Alfama, Lisbon

Lisbon stole my heart when I first visited it back in 2017. I have now had the pleasure of going to this wonderful city three times and intend on taking a fourth trip there over Christmas. I can’t quite put my finger on what keeps drawing me back there, as usually I am not one for revisiting cities, especially not in such a short space of time. I think it might be the combination of the beautiful but run down architecture, the friendly people and the wonderful food.

Lisbon is a city that despite it’s hills is made for walking. For me it’s the only way to take in all that it has to offer, this is particularly true of Alfama. The oldest disctrict in the city, Alfama is a maze of cobbled streets that are made for getting lost in. Along every street you will find beautiful buildings decorated in traditional Portuguese tiles and chances are you will see one of the old ladies of Alfama selling Ginja, a sweet cherry liqueur that originated in Lisbon.

During my latest trip I decided to stay in the Alfama District and spent most of my spare time just exploring the area. It has a chilled out relaxed vibe. The streets are lined with bars and restaurants but it does not have the party scene that the Bairro Alto district has. So if partying isn’t your bag, Alfama is the perfect spot for sitting back and relaxing with a big glass of sangria and watching the world go by.

There is something about Alfama that makes me feel like I have stepped back in time. I’m not sure if it is it’s slightly run down exterior or the lines of laundry that are hung out of the houses, or the old ladies gossiping on the street. To be honest, it’s probably all of the above. What I do know is, it is a joy to photograph and I hope it never loses it’s charm.

Plitvice Lakes

Back in July I booked a last minute holiday to Split, Croatia. During my stay there I took a day trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park. Renowned for it turquoise lakes and abundance of waterfalls, the park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and rightly so. Plitvice is exceptionally stunning and even though it took a few hours to get there I am very glad I took the time to visit. In fact, I am not sure why it has taken me so long to edit my photos from my visit but now I have I am desperate to go back!

Despite the glorious sunshine that I left in Split it was a lot cooler at the lakes which are much further inland. The weather was changeable and at times stormy, I got caught in the rain a couple of times! It just added to the atmosphere of the places though and made for some much more interesting photos. It took a few hours to walk around the park but there were waterfalls everywhere and the lakes were gorgeous and so clean (they don;t allow anyone to swim in them).

I’ve always been a massive fan of Croatia in general, the whole country (or at least what I have seen of it) is ridiculously beautiful but these lakes are on a whole other level. In fact their beauty might be their downfall as the national park was jam packed full of tourists. Mass tourism aside though, if you are ever in the area definitely don’t miss out on this natural beauty.

Bamford Edge

After my little adventure in Hope I decided the following weekend that I would explore more of the Peak District. After a bit of research on the old internet I decided that this time I would choose Bamford Edge. These little day trips have made me realise just what I have been missing out on and it is quite astounding that having lived in Doncaster for nearly seven years I have not explored the Peak District more.

Once again I was very lucky with the weather, although somewhat changeable, it was bright with just the right amount of moody sky that I like for landscape photography. It was however extremely windy and despite it being an unseasonably warm afternoon, once I hiked up to the ledge it was very chilly! To say the hike up there is relatively easy, the views are absolutely stunning. You can see right across Hope Valley and there are great views of Ladybower Reservoir (which might just be my next adventure).

I went for quite a long hike beyond Bamford Edge itself. I believe there is a hike that goes all the way to Stanage Edge but it was a bit late in the day for me to do that so I didn’t go all the way. Its certainly I hike I will be doing soon though.

I took advantage of the short winter day and stayed to watch the sunset which was lovely. The difference in light between earlier in the day when it was grey and cloudy to golden hour was quite something (although I am a fan of both kinds of light). These photos are some of my favourites I have taken in a long while. I am being much more intentional about what I am taking shots of which is really paying off. These little trips to the countryside are really making me fall in love with photography again and I can’t wait to go out on another adventure with my camera soon!