Peacocks, Palaces and Pachyderms: The Former Colonial Garden, Lisbon
Every nation must come to terms with the cultural riches born in times of error. Witness the debate in the U.S. regarding current day efforts to censor Mark Twain’s “n-word”, or the controversy surrounding the cinematographic innovations of Reni Riefenstahl during the 3rd Reich.
In Lisbon, there is the former Colonial Garden, later called the Overseas Garden and now offically named the Tropical Botanical Garden. It was decreed into existence by the penultimate King of Portugal, Dom Carlos I, known, variably, as The Diplomat, for his love of travel, The Oceanographer, for his love of science and the sea, The Martyr for his demise by regicide.
The Garden's riches include the XVIII century Palace of the Counts of Calheta:
The Macau Gate
http://macauantigo.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/pavilhao-de-macau-na-expo-de-1940/)
and innumerable statues of less than modern sensibilities
vestiges of the Exposition of the Portuguese World, 1940
organized by the fascista dictator Salazar (http://www.leme.pt/imagens/portugal/lisboa/exposicao-do-mundo-portugues/0001.html).
The internet rightfully said that this garden is not heavily visited. Sounded like the perfect place to test my new camera.
I found quiet,
the beauty of entropy:
And a wrought iron gargoyle:
I wish I'd been granted a glimpse of the colossal stone pachyderm that Salazar ordered thrown into the Tagus on the day after the Exposition, following its decoration by anti-colonialist vandals. We can only hope it is still entertaining the fishes.
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P.S. More tiles and gutter pipes carryng fresh rainwater to the elephant under the waves.