Steve Blanchard
@paranormalmsclbear
Gay, married, amateur bodybuilder ex-pat in Lisbon. Love history and the paranormal. Expect gym selfies, random haunted historic videos and facts. Hairy chest, beard, LGBTQ+,trans ally, and always striving to be the best version of myself. 🏳️🌈
“It would be months before we understood what was there and returned to the building to see it for ourselves.” open.substack.com/pub/paranorm...
"It was the last symbol of Lisbon they saw as they crossed the horizon and the first they saw upon their return. But the Torre de Belém served as not only a docking point, but as a place of celebration, taxation, and later, torture." paranormalmusclebear.substack.com/p/beauty-his...
Can never get enough of these incredible Miradouros in Portugal. This is in Tomar, outside the Convento do Cristo.
New Substack: "As it approached the rocky shores of Portugal on its way back to its native Spain, the ship rode low in the water. The massive boulders submerged beneath the waves dug out the wooden hull, sending the ship and 128 of its passengers to a watery grave. paranormalmusclebear.substack.com
"Because he was being unjustly executed, he claimed the still-under-construction Church of Santa Engrácia which he was accused of robbing would never be completed! His curse held true for more than 300 years." READ MORE: paranormalmusclebear.substack.com/p/bad-luck-o...
New blog coming out today…if I can just figure out how to wrap it up.
One of my favorite things about being an ex-pat in Portugal is experiencing and learning about cultural celebrations. Last weekend we got to experience "Pimba" music, and we loved it! you can see our whole take on it on YouTube.com/@bestaandsteve #pimba #portugal #expatsinportugal #youtube #follow
A day of honor turned into a day of survival when a massive earthquake shook Lisbon's biggest cathedral on All Saints Day 1755. Convento do Carmo is the only ruin still standing today from the massive Earthquake of 1755 and provides some perspective. Read more: paranormalmusclebear.substack.com
Beautiful cloudy evening along the Tagus River. I love living in Lisboa! #expatinportugal #lisbon #musclebear #gingerbear #lisbongay #beardedgay #beard #hairygay
Loving the sun on my skin this summer! (yes, sun protection applied) #musclebear #ginger #beardedgay #hairychest #muscle #hairygay #beardedguys #gaylisbon
Sometimes you just gotta take a break and enjoy the sunset. #musclebear #lisbon #hairychest #gaybear #gayswithbeards
"When 19th century residents of Lisbon would see Luís António Alves dos Santos approach, legend says they gave him a wide berth. ... Whenever he made an appearance in his black robes, his neighbors knew that someone was going to die." paranormalmusclebear.substack.com/p/the-troubl...
A monument on top of an overlook recognizes a saint who's good deed brought about better weather, according to legend. Sao Martinho do Porto is a beautiful village with sweeping views of a lagoon and the Atlantic.
Between blogs and trips to historic sites, I squeeze in a workout or two to get to those musclebear goals! :) #musclebear #workout #fitness #beardedgay #chestday
New Substack: On a sprawling estate, noble families dined, laughed, and entertained one another while enjoying sweeping views of the mountainsides of Sintra, Portugal. But beneath the elegance there was a room with a much darker, serious purpose. Read more at open.substack.com/pub/paranorm...
What a spectacular day exploring the Feira do Livro Lisboa (Book fair Lisbon!) with hundreds of vendors, thousands and thousands of books during a picture-perfect sunny day. #lisbon #portugal #reading #bookfair #feiradolivro #gingerbeard #beardedgay 📚
Ever since it was constructed in the 1880s, Biester Palace has had legends and lore attached to it. We explored it and separate fact from fiction and we took a look inside the very real tunnels connected to its basement. #history #historicsite #portugal #expat #travel #explore #adventure #sintra
What a perfect day to explore the beautiful Biester Palace, which has it's own dark history. More to come soon! #historicsite #portugal #history #darktourism #witcheshouse #expat
My favorite, hidden monument in Lisbon has a very dark story connected to it: paranormalmusclebear.substack.com/p/walking-on... #history #darktourism #portugal #monuments #expat
Something amazing happens when your feet touch a road that was literally placed by the Roman Empire. I had such an experience this spring and it just fueled my desire to continue exploring. #romanempire #history #portugal #historicsite #musclebear #hairychest #beardedgay #beards #gaybear #beardedmen
From high atop a fossil cliff in Caparica, Portugal you can see where the Tagus River meets the Atlantic Ocean. The cliff itself is reported millions of years old, based on scientists' estimations. #history #portugal #musclebear #hairychest #beardedginger #atlanticocean #Beards #gaybear
After exploring Sesimbra Castle I was intrigued by how this mighty fortress could become a ruin! Read for free at open.substack.com/pub/paranorm...
Castelo de Sesimbra overlooks the village of the same name on the Setúbul penninsula in Portugal. I explored the castle and learned about its fascinating history. #history #musclebear #hairychest #castle #portugal #medieval #beard
New Blog: "But the ceremony of 1357 was much, much different. That’s because the hand upon which those kisses landed was connected to a very real corpse." substack.com/home/post/p-...
CHECK OUT MY SUBSTACK: It’s not every day you get to say you walked up to the Mouth of Hell. But when a natural rock formation is called Boca do Inferno, or “Mouth of Hell” in Portuguese, you take advantage of the drama and lean in. substack.com/home/post/p-...
BLOG: "In all, nine dark tunnels disappear into the earth and I learned that the nine levels are not random. Each respresents a level of Hell represented in Dante’s 'Divine Comedy.'" paranormalmusclebear.substack.com/p/a-literal-...