After travelling through some of Asia’s largest cities, Ponte de Sor, a city in northern Alentejo, seems positively tiny. It’s not Portugal’s smallest city, but with a population of 11,000 it’s not far off. Ponte de Sor grew around a bridge (‘ponte’) that crosses the river Sor, so its name doesn’t leave much to the imagination.
Tiny cities are great. Old folks sit on the sidewalk watching young folks go by. You can stand on the middle of the road taking pictures. Nobody steals your mail.
The best thing though is that I can call Ponte de Sor a home. It’s where Jules’ parents live, so we get to go there a lot. To hang out with family. To run with Fadista, the worst guard dog ever. To go around town taking pictures.
I grew up in a city, up in an apartment, so having a ground floor perspective on things is pretty special. So is opening up the front door and stepping into the woods.
There’s much to see in this tiny city, so we’ll be coming back. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a Portuguese version of this post: our foreign readers can start practicing for their next visit, and our domestic ones can stop pestering us about writing a blog in English:
O privilégio de poder chamar casa a Ponte de Sor
Depois de andar por algumas das maiores cidades da Ásia, a cidade de Ponte de Sor, no norte alentejano, parece minúscula. Não é a cidade portuguesa mais pequena mas, com uma população em torno dos 11.000, anda lá perto. Ponte de Sor cresceu à volta de uma ponte que atravessa o rio Sor, portanto a origem do nome não deixa muito à imaginação.
Não há melhor que cidades pequenas. Os velhotes sentam-se no passeio a ver passar os mais novos. Pode-se estar no meio da estrada a tirar fotografias. Ninguém rouba o correio.
Mas o melhor de tudo é poder chamar casa a Ponte de Sor. É onde os pais da Jules vivem, por isso vamos lá muito. Para estar com a família. Para correr com o Fadista, o pior cão de guarda de sempre. Para deambular e tirar fotos.
Cresci no meio da cidade, empoleirado num apartamento, pelo que uma perspectiva rasteira é uma coisa especial. E abrir a porta de casa e dar de caras com a floresta também.
Há muito que ver nesta cidade pequena, pelo que este blog vai seguramente lá voltar.
Verne*
Beautiful photos!
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Thank you! We have a few more good ones stashed away, this blog will surely return to Ponte de Sor 🙂
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Well, this just looks like the most charming little spot ever. Viscous guard dog. Truly terrifying. 😉
xox
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Thanks Feisty 🙂 Indeed… Fadista is the most charming and docile guard dog ever!
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Very nice post 🙂
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Thanks GoSeeTry! Glad you liked it 🙂
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Beautiful photography. Sounds like a beautiful city.
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Love the photo of the old folks…so many stories to be told there! Nice blog.
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Thanks Judy! I remember taking that photo. It was Carnival, and a parade was going by, but the old folks were a much more interesting subject 🙂 -Verne
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It seems a lovely place. 🙂
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It is indeed, thank you for reading! 🙂 -Verne
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Enjoyed seeing this part of the world through your eyes! Well done!
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Thank you very much, Elke!
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