Picture Story
Last year in September I decided to visit the Peneda – Gerês National Park, a mountainous and wild region located in the north of Portugal. During this trip, I visited the village of Castro Laboreiro, near the border with Spain.
This village is surrounded by tall granitic mountains that reach up to 1,100 m above sea level. There are several interesting places to visit, such as the green lush valleys and the numerous waterfalls with clear and icy water.
This photo was taken along the path that leads from the village to the castle, which sits at the very top of the ridge; this castle is very old, dating from the 11th century AD, and from a distance, it is not easy to see. In fact, you can spot its walls at the upper right corner of the image, emerging from, and blending in, from the granite boulders.
This short 1 km walk is not for the faint-hearted, because in one of its sections, one is very close to a precipice. Another aspect for which Castro Laboreiro is famous is related to a local species of shepherd dog, and a few years ago a statue was built to honour it.
This is the statue that you can see in the image. As I was walking up the trail towards the castle, I stopped and took a few photos, framing the statue against the dramatic sky and mountain ridge. Surrounded by silence and the wind, the dog seems to command the region, always the vigilant companion. While processing the Raw file I decided to convert it to black and white, in line with the character of this stark landscape.
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Dimitri Vasileiou • Editor