Too Many Toadstools – Trop de champignons incomestibles

Ah, if only all mushrooms were edible! Still, the presence of toadstools often means the edible ones are not far away. Ah, si seulement tous les champignons étaient comestibles ! Mais quand même, la présence de champignons incomestibles indique souvent que les bons ne sont pas loin.

Postcard from Lisbon – Caravel

You may remember another caravel in Saint Dyé sur Loire. This one is in front of the statue of Marques do Pombal, both emblematic of Lisbon. Vous vous souvenez peut-être d’une autre caravelle à Saint Dyé sur Loire. Celle-ci se trouve devant la statue du Marquis de Pombal, toutes deux emblématiques de Lisbonne.

Postcard from Lisbon – Palacio dos Marquesas de Fronteira

The Palace and Gardens of Fronteira were built by the first marquis in 1670 in the outskirts of Lisbon as a hunting pavilion. The azulejos are quite stunning – even in the rain! Le Palais et jardins des Marquis de Fronteira furent bâtis vers 1670 par le premier marquis aux alentours de Lisbonne comme pavillon …

Postcard from Lisbon – Rooftop Pinnacles

These pinnacles are very common in Lisbon but they look particularly effective on the terrace of the Monastery of Saint Vincent  Outside the Walls. Ces pinacles se trouvent un peu partout à Lisbonne mais ils sont particulièrement décoratifs sur la terrasse du monastère de Saint Vincent Hors les Murs.

Postcard from Lisbon – La Fontaine

The Monastery of Saint Vincent Outside the Walls in Lisbon has a magnificent collection of 38 azulejos depicting different fables by La Fontaine. This is one of them. The dog with his master’s dinner round his neck A dog was carrying his master’s dinner and another dog tried to steal it. When more dogs appeared, attraced by …

Postcard from Lisbon – Fully tiled fireplace – Cheminée entièrement carrelée

Like Spain, Portugal has a long tradition of azulejos or ceramic tiles. This fully tiled fireplace is in the Swan Room of the National Palace of Sintra built in the early 15th century, which is up on a hill outside Lisbon and therefore much cooler in winter. Comme l’Espagne, le Portugal a une longue tradition …

Postcard from Lisbon – Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Today I fell in love with a World Heritage site- the early 16th century monastery of Jeronimos in Lisbon. The two-storey cloisters with their intricately sculpted columns and arches are quite extraordinary. Aujourd’hui je suis tombée amoureuse d’un site inscrit au patrimoine de l’Unesco – le monastère de Jéronimos à Lisbonne. Le cloître à deux …

Postcard from Lisbon: Azulejos – Terreiro do Paço

This beautiful mural made with LIsbon’s famous azulejos (tiles) is in a little garden in the Alfama quarter and depicts the  square shown in yesterday’s photo before the earthquake. Ce beau mural en azulejos, les faïences célèbres de Lisbonne, se trouve dans un petit jardin dans la quartier d’Alfama et représente la place d’hier mais avant le …

Postcard from Lisbon: Commerce Square – Place du commerce

We are spending a week in Lisbon on a home exchange.The Praça do Comércio is near the Tagus river, is still called Terreiro do Paço because it was originally the site of Paços da Ribeira (Royal Ribeira Palace) destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1755. It was rebuilt (and remodelled) by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, who …