A Dolmen in the main square Photo

Photographer’s Note

In this region (Alentejo), we can find several examples of the very interesting pre-historic and archaeological ruins, known as Dolmens and Menhirs, proving that the region was habited since remote ages.

They are not usually easy to find and you have to follow several secondary roads and sometimes get lost in order to find them in the midle of the nowhere.

I hadn't much time left for that, so I just went to visit the beautiful village of Pavia and had the pleasant surprise to find a Dolmen in the midle of the main square!

Pavia is 31km west from Evora and the same one of my previous post - The big white chimneys.
This Dolmen-Chapel is a christianized dolmen, known as the S.Dinis chapel and it was transformed in a chapel in 1625.

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This is a general view that shows well how it is positioned in the square. I will add two more closer shots in WS. In the background, you can see a coffee shop named, obviously, 'Dolmen'.
I like to see that old man sleeping on the bench. The modern public telephone is not very pleasant, but my attemps to crop it didn't please me.

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In here

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Portugal/South/Evora/photo327799.htm

you can see a post of a Menhir, near the village of Reguengos de Monsaraz, also in this region (Alentejo).

Gerrit, JRushen, carper, Henryk_Bilor, beijokense, efigesta, Tue, TeresaT, ChrisJ, sergio1, papagolf21, bibiweb, john_c, josepmarin, anavazao, HOBO, banyanman, syd1946, jinju, jbweasle, keribar, jhm, plimrn, CRATEOS, berek, Elaine_Blath, edal, chrisnet, manatee, xuaxo, paura trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

nika (0) 2006-04-26 9:21

Very interesting scene of daily life with that old man resting sat down , the quiet and silencious atmosphere of that Alenteixo resort that does not stop surprising me with its beauties , roman temples , ruins and even as you show us pre-historic ruins . Portugal must be amazing and i 'm unpatient to go there .The facade colours of the house walls recall me Andalucia a lot . Abraços !

ryno (4615) 2006-04-26 9:25

Great photo, Ricardo. The clouds & hovering bird provide a somewhat surreal atmosphere. There's a sharpness to the photo. Nice composition.

Gerrit (36095) 2006-04-26 9:28

Hi Ricardo,
very interesting object and placed so well (the village around it). It must be one of the oldest chapels in the world.

Thanks and regards,. Gerrit

JRushen (398) 2006-04-26 9:44

I like the atmosphere in this shot which touches on the romance of Potugal. Clear result with good exposure. Regards.

hugolef (4909) 2006-04-26 10:04

Hello Ricardo
i remember Alentejo ... very hot summer of 2003 ... a sad year for portuguese ... i visited Evora, but didn't see any dolmen ... it doesn't matter, i have a good reason to come back (;))
i like this kind of photo, showing the pretty colored streets of portugal (oh i felt in love with your country !), but i find this photo could be better with a closer view (like the one of Cafe Dolmen), showing the two "ancients" sleeping (the dolmen and the old man !) ... i find this panel very unaesthetic, but you're not guilty ...
Regards, hugues

fabio_ts (13674) 2006-04-26 10:48

Another wonderful capture, so nice ..with this strong colors and the bonus of that sleeping man.. lovely work Ricardo.

have a nice evening,
Fabio.

carper (65394) 2006-04-26 11:07

a nice one Ricardo,
a wll taken shot with very good light in the shot and very good detaols in it, very nice point of view, well done.
gr. jaap

Henryk_Bilor (20367) 2006-04-26 11:33

Ola Ricardo
I like Dolmens very much. They make me possible to look into the past. I always try to imagine how it was a few thousand years ago.
This one is funny located in the centre of the village. Looks great with the surroundings. I wonder if the man sitting on the bench is a guard of the stone ;) ?
Best regards

beijokense (498) 2006-04-26 12:03

Olá Ricardo,
boa nota e a foto está muito boa, equilibrada, contando ainda com um exemplo vivo da sesta alentejana :)
Esta capela é um importante exemplo da cristianização dos locais de culto 'pagãos' e merecia um post em que se visse em maior detalhe - do género do que aparece na Altered Image #1.
Saudações,
Beijo

efigesta (12181) 2006-04-26 12:07

Ola Ricardo
gosto desta composição e pronto, tipico alentejo
o velho a dormir no banco, o ceu maravilhoso com essas nuvens e uma foto com muito boa nitidez
abraço
manuel

Modacolor51 (1309) 2006-04-26 12:16

Nice composition with very sharp and delicate colours.
Yılmaz..

besnard (30968) 2006-04-26 12:39

Bonjour Ricardo
Joli cliché de ce village et ce très curieux dolmen. Là ou j'habite, en Bretagne, c'est un endroit privilégié pour trouver des dolmens et des ménhirs, mais on les trouve plutôt en rase campagne.
Merci pour le partage.
Amitiés
Nicole

xavshot (62963) 2006-04-26 14:39

Bonsoir Ricardo
tu as eu là une excellente lumière pour prendre cet endroit. Les couleurs sont belles et le ciel magnifique. Un très beau cadrage
Bravo
Xavier

Tue (25608) 2006-04-26 17:20

Hej Ricardo,
Good view of this square with the dolmen and thank you for the closer view in the WS too. I like the composition and the more 'modern' things at the square, like the telephone and the traffic sign don't bother me at all. A very calm atmosphere you captured, enhanced by the man on the bench. Good work, thanks for sharing!
Hilsen,
Lars

coco (28012) 2006-04-26 17:39

Hola Ricardo.
Tanto la foto como la nota son muy interesantes.
La composición es buena y la claridad y el color de la foto hacen de ésta un trabajo muy vistoso.

Gracias.

TeresaT (10733) 2006-04-26 18:43

Olá Ricardo,
Bonita imagem esta.
Gostei da inclusão do "velhote" a descansar no banco.
O céu também está muito bonito.
Eu também já andei a fazer uma incursão por essas bandas também à procura dos dolmens e menires...aliás tenho uma foto de um menir em Monsaraz, na minha galeria.
beijinhos
Teresa

rabdelnoor (2973) 2006-04-26 22:26

Olá Ricardo,
I really liked this plaza. The atmosphere looks so calm and peaceful, specialy that you included the man taking a nap. Great framing and nice contrast with the impressive sky.
Um abraço
Ricardo

partha (13667) 2006-04-26 22:32

This is a very nice composition. Very good colour tone and wonderful sky view.
Inclusion of the person ids wise.
Partha

Graal (58479) 2006-04-27 3:02

Hi Ricardo,
interesting a place, good composition and colours. Excellent quality of photo. I like it a lot.
Rgs, Aleksander

ChrisJ (70373) 2006-04-27 3:40

Ola Ricardo

Wonderful color, lighting, & sharpness. I like the perspective added by the cobblestone road. Felicitations!

sergio1 (12150) 2006-04-27 4:06

Hola Ricardo
Excelente toma que nos presentas, el cielo está genial y la vista de plaza es muy buena. Sin olvidar la definición. La señal de tráfico distre la atención un poco pero no es problema. Conseguiste un buen tiro y el detalle del anciano descansando es original.
Buen tiro y buena nota también
Saludos
Sergio

barrufeto_77 (25897) 2006-04-27 5:39

Hi Ricardo.

The clouds are...superb!!! Excellent. The picture, with the "dolmen" in the middle is strange. Really strange.

Nice colours & definition too.

Thanks for sharing.

Rgs, Oscar

papagolf21 (56567) 2006-04-27 7:08

Bonjour mon ami Ricardo,
C'est un véritable cadeau que vous m'offrez là, mon ami Ricardo, cette chapelle constituée en partie de dolmen. C'est la première fois que je vois une chose semblable !
Merci pour ces trois vues très intéressantes et bien mises en valeur avec ces nuages blancs qui se gonflent selon l'humeur du ciel et de cet oiseau qui vient d'un coup d'ailes survoler cette jolie petite ville.
Amitiés.
Philippe

markstaples (15670) 2006-04-27 9:40

Hi Ricardo
I have this thing about lovely fluffy clouds, hence I was immediately drawn to these. A nicely composed image, sharp and colourful and well exposed. I really do not think you ought to be bothered by the phone box. It was there, of the moment, and therefore has a right to remain in the shot. I would have a big problem with cloning such a large thing out like that. You did well to leave it. The sleeping man is a nice touch.
Best wishes
Mark

bibiweb (8) 2006-04-27 9:41

Ola Ricardo,
What an interesting post! This dolmen-chapel is already surprising in it self, but the fact that a whole village has been built around it makes it even more remarkable. all three of your shots are very good and I like the way all the homes seem to be uniformly painted in white and yellow!
Have a nice day.
Brigitte

john_c (24635) 2006-04-27 10:48

Hi Ricardo,
An impressive view of this village centre, and yes, how incongruous but wonderful to see the Dolman in the main square. I like the POV, the large and textured sky, and the general laid back mood of the scene, accentuated by the fellow sitting on the bench. Crisp clear imagery. Well done.
John

josepmarin (33965) 2006-04-27 11:30

Olá Ricardo.
Tu foto tiene de todo, es muy buena. El encuadre con las casas, la plaza y su dolmen, la señal de tráfico y la farola, el precioso cielo con bellas nubes, el pájaro volando, hacen una excelente composición. Muy bonitos colores, muy buena exposición y balance de la luz, y un punto de vista perfecto.
Las dos vistas distintas de tu WS son también muy buenas, aunque ésta es la mejor.
Un saludo,
Josep

Paolo (40751) 2006-04-28 5:02

Hi Ricardo, amazing shot. the colours of the sky and the building are wonderful and with a great contrast.
excellent focus, POV and view.
it's funny that there is a Pavia in Portugal and one at few miles south of Milano!

thanks, ciao

feather (49976) 2006-04-28 5:05

I had to check the location as I thought it was the same place as this one by anavazao. I see the places are nowhere near each other.
This pre-historic structure look very interesting and it seems very unusual to build an entire town around it. It looks a very peaceful place and the cobbles testify to the age. The presence of the phone box doesn't bother me and the No Entry sign is more obtrusive, although I would leave them both. I like the roadway used as lead-in and the sky is lovely.
Kath

entrelec (8342) 2006-04-28 5:53

nice compo, Ricardo.
This man on left is really relax!

joel

anavazao (5592) 2006-04-28 6:09

Olá,
O que eu gosto mais é do homem a fazer a sua soneca .... está excelente! Bonitas cores, composição, luz .....
Thanks Ana:)

HOBO (5244) 2006-04-28 6:22

Olá Ricardo,
fascinating to see a difference of several thousands of years together, right in the middle of a village.
Hard to believe the Dolmen could survive all the time in the middle of a settlement!
Regards
Knut

rbcy1974 (20746) 2006-04-28 6:36

Hello Ricardo
Very nice street scene. the view and light are nice. I would have liked seeing a closer view specially of the sleeping man.
Regards
Daniel

bantonbuju (48770) 2006-04-28 7:18

oh, this is what i want to see, i can already now envision that this trip is going to bring me so much fun and photographic hunts!
love this slow, relaxed atmosphere of the place;
very very nice;
best wishes, j.

elihesamian (26091) 2006-04-28 8:11

Ricardo,

This is great really,

a nice informative shot,
What a sky!
an attractive sulight and colors and contrast you reached with your great controlling all,a peaceful place and calm and very well shown in your way,nicely composed and Thanks for posting it,

Best
M

banyanman (7735) 2006-04-28 12:47

You've captured the sleepy atmosphere of this village very well, Ricardo. Good saturation and sharpness. Pity about the phone booth and no entry sign being there, but often there's nothing we can do to avoid these symbols of modern life in our compositions. Cheers . . . David

syd1946 (17945) 2006-04-28 17:49

Hello Ricardo,
Fantastic shot.This great sky with these
strong cloudes rule the place.The old man
adding more points to your picture.
Congratulations for captured this moment!

Best wishes,

Thomas

Angshu (33975) 2006-04-29 3:37

Hello Ricardo
A fine balanced image & I am in agreement with Mark about the fluffy clouds...I was immediately drawn to these. The sleeping man is a nice touch. Initially I thought the NO entry sign to be a eye sore rather than the phone booth..but I'm glad you've left it like that. I do like the man slumbering on the bench
Regards
Angshu

PixelTerror (86604) 2006-04-29 4:11

Ola Ricardo,
A nice and sunny view that fits well to a discussion I had yesterday with Hugues (hugolef) about attractivity of Alentejo, there are plenty such splendid villages and we as tourists certainly only visit the very few of them, thanks for showing the other ones, of course here this one gets interesting for its dolmen around which it has been built, and it looks like in the background they use it to make business, I like the man on the bench too, he gives a good impression of the relaxed village pace.
I wish you a nice week end,
Jean-Yves

jinju (14265) 2006-04-29 4:30

What a subdued atmosphere Ricardo. I dont know if anyone mentioned this or not, but I like several things here. Theres a sort of continuity across this frame. First, I can see two men (correct?) sleeping. The man on the bench looks so tired and deep asleep that he looks like he died. Then across the frame in the middle is that little chapel. It sort of divides the frame in two. And then what makes this shot for me is that bird in the opposite position on the other side of the frame. Is the bird his soul flying away?? The chapel sets this religious tone. I wonder if youve seen one of Sohrab's older photos with a bird above a crowd (like the dove about Christ upon his baptism from John the Baptist). That shot has a really strong religious feel. Birds have always had this sort of mystical aspect to them, right? Well, it does for me in this photo. Sorry for writing too much:)

rosaline (0) 2006-04-29 5:06

Hi Ricardo
I like this sunny shot. The light, colours and composition work very well. The old man sleeping is a nice touch, and the historical structure is a great addition to the scene. Nice work.
Aubrey

jbweasle (9294) 2006-04-29 9:01

Hi Ricardo, these are great colours. I love the way the blues and yellows complement each other. The road is a good leading line, the old man adds a human touch and the lamp is a wonderful point of detail hanging in the sky. One very minor point - I would clone out the object (a bird?) on the very right hand edge of the frame.

fverde (1699) 2006-04-29 9:09

Olá Ricardo!
Conseguiu capturar de uma forma muito interessante a atmosfera de uma típica povoação alentejana, com os ingredientes que a tornam especial: a luminosidade própria da planície, a tranquilidade das coisas simples, a calma das populações (aqui muito bem representada pelo ar pachorrento do velho no banco do jardim). É muito agradável verificar que o património histórico mereceu aqui um cuidado especial na sua preservação e que o enquadramento com o ambiente característico da vida contemporânea contribui para o embelezamento desta praceta tipicamente alentejana. A definição é simplesmente perfeita e a foto de uma beleza imensa. Parabéns por mais um trabalho de grande qualidade, um abraço amigo e votos de um excelente fim de semana.
Fernando.

keribar (42760) 2006-04-29 13:56

Hello Ricardo,
I like the colors and light of these portuguese towns. The dolmen here adds a
mysterious note to the picture, and it is the first time I see such a thing.
Many thanks for this excellent sight.
Izzet

jhm (83093) 2006-04-30 12:55

Hi Ricardo,
What a very simple but so lovely environment, maybe a place for at once life, without cars, cobblestones and a square for enjoying,they make me possible to look into the past in Portugal the country us friend Galmeida!
Thanks a lot,
John.

plimrn (19688) 2006-05-01 2:24

Ola' Ricardo,
Your excellent framing of your composition has captured some interesting contrasts: there is the clean, tidy almost austere town square, then there is this big ancient, primitive dolman and then there is the lovely puffy, soft clouds in the sky. In each of these areas, you've captured good detail, light and color. When I looked online to read more about dolmens, your photo was far superior to any of the others that I saw.
Regards, Pat

anesugur (16938) 2006-05-01 3:33

Hi Ricardo,
Very interesting place.
Good colors and sharpness.
Very well done. Uğur

CRATEOS (7274) 2006-05-01 4:20

colorful.. exelland sharpnes..clear..POVy..perfect foto!!!!GNGRS Nikiforos

lestans (15486) 2006-05-01 10:22

The man sleeps hard as hard is the dolmen, and he couldn't see the bird flying over the white clouds.
I like this shot for many reasons, fist it is well composed, second for the usefule note, third because the place is so lovely and strange, fourth because there are lovely hidden details.
Bravo!!
Livia

berek (28983) 2006-05-01 16:19

Hola Ricardo,
I came back to Istanbul last night from the Barcelona . I am okay. thanks for your relation. I can see very cute town with a beautiful clouds on your picture. I like this traffic sign. good light and colors management.
Take care :-)Have a nice week.
B.Erek
Meaning Sense :-))
Framing :-))
Idea :-))

Elaine_Blath (6170) 2006-05-02 4:35

Hi Ricardo,

perfectly composed picture of an amazing subject! Great colours and point of view, well done! I really like places like this...

regards, Ivana

aznegrao (10246) 2006-05-02 10:35

Simplesmente excelente Ricardo!!
Ótima perspectiva nesta criativa e forte composição, criando uma boa sensação de profundidade. Ótimo esse motivo, principalmente apresentado dessa maneira, e ainda com lindas, texturas cores e contrastes. Ótimo trabalho.
Saudações.
aznegrao.

apazevedo (5469) 2006-05-07 11:55

É verdade, Ricardo, às vezes temos de nos desviar por estradas secundárias para ter acesso a verdadeiras maravilhas e o nosso País é fértil nesse aspecto. Não conheço Pavia, mas gostei muito desta imagem, muito bem!

edal (6587) 2006-05-13 11:21

Hi, Ricardo!
I will join all that company of admirers to this dolmain photo. Thanks to the workshops I cold get the whole idea of the place.
Great! I'm adding it to my favourits.
TFS
Anton

anjan (1086) 2006-05-21 9:09

Hi Ricardo,
Beautiful composition. Seems a very easy going place.
Thanks
Anjan

manatee (4293) 2006-06-28 16:42

Good and interesting picture and note, is somoething unusual fint his kind of arqueology.
About the picture the stop sign is a litle distracting for me, however i like the guy taking a nap in the beanch, I like too the colors of the houses and the ston streets.

Good picture

chrisnet (20376) 2006-08-17 10:56

Hello Ricardo,
Nice atmosphere in this shot Ricardo.Lovely sky and the sleeping man is very well seen in this composition.
I really like this plaza and his atmosphere.Very well seen.
Un saludo my friend,
Christian

xuaxo (5799) 2007-05-30 8:56

Olá Ricardo,
Muitos países gostariam de ter uma coisa assim, uma vila destas, para mostrar ("vender") aos turistas.
Bom, por outro lado, ainda bem que os americanos não mandam aqui, se não transformavam Pavia num theme park, com uns homens das cavernas a deambular pelas ruas e uns dinossauros de plástico por cima dos telhados.

A junta de freguesia podia era tirar dali o sinal de sentido proibido, pois por um lado não deve fazer grande falta, e por outro "estraga" as fotografias.
E quando lá fores outra vez sugere aos donos do hard rock Dolmen Café que pelo menos pintem a parabólica da cor do telhado, se não a conseguirem levar para o quintal.

Ainda quanto aos sinais de trânsito a mais, a prova do sossego do lugar é que o indígena está a dormir a sesta descansado (pelo menos parece).

Escolheste um belo dia para esta foto.
Um abraço,
F