#335 - Portuguese vehicle - 1957

Photos by João Quaresma

It is a vehicle, from the 60s, for rapid transport, built in
Portugal based on a truck ( 'lorry') Bedford.

#328 - Fiat 1910

Photos by João Quaresma

'Lisbon Sapper Firemen Batallion'

Thanks again João Quaresma!

#326 - 100 Years of Ford T, on the 26th of October - III

Photos by João Quaresma

Thanks again João Quaresma for submitting this wonderful photos!

#323 - 100 Years of Ford T, on the 26th of October - II

oil lamp

Photos by João Quaresma

Thanks again João Quaresma, a big Ford lover, for submitting this wonderful photos :)
Here are some of his words:

... I'm fond of classic cars, specially these early XXth Century.

One thing truly special about them is that when one of these cars drives by, the immediate, first reaction from anywone around is to smile. That is one thing that classic cars have in common with babies. Notice it next time you see one.

In those days, Ford Ts used to rule the automobile business. Fords were not just good but excellent in design, sturdy, reliable, dependable, able to go off-road, and also cheap (in the 1920s it cost half the original price in 1908). The only reason not to buy one was because you didn't want to have the same car as everyone else, or it wasn't luxurius enough.

Comming from a family of Ford-owners, I'm deeply sad to know the company isn't in shape despite a century-long experience in the business. Hope it improves.

With regards,

JQ

#322 - 100 Years of Ford T, on the 26th of October - I

Photos by João Quaresma

Thanks again João Quaresma for submitting this wonderful photos :)

Tune tomorrow to see more models of this awesome car.

#315 - Another day...no balloons! LOL

According to the news below, I was supposed to have shootet at least 10 balloons in Lisbon this weekend. In the previous post you can see the only balloon that was yesterday in Belém . And today this was the aspect of Praça do Comércio in the morning.

The weather was fine and even in the absence of balloons was fun. :)


"Europe's biggest festival takes hot-air balloons to Belém

The International Festival of hot-air balloons take this weekend dozens of balloons in the area of the Monastery of Jeronimos in Lisbon, with baptism of flight and a multimedia show at night.
According to Sandro Danao, organization, the multimedia show "Festival Night Glow" [technical name in English], present in week-end and lined up dozens of balloons filled with hot air, which will turn the burners with "fire and in a synchronized, where the rhythm of music. "

The show is scheduled for Saturday at 21:30, with an estimated duration of time, and according to the organizer, "will be the largest in Europe, because of the large number of balloons present," the majority of foreign pilots.

The balloons will occupy the entire front of the Monastery of Jeronimos , near the garden of Belém, as of Saturday morning, with baptism of captive flight demonstrations during the day and more direct contact with the pilots and crews.

On Sunday morning, about 10 balloons are at Commerce Square to demonstrate and flight captives, one of the balloons available to users of wheelchairs.

After the event in Lisbon, all of the approximately 50 pilots participating in the International Festival, takes to the Alto Alentejo in Portugal, which starts Monday to contest the Cup of Iberian Balloon." [*]

#224 - Praça do Comércio

"Comercio Square"
Lisbon's monumental riverside square

This vast waterfront square also known as Terreiro do Paço or "the palace's square," is where the royal palace stood for over two centuries until 1755, when its was destroyed by the Great Earthquake. The royal family moved to another residence in the district of Belem, and the new arcaded buildings acted as the port of entry to the city.

On the north side is a triumphal arch and one of the city's legendary cafes, Café Martinho da Arcada. It dates from 1782 and was a favorite of poets Fernando Pessoa and Almeida Garrett and of novelist Eça de Queiroz.

In the center of the square is a statue of King Jose I showing him on horseback, wearing his emperor's mantle, and measuring 14 meters in height counting from the pedestal.

Lisboa Welcome Center, the city's main tourism office, is located in one of the classical building on the west side the square. Here visitors can request information about the city, buy a tourist card that provides discounts on several attractions, use the internet service, or shop at a store offering traditional Portuguese products.

There have been plans to pedestrianize the area all the way to the river, sinking road traffic into a tunnel, freeing this elegant space to host cultural functions. The government offices now housed in the buildings surrounding the square would move to a new location, restaurants with outdoor tables and a modern museum dedicated to the Age of Discovery would replace them.

Where: Baixa (Downtown) How: Metro - Baixa-Chiado Station

Sights Nearby

Municipal Square - Home of the City Hall palace.
Rua Augusta - The city's main shopping street.
Conceição Velha Church - Church that survived the Great Earthquake.
Santa Justa Elevator - An Eiffel Tower-like landmark with views over the city.
Rossio Square - Lisbon's elegant main square.
Figueira Square - Busy square and transporation hub.
São Domingos Church - A church marked by tragedy.
Rua das Portas de Santo Antão - Pedestrian street lined with seafood restaurants.
Rossio Station - A monumental train station.
Restauradores Square - Large busy square.
Avenida da Liberdade - The city's main avenue."

http://www.golisbon.com/sight-seeing/comercio-square.html

#213 - Praça do Comércio

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square) is located in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. Situated near the Tagus river, the square is still commonly known as Terreiro do Paço (Palace Square), because it was the location of the Royal Ribeira Palace (Paços da Ribeira) until it was destroyed by the great 1755 Lisbon Earthquake. After the earthquake, the square was completely remodelled as part of the rebuilding of the Pombaline Downtown ordered by the Marquis of Pombal.

History

Urban development of the banks of the Tagus (the Ribeira) was given a definitive impulse in the early 1500s, when King Manuel I built a new royal residence - the Ribeira Palace - by the river, outside the city walls. The area was further developed with the building of a port, ship building facilities (the Ribeira das Naus), the Casa da India and other administrative buildings that regulated the commerce between Portugal and other parts of Europe and its colonies in Africa, Asia and America.

On November 1, 1755, during the reign of King José I, a great earthquake followed by a tsunami and fire destroyed most of Lisbon, including the Ribeira Palace and other buildings by the river. José I's Prime Minister, the Marquis of Pombal, coordinated a massive rebuilding effort in the enlightened spirit of the time. The Royal Palace was not to be rebuilt, and the square was given a regular, rational arrangement in line with the reconstruction of the new Pombaline Downtown, the Baixa.

The large square (170 m by 170m) in front of the Ribeira Palace, called Terreiro do Paço (Palace Square), was rebuilt following the symmetrical design of Portuguese architect Eugénio dos Santos. He designed a large, rectangular square in the shape of an "U", open towards the Tagus river. The buildings have galleries on their groundfloors, and the arms of the "U" end in two large towers, reminiscent of the monumental tower of the destroyed Ribeira Palace, still vivid in the architectonic memory of the city. His plan was realised almost completely, although decorative details were changed and the east tower of the square and the Augusta Street Arch were only finished in the 19th century.

The square was named Praça do Comércio, the Square of Commerce, to indicate its new function in the economy of Lisbon. The symmetrical buildings of the square were filled with government bureaus that regulated customs and port activities. The main piece of the ensemble was the equestrian statue of King José I, inaugurated in 1775 in the centre of the square. This bronze statue, the first monumental statue dedicated to a King in Lisbon, was designed by Joaquim Machado de Castro, Portugal's foremost sculptor of the time.

Opening towards the Augusta Street, which links the square with the other tradicional Lisbon square, the Rossio, the original project by Eugénio dos Santos planned a triumphal arch, only realised in 1875. This arch, usually called the Arco da Rua Augusta, was designed by Veríssimo da Costa. It has a clock and statues of the Glory, Ingenuity and Valour (by the French sculptor Camels) and those of Viriatus, Nuno Álvares Pereira, Vasco da Gama and, of course, the Marquis of Pombal.

On February 1, 1908 the square was the scene of the assassination of Carlos I, the penultimate King of Portugal. On their way back from the palace of Vila Viçosa to the royal palace in Lisbon, the carriage with Carlos I and his family passed through the Terreiro do Paço. While crossing the square, shots were fired from the crowd by at least two men: Alfredo Costa and Manuel Buiça. The king died immediately, his heir Luís Filipe was mortally wounded, and Prince Manuel was hit in the arm. The assassins were shot on the spot by members of the bodyguard and later recognized as members of the Republican Party - which two years later overhtrew the Portuguese monarchy. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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