Convento de Cristo | Convent of Christ cont. Claustro do Cemitério | Cemetery Cloister, with a view of the church, is one of a number of cloisters within the complex (📷1); initially built in the 15th C. it was remodelled in the early 17th C. & is named for its role as a burial ground for friar knights. The end of 1 of 3 corridors making up the 40-cell Dormitório Grande | Main Dormitory (📷2); completed in 1543–45, the azulejo dado tiles were added in the 17th C. We also toured the Refeitório | Refectory c. 1535 & Cozinha | Kitchen, which wasn’t completed until after 1550. On the eastern flank of the convent, Castelo De Tomar | Tomar Castle—closed for restoration—was built c. 1160 as a stronghold & headquarters of the Portuguese Knights Templar (📷3); it was transferred to the Order of Christ & later integrated into Convento de Cristo. On the western flank of the convent is Aqueduto dos Pegões | Pegões Aqueduct—access here was also barred. However, there is an access tower ~3km away on Rua do Saibreiro from where two tiers of stone arches can be seen (📷4). Although it looks Roman-like, the 6km-long structure was built 1593–1614 to supply water to the convent.

🇵🇹 #portugal 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco

Convento de Cristo | Convent of Christ is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tomar, recognized for its blend of architecture (Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Renaissance, etc.) & historical links to the Knights Templar & the Age of Discovery.

[INTERLUDE]

The Knights Templar, monastic warrior monks, were founded in 1119 CE following the First Crusade to protect pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem; they were disbanded by papal bull (public decree) in 1312 following false accusations of heresy by King Philip IV of France. In 1319 Portugal’s King Dinis I determined to reuse/ repurpose/ recycle their assets (knights, goods, technology & knowledge) as the the Order of Christ. The former Templar castle was thus superseded by the Convent of Christ, with Tomar the spiritual & administrative seat of the new Order of Christ.

The Order of Christ helped finance & organize many of Portugal’s early voyages during the Age of Discovery. With the Order led by Prince Henry the Navigator, resources were directed towards maritime expeditions along the coast of Africa. The Order’s red cross emblem was painted on the sails of Portuguese caravels, a visible symbol of exploration in search of commercial opportunities, spreading Christianity & expanding Portugal’s influence.

[END]

The convent’s centrepiece is the church. Seen from the within the main body, the rotunda impresses (📷1); it began as a 12th C. early Templar Romanesque fortified oratory, inspired by the Temple in Jerusalem. Early in the 16th C. it became a chancel with an ambulatory (sequential iconographic panels telling a religious story). This view is from beside the central drum, looking towards the ceiling (📷2). The rotunda’s window frames are highly detailed (📷3). The exterior window on the church’s west façade (1519–13) exemplifies the late Gothic "Manueline" style, with maritime/ exotic motifs reflecting wealth brought back from overseas (📷4).

🇵🇹 #portugal 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco

Die Schlucht von Ronda ist spektakulär. Auch die Anfahrt von Marbella aus durch die Berge des Nationalparks Sierra de las Nieves ist ein Landschaftserlebnis.
Für einen Tagesbesuch haben wir folgende Empfehlung für dich:

📍Ronda, Spanien
📚️ https://unterwegs-mit-keks.de/andalusien/#ronda
📷️ Stefan Wehner

#landscape
#landscapephotography #photography #landschaft #fotografie
#spanien #andalusien #reisen #unterwegs #reisebericht #vanlife

Unsere erste echte Offroad-Strecke in Albanien hatte es richtig in sich 😬 Enge Pisten, steile Abhänge und matschige Passagen bringen uns und unseren Camper an die Grenzen, inklusive kleiner Schäden am Fahrzeug. Am Ende sind wir einfach nur froh, wieder Asphalt unter den Reifen zu haben. 😅

Unterwegs gibt’s aber auch Highlights: ein Café mitten im Nirgendwo, beeindruckende Landschaft und echte Balkan-Abenteuer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI6YPeGOtY4&list=PLrXarv2zv7Gjii-uS-9ENbVEmL-W91PG3

#albanien #offroad #overlanding #vanlifecouple #vanlife

Das #ruhrgebiet ist voll hässlich. Kein Spot für #camping und #vanlife

Jokes aside. Ich liebs hier. Auf Kohle geboren, in Hamburg zuhause.

[2/2] An impromptu study of the doorways and windows of Marvão. Who, across the centuries, has knocked & been invited into a dimly-lit interior, or looked out at the world & thought “There really is no place like home”?

🇵🇹 #portugal 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife

[1/2] Marvão is an attractive fortified town, dramatically located at ~860m on a ridge in the Serra de São Mamede, providing stunning views in all directions—including across the Alentejo plains into Spain. The village itself is pretty to wander, with its white walls/ red roofs (📷1) & immaculate gardens (📷2). Castelo de Marvão | Marvão Castle is well-worth the 1,50 € entry fee. It was begun by a 9th C. Islamic knight & taken by Christian forces around 1160–66 CE. The Moorish fortress underwent major redevelopment after the Christian reconquest of Iberia & it was strengthened during the 13th C. under King Dinis of Portugal. The massive 15th–16th C. vaulted cistern, intended to supply the castle during sieges, is quite a feat of late medieval engineering (📷3). The stone walls follow the natural contours of the mountain & the battlements are walkable; the keep is intact & can be climbed (📷4). We witnessed Gyps fulvus | griffin vultures, describing lazy circles on the thermals, & atop the keep were buzzed by fast-moving swifts. We found Marvão wasn’t overly commercialized & it was surprisingly quiet on a (pre-season) Saturday.

🇵🇹 #portugal 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife