Plate G3.no9: Sintra – nr. Lisbon (Portugal)

I believe that there are (man-made) places which, though perceived, do not in fact exist. Venice for example, or New York. Places, despite the innumerable testaments to the contrary, that simply cannot be – for their conception denies their plausibility, to be manifest.
Sintra……goes way beyond even that contorted allowance of perception.
Had I only visited Sintra once, I’d have argued with absolute conviction that I had dreamt it. I did seriously doubt I’d ever been there. My second visit did, however, secure its place alongside the dubious certainty of Venice or New York. It became, like them, a fictional reality.
I’m grateful therefore for this picture, taken on my first visit. It confirms for me, that once this (man-made) place truly was a figment of imagination……