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A 5km walk after a fantastic seafood dinner took us past fishermen reeling in sea bream and heaving party venues along the Gaia waterfront to the imposing Dom LuÃs I Bridge. The wind was calm and the Douro still, turning the usual arch into almost a full circle of glowing iron and creating my favourite shot of the many, many photos I took of this bridge during my time in Porto.
Lex soaking up some sun and running through the waves at Laguna Niguel.
Telephoto shot from the Pixel 8 Pro, minor edits in snapseed.
This is my friend Darran who has a keen interest in the history of photography, he dresses this way just because he can, and yes, he told me he was channeling Fox Talbot
In 1492, just as Spain completed the Reconquista, the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella expelled all Jews from Spain. Exiles were invited by Sultan Bayezid II to the Ottoman Empire, which in the last century had expanded to include Bulgaria. They did not enjoy equality, but unlike in Spain they were tolerated, and their population grew. When Bulgaria became an autonomous principality in 1878 religious equality was enshrined in the new constitution. It became imprinted on central Sofia, as well, where an Ottoman mosque, Catholic cathedral, Orthodox church, and this, the Central Sofia Synagogue, all stand in close proximity to each other in what is today called the Square of Tolerance.
The Central Sofia Synagogue was completed in 1909, just a year after Bulgaria declared its formal independence. It is very striking with Moorish and Byzantine influences, and is the largest Sephardic synagogue in Europe, with seating for more than one thousand. When we visited security was very tight, I suppose because of the Gaza War. Before entering the courtyard we were confined in a small security pen where our passports were checked and we were searched by a guard with a submachine gun. I believe the concrete planters in the image are also a security measure, presumably to deter car bombs. Central Sofia Synagogue, Sofia, Bulgaria.
France, Normandie, Eure, Evreux
Cloître de la cathédrale d'Evreux
A cathedral, flowers
Cloister of Evreux Cathedral