Photographer's Choice: Best Photos Spain & Portugal

Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain

The Royal Palace is one of the top tourist attractions in Madrid. It is the official residence for the Royal family, but these days they only use it for state ceremonies. The rest of the time it's open to the public. Otherwise known in Spanish as the Palacio Real, the Royal Palace was built during the 18th and 19th centuries, and is a monumental building. We did not go inside.

Fruit Market

Found on a walking tour of Madrid, Spain earlier this year.

King Crab Used for Advertisement

Our tour group was walking through a local market in Madrid as I spied this huge king crab hanging in a seafood stall.

Walking the Dog in Lisbon

That look! She caught me!

Store Window in Madrid

The sign translates "Cold Drinks" in Spanish. I love store windows like this because there are so many different items. The store owner used every inch of space to advertise to pedestrians.

Loja Penequa in the Alfama

The Alfama neighborhood is the oldest in Lisbon comprising small narrow streets and 3-5 story apartment buildings. Stores like this serve this community.

Family Lunch in the Alfama

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Rabelo Boat on the Douro River

One of the most popular symbols of Porto is the Rabelo boat. These flat boats, nowadays laying quietly by the riverside, used to be the nautical horses that carried barrels of Porto wine from the Douro valley vineyards to the Port Wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. For centuries, when there were no suitable roads or a single railway alongside the vineyards, Rabelo boats were the most efficient and reliable mode of transportation, if not only for their exclusivity.

Porto Gloomy Day

On Wednesday the weather changed to grey skies and a light rain giving a gloomy cast to this photograph as the Viking Osfrid left the city of Porto.

The Multicolored Houses Along the Douro River in Porto

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Vineyard in the Douro River Valley

Vineyards, know as "Quintas" line the Douro River valley. These large estate wineries produce port wine from these vineyards. The landscape is terraced for hundreds of miles with stone walls to prevent erosion of the soil and a level place for the vines to grow.

White Row Boat Under the Bridge

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Reflection on the Douro

Across the river from Pinhao, Portugal is this hill with the terraced landscaped winery and rows of olive trees.

Bridge over the Pinhao River

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Moored Rabelo Boats at Pinhao on the Douro River

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Olive Tree Orchard

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Pinhao, Portugal on the Douro River

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Douro River Reflections

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Pinhao River

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Pinhao, on the Pinhao River

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Rabelo Tourist Boat: Ferreira on the Douro River

Originally designed to transport port wine down to Porto for export, these rabelo boats now take tourists for a ride on the Douro River.

Smaller Rabelo Boat: Douro Tawny

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