Black And White

#Monomad Challenge - Stone by stone

Good evening, #Monomad friends

Here is my entry for the #monomad contest by @brumest and @monochromes.

Entire villages, towns, monuments, bridges and roads… All made of stone. Juxtaposed, stacked, interlocked, broken and arranged so that, out of apparent chaos, structures and houses rise up.

It is striking how, just over two centuries ago, this type of construction was almost commonplace. Nowadays, only the villages in the country’s interior still stand with their walls, firm and proud, continuing to fulfil the original purpose for which they were designed.

A time when life was different. A time when the time one allowed for was the time needed, and when there was no point in rushing things, for they would be done in their own time. And what sort of time do we have today? A time that constantly demands we be faster. More effective and more efficient. Sometimes efficiency, speed and effectiveness aren’t everything. A time when stones played a central role in communities.

Stone by stone

Entire villages, towns, monuments, bridges and roads… All made of stone. Juxtaposed, stacked, interlocked, broken and arranged so that, out of apparent chaos, structures and houses rise up.

A time when life was different. A time when the time one allowed for was the time needed, and when there was no point in rushing things, for they would be done in their own time. And what sort of time do we have today? A time that constantly demands we be faster. More effective and more efficient. Sometimes efficiency, speed and effectiveness are not everything. A time when stones played a central role in communities.

This village of Pincães is situated in the parish of Cabril, in the municipality of Montalegre, right in the north of Portugal. Battered by extreme temperature fluctuations throughout the year, the people of these lands learnt from an early age to live in harmony with their surroundings. Accustomed to making the most of the very best that nature has to offer.

Bem Hajam 🍀

^{Photographed with Samsung A26 by @xrayman in 2026, September 12} ^{Photographic edition with PhotoScape X} ^{Original text in Portuguese written by @xrayman, translated with DeepL.com}

Comments · 4

@estilodereba(69)· 1d
Things used to be made to provide well-being and to last much longer, but now it's all about consumerism and the pace of time, who is faster than who. Very good photographic narrative

Antes las cosas se hacían para brindar bienestar y para que duraran mucho más, pero ahora todo se trata del consumismo y sobre el ritmo del tiempo, quién es más rápido que aquel. Muy buena narrativa fotográfica.
@hivebuzz(74)· 1d
Congratulations @xrayman! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)

You distributed more than 53000 upvotes.
Your next target is to reach 54000 upvotes.

_{You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking} _{If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP}
@kellyane(74)· 1d
What amazed me was how people in the past built structures manually using nothing but stones and basic tools. Even after centuries, some of those structures are still standing and remain useful today. They are incredibly strong and durable. Despite being exposed to numerous natural disasters over the years, they have managed to withstand the test of time
@worldmappin(82)· 2d
Congratulations, your post has been added to The WorldMapPin Map! 🎉

You can check out this post and your own profile on the map. Be part of the Worldmappin Community and join our Discord Channel to get in touch with other travelers, ask questions or just be updated on our latest features.