For the last weeks and months Portugal was the central recurring theme of this project. With this final post, the series is coming to an end. In this one, I want to show you some impressions of the country by night. Most of the pictures were taken in Lisbon. Night photography is a unique challenge, it takes much more work and endurance if there is no natural light at your disposal. Patience, a steady hand, and a good tripod are a must.
The capital of Azulejos is, without any doubt, Lisbon. Just to remind you, Azulejos are thin-glazed ceramic tiles covering many historic buildings in Portugal. Last time I presented them to you, I featured Azulejos from all of Portugal. This time, though, I want to lay my focus on the capital of the country. Azulejos come in all sorts of forms and colors, the variety is really remarkable. However, if you look closely, there are differences within the country (I have no scientific proof for my bold hypothesis). The patterns in Northern Portugal tend to be more flowery, and very often, they are composed of earthy and grounded colors, while in Lisboa, there are definitely more bright colors, and the style is more geometric.
Coimbra is a city situated in the center of Portugal, halfway between Porto and Lisboa. For many centuries, it was the sole University town of the country and hence renowned as a cultural and scientific center of Portugal. Being home to 140k inhabitants, Coimbra today is undoubtedly larger than the college campus it once was. While wandering the narrow streets and discovering the beautiful architecture, Coimbra never feels like a big city preserving the urban image like it was seen by the many generations of students who lived and studied here. Take a look for yourself.
Michael Hoffman Photography 