Good Fences

In Portugal once again.... where we holidayed a couple years ago.

This is the Quinta do Seixo...  in the Douro region of Portugal.  A very modern visitor centre for Sandeman port.  Even though it was not open for the season, there was staff there, and, they did open just for us..... we had our tour and then we tasted some port.  Several varieties of port....  and, of course, we bought a few bottles to take home.

This is their trademark motif...

I love this photo because it looks like two people dressed like the "Don" as they call him... they look like they are whispering to each other...

It is so weird how this photo turned out... it is actually the door handle (inside and out) on a clear glass door leading out onto the front area of the visitor centre...

... and, even though I stray a bit...there is a fence in the background...

Here is the story of "The Don" ..   taken from the Sandeman site.
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In 1928 George Massiot Brown was an artist working for the Lochend Printing company, who approached Sandeman for business.  Sandeman requested some designs for posters, and the remarkable silhouette of the Don was born.

Dressed like the Spanish caballeros de Jerez in a Portuguese student's cape and wide brimmed hat, the Don cuts a dark, dramatic figure within glass of ruby coloured Porto.

George Massiot Brown was well aware that French poster artists were very much in vogue, so signed his artwork as G. Massiot to hide his Scottish origins.

Little did he know that The Don would be the very first iconic logo for a wine.  Recognized throughout the world, The Don represents the mystery and sensuality that communicates the Sandeman brand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

............ and, here are a few more fences ..although the fences were barely there.. some fine wire and posts ...

A short wall that surrounds the visitor centre... just below steps from which you look down upon the river Douro and terraced hillsides of grapes..

View from the other side of the centre..

... another cement wall...

and, a stop on the way out to get a better shot of the entrance to the centre...stone and cement ...

If you want to check out some other great fences, click on the button below and it will take you to Tex's site... the Run-a-Round Ranch

Good Fences

Totally missed Wild Bird Wednesday.... and, Thursday's Good Fences has disappeared too.... hmmmm....it's Friday already!!

My excuse is the same...   there is just too much going on...most of it not all that much fun.

But, I want to put in my two cents worth of fencing ... cuz I do love me a good fence, or "stuff" going on around one!

I'm taking you on holiday with me this time.  C'mon....

To Portugal.  This is a desert type flower that we saw growing in sand at the tops of cliffs near the ocean in various areas we visited.  It had bright yellows and lovely pinks for flowers.
This is a little beach town close to Nazare...oh, I hope Maria shows up to remind me of the name of the town...

UPDATE:: okay...got it!  Maria wrote to say ....it is  'Vale das Paredes'.  It is between Nazaré and S. Pedro de Moel.

Thanks Maria...

... and, when you get to the bottom of all those steps... this is where you are...

What area we waiting for??  Let's all go !!! .....

I'm linking up to Run-a-round Ranch for Good Fences... check 'em out sometime!~  lots of great fences and traveling and fun stuff.
Just click on this and go directly there......

The Algarve, Portugal

The first night on our drive down to the Algarve area....we stayed in a cute little hotel called Colina Dos Mouros....in Silves.  Maria told us it means Columns of the Moors... and in the south of Portugal ...the Moorish influence is pretty evident in a lot of the architecture. TripAdvisor has this shot of it....I didn't get one as we arrived after dark and ...in the morning....I forgot.....




It was a great little hotel... very clean as was every single place we set foot in while in Portugal.  A big plus for us.  We have a big deal with cleanliness....

Every building has granites, marbles and tile incorporated into it....how I wish it was as reasonable to buy here.....sigh.... so easy to keep spotless...looks amazing....

For a few euros...we got an upgrade to a castle view room...
why not?  It was only about 37 euros per night .... we probably should have gone to view the castle too..  here is what Wiki says about it.....  "Silves Castle was built between the 8th and the 13th century AD and is considered to be the best preserved of the Moorish castles of the country."  

Last year we did a lot of wandering through castles, cathedrals and ruins...but, this visit we were more concentrated on "doing the Algarve" ... and that meant seeing the amazing beaches... gawking at some pretty fancy yachts at one of the main marinas... feasting in a fancy restaurant later in the day (not that we didn't feast everywhere we went!) ...oh, man...the food! ...and moving on a bit further to more lovely beaches and another hotel... within walking distance from the beach I showed yesterday.

Feast your eyes on these views !!!

I love seeing and hearing the crashing waves and spent many a shot trying to capture just the right moment in a wave's life.... love this one.

Sure....I could live here.  I'll just take the one on the right...a bit higher up the hill, please...... in case of a very high tide.

Nobody around but us...how perfect.

Onward to another beach .... I have no clue exactly which beach this is...but, again it is probably Praia da Rocha.... means rocks.... they are all beautiful.  Love the colour of the rocks .... the wonderful feel of the sand ... I'm thinking colours like this for the house ....mmmmmm.... golden creamy cupboards ...  sea coloured walls. ....

Oh, yeh.....