Lockdown and Attractions

 

Third lockdown . Alarming numbers; the virus with its south- african, british,  indian , brazilian mutations,  seems to be mocking  the experts.

One has to  learn to read between the lines if one wishes to know things. They ( the politicians) play with the numbers, with the info on vaccine mutations,  in fact with any kind of info regarding the pandemic. 

We should keep in mind that the vaccines are approved by the FDA on Emergency basis mainly, as regular vaccine takes several years to get developed. By end of January, we could know if things are going well, but I'm afraid we won't. There's no transparency in these matters - too much is involved here; politics, money, medical reputation .

The latest : by end of March our entire population , starting from age 16, will  be vaccinated.  It  has even been suggested that vaccination starts at an earlier age as schools, when open, are great spreaders of  the virus.

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At home,   as during the first two lockdowns, among other things, I 'm browsing through  old, analog photos, trying to improve them and  enjoying pleasant memories of various places. This time from Portugal and Spain.

One of Lisbon's (Portugal) main attraction is Estufa Fria (cold greenhouse) located in the big park Eduardo7, in the heart of the city. It is kind of a plant museum with species from all over the world. It also has statues, creeks, ponds, birds, all scattered around.

 

statue:  girl putting on a stocking

stork behind me

The statue and the stork are  spots of light in the darkness created by  the thick vegetation.

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Another main attraction in the city is the 'Monument of the Discoveries' on the edge of the Tagus river , point of departure of ships to expeditions. The monument celebrates the period of explorations and discoveries during the 15th-16th centuries.

Its top gives a panoramic view of the river Tagus,, of the Belem area, and of the monastery of Jeronimo which dated from that period .  

                                                      monument of the Discoveries

Belem Tower

 

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Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca) - not to be missed  when visiting Portugal! It's the westernmost point of Europe, "where the land ends and the sea begins".

 

Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca)

 

This rugged cliff standing out of the Atlantic Ocean, has a lighthouse; there's also a coffee shop at the top, where I even got a nice certificate marking my visit on the rock.

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The Genera-life Gardens in Granada (Spain) have a well-deserved reputation for their beauty and symmetry of shapes.

Generalife gardens (Granada, Spain)

 

The above gardens with their flower beds, bushes, pastures, orchards and a clever water running system, have served as the retreat for the Moorish Kings of Granada.

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And to Cordoba (Spain) to see landmarks of two religions:

The Alcazar, fortress-castle of Christian kings - with three towers and delightful gardens - and the monument of Maimonides in the courtyard of a modest, little synagogue, in the jewish quarter of the city.

 

the Alcazar fortress

monument of Maimonides

Maimonides (Harambam, in Hebrew) was a prominent rabbi, physician, philosopher who lived in the 12th century.