Cascade Gardens

18th century Royal Estate at Caxias

(Sadly, there's no water running down the cascade)

Cascade Garden

18th century Royal Estate at Caxias

Shame the cascade in the background is no longer working!

The Beauty of Decay

 

Slightly decayed dining room, which you can rent for dinner parties, at Alentejo House (Alverca Palace), Lisbon

 

Now for some real decay, here's a selection of the many photos I have been posting:

This is my contribution to the City Daily Photo June Theme Day: "The Beauty of Decay"

Thank you, Julie, for having dedicated this theme to me. Much appreciated.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Decay (LXXIX)

Royal Country Estate at Caxias

Reading Pavilion

Cascade Garden, Royal Country Estate at Caxias

Decay (LXXV)

I was walking in Caxias when something peeking through the trees caught my attention. I jumped over the fence, walked for one minute and found this pavilion which is falling apart. I looked for the main residence and, actually, there are two manors not far away but none of them looks regal enough, so the 'mystery' remains.

Former Coastal Defense

 

São Bruno Fortress (17th century) at Caxias

The Cascade Garden

A royal playground built in the early 18th century at Caxias

Sentry Box

São Bruno Fortress (1647), Caxias Beach

Rock Hole

Caxias Beach

Back Home

Gardens of the Cascade, Royal Country Estate at Caxias

All statues have been removed for restoration and are now little by little coming back to their original places, but there's something weird with these as they don't seem to fit on the fountain/pond pedestals...

The cascade in the background of the top pic is not working (yet?) and the garden library (bottom pic) still needs urgent work.

Decay (III)

Royal Estate at Caxias (18th century)

Some 'light' decay can be quite charming but this is truly shocking! This is not a private house whose owners have no more money to restore it... Although a bit humble, it's a historic building!!!

Cartuxa Convent Church

 

I have found this by accident while I was walking at Caxias.

Unfortunatelly the site (built in 1736) was closed so I took this shot through the gate.

Leaving

Cruise ship seen from Giribita Fortress (1649).
(Click to enlarge)

Reading room

Former library and reading room at the Gardens of Cascade, Royal Country Estate of Caxias.

São Bruno fortress

This small 17th century fortress at Caxias is one of many in the area, built for the coastal defense.One more photo on this post.

Broken stork

Gardens of Cascade at the Royal Country Estate of Caxias (18th century).
A fortune was spent to restore the site and yet the cascade is not working and everything seems to be broken and falling apart! I don't get this... (click on the photos to enlarge)
All statues on the ponds have been replaced by ugly bidimensional replicas in some white material. I think (and hope) they are still working on the originals so the statues will soon come back to where they belong.

Ponte 25 de Abril

''25th of April''(*) bridge over Tagus river in Lisbon (built 1966), seen from 17th century São Bruno fortress at Caxias.

(*)1974 revolution has lead us (from a dictatorship) into a democracy.