!!! The fairways were sandy and full of gravel which made us feel a bit nervous about hitting a little stone instead of the ball and by doing it, get our clubs damaged, though caddies carried a small piece of synthetic turf that they placed under the ball prior to our hitting it. None of us - we were 10 players - took the play seriously but we had fun.
After having had lunch at the clubhouse terrace, we headed to Jerash,  which is considered one of the largest and most well preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside of Italy.  It once had a Roman population of 15,000 to 20,000.
We entered the city of Jerash via the South Gate (dates back to 130 AD) which then opened into what was once used as a marketplace. Once we walked through the gate there were signs for reenactments of chariot races but unfortunately they did not have any scheduled when we were there. As I walked through Jerash, I tried to follow Lonely Planet’s suggestion to “imagine life 2000 years ago: the center bustling building with shops and merchants, lined with cooling water fountains and dramatic painted facades. Picture today’s empty niches filled with painted statues; buildings still clad in marble facades and decorated with carved peacocks and shell motifs; and churches topped with Tuscan-style terracotta tiled roofs.”
While we were touring the South Theatre - built between 90-92 AD - there was a performance by a trio and due to the bagpipes I thought they sounded rather Scottish.
Leaving Jerash behind, the next stop was Madaba, renowned for its Byzantine-era mosaics.  There was the most famous one in St. George’s Church – it was unearthed in 1884 and is believed to have been constructed in AD 560.  Madaba's chief attraction is the sixth century map of the Holy Land, found in the contemporary Greek Orthodox church of St. George. It is a wonderfully vivid, Byzantine mosaic map showing Jerusalem and the holy sites. With two million pieces of coloured stone, measuring 25 x 5 metres, the map depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns as far away as the Nile Delta. Originally 25 meters long by 6 meters wide and containing more than 2 million pieces, it is now only 1/3 of its original size.
We left Madaba and we still had time to stop along the way at a mosaic factory/shop.

LET'S GO TO VISEU CITY - SLIDE-SHOW

Whenever I have to participate in a golf tournament outside Lisbon area, I always try to head from my place to somewhere nearby the course.  I made that chance on last Friday and drove throughout the central region of Portugal and reached Viseu, where I had not been for a few years already.
The central region of Portugal is largely rural with some fantastic mountain ranges, rivers and wooded countryside.
From its plateau, Viseu city surveys around with the air of a feudal overlord… indeed, this dignified little city is capital of all it can see. It’s also a city of art treasures, palaces and churches.
There was a Roman town here and on the outskirts we can still make out the remains of those times. The heart of the medieval city has changed little, though not many but a few broad avenues have made it a prosperous provincial center, while the ancient market has evolved into an elegant park or ‘Public Stroll of the Viseu society. Adjoining streets have a very high concentration of little shops. There is a surprisingly good variety available and I wish I had had more time to shop, roam more streets and check out further architecture but time was short. On the following day, I had to be an early bird...

THE DOG WHO LIKED SWIMMING....

Last saturday, when I was driving back home from a tournament held at a mountainous golf course in the central region of Portugal, I decided to stop for a break at a small town by a river. The temperature was mild, the scenery was beautiful and very few people on  the beach. As I was having a drink, suddenly I saw a dog taking the opportunity to do what I would have liked, too!

COME WITH ME TO MY GOLF CLUB - SLIDE-SHOW

When I opened the window this morning and saw the blue sky and checked the outdoors temperature (60ºF), immediately I decided I would go to my golf club and enjoy my favorite sport. On week days, the course is never crowded. I often had the illusion it was all mine. I played alone which I really like … I can concentrate on the game as nobody disturbs me. I returned back to the golf club in time to take several photos indoors. Both my camera and my clubs had also worked enough on the course. It was a gorgeous day and nature welcomed me with cheer…
Ah the joys of springtime that I had been missing very much!

~~ HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND ~~