PORTO, Portugal

Unlike Lisbon which was 85% destroyed, Porto on the Douro River was untouched by the earthquake of 1755.

Here there is no compactness, no frugality of more modern city planning and architecture.  Here the streets and plazas are open and sweeping.  Buildings are from a time when size and grandeur mattered to the families who became wealthy from industries related to wine, port, shipbuilding, textiles and trade.

Here is a place where thoughts and imagination can soar.  Indeed, Porto became a place where writers and poets came to live and was recognized as a place where important strides in civil rights were made.

For a time, this 'City of Bridges' was the capital of Portugal and as recently as 2001 was awarded the title of the cultural capital of Europe.

Today Porto's historic core is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

City Hall

The Sao Bento train station (formerly the convent of Sao Bento de Ava Maria) is one of our first stops to plan a visit to the Douro Valley.  

The azulejo tilework inside this building is as fantastic as everything we've read about it.  The 20,000+ tiles were done by a master tile-painter of the time.  Many pieces reflect important moments in Portuguese history, others depict tranquil country life and still, others document forms of transportation used by the Portuguese people... 

Another example is this church with a tiled exterior:

To see and learn more about this tile work: from the website of Culture Trip

The Porto waterfront (Riberia area) is a great place to be even on a cold, rainy spring day.  Colourful homes tumble down the slopes.  Places abound to savour food or drink and have a rest.  Boat watching is always interesting.  We are surprised to see big river cruise boats tied up on the other side. 

To get across the Douro River to the Gaia side we climb up to the Louis I bridge for pedestrians and Metro only.

Looking down from atop the bridge:

In the past, port wine made in the Douro Valley was put into barrels, loaded onto Rabelo boats (like the ones pictured below) to be transported to Villa Nova de Gaia where it was aged and stored.  Today many wineries age, store and ship their own wine.

The story of the Rabelo is fascinating.  It took about a dozen skilled sailors to get each flat-bottomed boat down the stormy Douro.  The sailors had to stand on a wooden platform to steer the boat and spot obstacles in the river.  

Once the precious cargo was delivered, going back with empty barrels was tricky too.  Animals (sometimes humans) walking the towpath along the river pulled the Rabelo along while sailors used iron rods to push off of rocks.

Closely-spaced poles with metal flags each bearing the names of a port wine company here line part of the riverbank...so many that the camera cannot capture them.

The Gaia side of the river is as lovely to walk as the Porto side.  By the river is a huge indoor market.  All of the eateries are full and you can barely move for the shoppers.  We buy some olives and beans for snacking.

Market Entrance

What else to do on the third day of rain but head to the famous bookstore (Livraria Lello) that inspired the library in the Harry Potter movies.  The lineup even in the pouring rain is long, the admission fee ridiculous and the crowded interior impossible.

Under the stairs

We are glad at the end of the day to return to our hostel.  The StayIN Oporto Musica Guest Apartment has huge bedrooms, a cozy living room with warm throw blankets to wrap up in, free coffee and hot chocolate, large shared dining tables, a smallish kitchen and hot showers.  There is always someone to visit with.

Our final day in Porto looks like all the others: cool, gray, windy and rainy with very brief periods of sun, but we hop the train for an hour ride to Guimaraes.  We look forward to seeing all the medieval buildings and its charming old town.  

Five minutes into our explorations and the skies open up.  Our pants are instantly soaked hem to the knee and we seek refuge in a cafe.  

Fortified with chocolate croissants we head to the Dukes of Braganca Palace.  In Vila Vicosa we visited the King's (Braganca) Palace.  The family lived in the north first, then moved south.  

The Palace is as grand as one might expect with great dining halls, an armoury room, private quarters and bedrooms, huge fireplaces and tapestries, treasures from around the world.

Looking at Palace from Castle

The next 2 photos are of the Great Room.  Imagine the dinner parties here.

Just a few of the many rooms:

Handcrafted furniture:

In the armoury:

St. Michael's, a small, simple Romanesque church on the grounds of the palace is supposedly where the first king of Portugal was baptized.  The floor is lined with gravestones that have either religious or military engravings on them.

Random photos in the Palace:

A large and old chestnut tree fell on the grounds of the palace.  It was decided to hire an artist to create an art installation from this tree to be displayed in the palace.  He created a long line of pieces of the trunk with engraving around the diameter and various sized holes in different places:

The Guimaraes Castle, like most, is a military fortification built in the 10th. century to defend the monastery from attacks by Moors and Norsemen.

Random Photos from Guimaraes:

In Porto's Future:

Due to open in 2020, the Fladgate Partnership is building 'The World of Wine' which will house three museums.  One on the history of Port, one on the cork industry and a fashion and design museum to showcase the textile industries of this part of Portugal.  There will be a wine school, a slow food restaurant, an events space, room for 9 more restaurants and a retail area.

In Our Future: on to the Douro Valley.  The first stop is a Quinta recommended by the Konars.  You can follow their adventures here: Backpacks and Flipflops

Random Photos from Porto:

Made from recycled materials

More recycling as art