After 10 years - first Yucca flower in our garden

We planted our Yucca tree 10 years ago. It was a small, about 40 cm high, plant. Now it has over 3 meters of height. And this year, for the first time, a bright mass of white flowers protruded from a center stalk within the plant. Flowers !

Our species probably belong to Yucca mixtecana family.

Maciek.

Good wine - good time. This Wednesday wine tasting.

A nice bottle of Romeira Reserva 2004 from Palmela region ( 15/20 ), a red Quinta do Corujao Reserva 2003 from Dão region ( 15/20 ) and my personal best: Leo d´Honra 2003 single grape Castelão variety from Palmela region ( 16/20 ), the best wine from Dona Ermelinda producer you can get.

Today was a good day—the kind that sets me in a very good mood.
In the early afternoon we had a nice walk to Vini Portugal promotional space located in the Porto´s old city center.
We love this place. First because of Miss Tania Oliveira. She talks about Portuguese wines with such a passion and knowledge that it leaves an excellent impression on all the visitors.
And of course there are wines. Some very good Portuguese wines.

This time we did some Dão and Palmela regions wine tasting. It was such a nice and relaxing time.

At the end we had a taste of sweet, so good and honey smelling Moscatel from Palmela region.

Wednesday, 06th of May, 2009.

Maciek.

Two skies - two oceans.

The sunset over the mouth of Douro river, Portugal.

Date/time: 2009-05-03 20:36:19
Shutter speed: 0,5 sec
Exposure Program: Aperture priority
F-stop: f/22
ISO: 100
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: Did not fire
Focal length: 18 mm
Lens: 10.0-20.0 mm
Exp -0.3 Remote control. Tripod.
ND 0,6
5600 K.

Maciek.

First Passion Flower this year

Last weekend brought us a surprise: the first flower of Passiflora careulea in our garden this year. Passion Flower acquired its name from the first descriptions of its flowers supplied in the XVII-th century by Spanish priests from South America.

It´s an absolutely wonderful flower: colorful, made of so many tiny but three-dimensional structures and very symmetrical, proving that the mathematics is The King of all the sciences. Passiflora is also a naturally grown medicinal herb, approved in the treatment of insomnia and nervousness.

Model: NIKON D80
Date/time: 2009-02-02
ISO: 250
Flash: Did not fire
Lens: 50 mm

Maciek.

Last Wednesday: Back in Spain.

We set off from Porto in the morning. After 30 minutes we hopped over the border with Spain and soon arrived at Baiona. Baiona is a small port and at summer a busy tourist destination.



The beach and the port of Baiona is quite famous. On March 1st, 1493 a caravel La Pinta, one of Columbus ships coming back from the first trip to America, arrives to the port of Baiona. Baiona was the first port in Renaissance Europe to know about the discovery of America.



At Baiona we met our friends and had a lovely time and wonderful lunch at the Eliado restaurant located just in front of the Playa de América.

Eladio restaurant. From the left top: children at the table, grilled octopus, restaurant´s speciality: melon sorbet with a touch of Spanish jamon, rice with lobster, excellent Albarino slightly sparkling wine.

Maciek.

29.04.2009

Sunset over Afurada fishing port.

It only takes me 10 minutes to cross the Douro river and arrive at not-so-much busy port of Afurada ( google map: São Pedro da Afurada ). At night there is a little movement here. Only few fishing boats are coming back home. With EU fishing quota restrictions imposed over Portugal, there are every time less and less bussines here and more and more unemployed. And to make matters worse, EU admits fishing quotas have failed to protect fish stocks.

The sunset over the small port of Afurada, Portugal.

Photo:

Date/time: 2008-10-03 18:30:15
Shutter speed: 0,5 ; 1; 3,6 sec
Exposure Program: Aperture priority
F-stop: f/20
ISO: 100
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: Did not fire
Focal length: 12 mm
Lens: 10.0-20.0 mm
Exp -0.6 Remote control. Tripod.

Post processing:
HDR rendering with Allign Images.

Maciek.

Rhubarb session

Green Rhubarb stalks in our kitchen.

There are many different species of Rhubarb. Most of them were brought to Europe and the Americas from Asia. The one on the picture above with thick clustered green roots belongs to Rheum Rhabarbarum type.


Model: NIKON D80
Date/time: 2009-04-15 15:05:00
F:3,2
Exposure Program: Aperture priority
ISO: 100
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: Did not fire
Focal length: 60 mm
Lens: AS-F Nikkor 50 mm
Tripod

Maciek.

Our garden colours in middle April

From the top left:

fast growing and just beginning to flower - blue Passion Flower ( Passiflora Caerulea),

our 10 meters high red flowering Bougainvillea,

Tulbaghia Violacea - called a "wild garlic",

red Azalea in flowers,

Fragaria Vesca or simply a strawberry,

yellow roses just beginning to flower,

had a nice cup of coffee in the garden and

little yellowish flowers of papirus ( Cyperus Papirus ).

All pictures taken on the same day, April 23th, 2009.

Maciek

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I stepped into mud.

What kind of sacrifice can a photographer take in pursuit of the best angle and the most favorable light? I stepped yesterday into the mud and my feet weren´t too happy about it. But the photo I have taken was definitely worth it.

April 2009. Low tide. The sea mud and traditional fishermen´s boats close to Murtosa village, Portugal.

Model: NIKON D80
Date/time: 2009-04-19 19:55:10
Shutter speed: 3,6 sec
Exposure Program: Aperture priority
ND G 0.4, 0.6
F-stop: f/20
ISO: 100
Metering Mode: Pattern
Flash: Did not fire
Focal length: 12 mm
Lens: 10.0-20.0 mm
Exp -0.3
Remote control.
Tripod.


Maciek.


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Dom Luis I bridge, Porto, Portugal.

One of the main tourist attractions of city of Porto, Portugal. Iron bridge built between 1881 and 1885 spans the Douro river in a single arch of almost 180m wide. There are two roads: lower, where the cars can pass, and the upper one, located 70m

... More >

above the river, only for pedestrian and the electric trams.

This photo, taken from the upper level, was one of my first panorama making experiments.

Model: NIKON D80

Date/time: 2008
Panorama of 8.





Maciek.