Photo of the Day (07.06.08)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Flickr user wesleyrosenblum has decided to let us in on a secret – Lisbon is one of the most picturesque cities on earth. This photo looks like it was taken from atop the hill that’s occupied by Lisbon’s Castelo São Jorge, the magnificent castle that guards this ancient port city.

I like the way the cannon “pokes” out into the middle of this view, looming over the city below. I also like the way the field of view is split neatly in half, with little puffy clouds floating above and ancient terra-cotta-roofed buildings laying underneath.

Have any photos of a panoramic view in Portugal? Or maybe just a picturesque shot from Portland, Oregon? Add it to our Gadling photo pool on Flickr and it could end up as our Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day (06/16/08)

by Iva Skoch on


What a great shot of San Francisco! The colors!

Except, of course, that it is Lisbon, Portugal, as shot by t3mujin. Seriously though, tell me this doesn’t look like San Francisco when you first glance at it? It is amazing how many similarities there are between Portugal and California…the weather, the coastline, the lifestyle, the bridge. If Portugal had Hollywood and Chinatown, it would practically be the same place. Just kidding.

***To have your photo considered for the Gadling Photo of the Day, go over to the Gadling Flickr Pool and post it. Make sure it is not copyrighted, otherwise we can’t post it here.***

Photo of the Day (05.17.2008)

by Anna Brones on

Color is always something that I am drawn to when I travel and in honor of late spring, I thought this colorful photo from Portugal needed to be featured. Dog blue manages to capture the intensity of organic hues in this Portuguese field. I love how the house in the background plays a role in the photo, but that the flowers are definitely the main center of attention, highlighting the simplicity of natural beauty.

Have your own photo that you think should be featured? Submit it to our Gadling Flickr Pool

Notes from Portugal: Final Note: Iron Maiden Mecca

by Iva Skoch on

Can’t say I’m a huge heavy metal fan, but it was cool to find out that the town we were staying in over the New Years, Santa Barbara de Nexe, Portugal, is considered the world-wide center for Iron Maiden fans.

It turns out that bassist and IM founder Steve Harris started a bar there almost twenty years ago and has a local presence, including owning at least one luxury villa on the hill there, in the mountains north of Faro, Portugal.

The bar is named after the skeletal mascot of the band, Eddie, who’s image adorns the front entrance as well as the interior.

Forget “Planet Hollywood” (or “Cabo Wabo,” for that matter), Eddie’s Bar is a real, neighborhood bar, that just happens to be owned by a real metal celebrity.

What better place to grab a cold Sagres cerveza?

Spain versus Portugal. Can we get along?

by Iva Skoch on

Before going to Portugal for New Year’s, we were advised that we shouldn’t even try to speak Spanish there. If you don’t speak Portuguese, stick with English because the Portuguese don’t like using Spanish, even if they speak it.

I didn’t realize how deep is their resentment toward the Spanish until I saw this sign spray-painted on a building in Alfama, Lisbon.

I feel for you, Portugal. In the early nineties, there were similar signs in Prague: “Shut up, or stay in Germany.”