Portugal. A Very Neat Place (Lisbon, Part Two); September 2019
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Lisbon and Portugal are famous for Calçada Portuguesa, or “Portuguese Pavement,” the stone mosaics that define and enliven streets, sidewalks, and plazas. The mosaics are built from contrasting dark and light small stone blocks, like small cobble stones. The geometric designs are usually graceful, always aesthetic, and invariably durable. This art is functional.
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The three-dimensional visual effect is remarkable; the surface seems uneven, rippling with troughs and ridges.
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Above right: Don Pedro watches over rippling mosaic in the Praça Dom Pedro IV.
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Repair is low-tech but effective; the result is a resilient, wear-resistant pavement that also entertains.
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Complex or simple, the designs are intrinsic to Lisbon and satisfyingly complement the transitory play of light and shadows.
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The top of the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (monument to discoveries) overlooks these striking mosaics in the plaza, 164 feet below.
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The designs are just as striking at ground level.
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After a lifetime of mainly expressing myself with words, my postings here will mainly rely on images. They will speak for themselves to some extent, but I'll usually add a few comments of explanation. I've taken photographs for decades, since the 1950's, inspired in part by my father's photographic skill. Four years of photo assignments and quality darkroom time eventually gave way to decades of casual and family picture-taking. I re-immersed myself when I left film and turned to digital.