.jpg)
Igreja dos Carmelitas
Porto is called the City of Granite, but the liberal use of blue and white azulejo tiles lend a fairy-tale lightness to the elegant old buildings. Finished in 1628, the Igreja dos Carmelitas was once the church of an order of Carmelite nuns, and is separated from its neighbouring monastery church, the Igreja do Carmo, by a one-meter-wide residence.
Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, sits nestled into the granite hills either side of the Douro River.
One of Europe’s oldest centres, the early Proto-Celtic settlement of Cale dates back to at least 300 BC. It was conquered by the Romans around 136 BC. and served as the outpost city of Portus Cale (Port of Cale) for many years. This heritage lives on both in the name of the country (Portu-cale) and the city itself (o Porto).
The city’s location at the intersection of the Atlantic Ocean and the Douro River (a major river crossing the Iberian Peninsula) has long given it status as a commercial hub. More recently – in the second half of the 17th century – it is also known for lending its name, “port”, to the fortified wine made from the distilled spirits of grapes from vineyards flanking the Douro Valley.
The city’s rich history is evidenced in its beautiful old buildings, which – thanks to the two-mica granite that most of them are built from – have stood the test of time. The historic old Ribeira district, together with the iconic 19th century double-decker Luiz I Bridge across the Douro, and the formidable Renaissance Monastery of Serra do Pilar overlooking it, have been UNESCO-listed as part of “an outstanding urban landscape with a 2,000-year history.”
The city is a rich treasure-trove for wanderers. The small ship that my husband I were travelling in was docked at the very modern Porto Leixões Cruise Terminal some ten minutes drive away from Porto, so we took advantage of a shore-excursion bus to access some of the high points of this charming sea port.
Do come along!
.jpg)
The Outer Breakwater – Leixões
One of the things I love about approaching places from the water is the very different view you get of the life of a port. This fisherman in his open boat looks so tiny against the vast Atlantic Ocean behind him!
.jpg)
“She Changes”
The bus taking us from the port to the city had heavily sun-screened windows which tinted all my photos the most awful colours! Even so, I loved this sculpture, known locally as anémona (the anemone). Installed in 2005, it was designed by American artist Janet Echelman to reference the region’s fishing industry.
Porto Tram
From the vantage point of our bus, we get a good view of the local transport options.
Plaza – R. das Carmelitas
The cobbled streets are pedestrian friendly.
Guide Elsa
Our local guide makes sure we have maps and know our appointed return-time before setting us loose with a variety of options.
Livraria Lello e Irmão
My first stop was at the wonderful neo-gothic façade of one of the world’s most beautiful book stores. There was already a queue, and Filipe Teixeira the doorman was the checking tickets – which need to be pre-purchased (€5) around the corner.
Livraria Chardron
Built in 1906 by the Portuguese engineer Xavier Esteves, the bookstore is possibly best know for its iconic twisting crimson staircase, where visitors all want their pictures taken.
Harry Potter Books
The story is that JK Rowling partly wrote the first Harry Potter book in Porto – and in this library – while working in the city as an English teacher in the early 1990s.
Staircase
Rowling is believed to have modelled the fantastical staircases of Hogwarts on this amazing forked staircase rising to the gallery on the first floor.
Almost Abstract – Bookshelves
The interior is truly gorgeous, if a little hard to appreciate with the crowds in the space.
Shopping
The €5 fee can be used against any purchases.
Portuguese Authors
Most of the books are, of course, in Portuguese. Busts of local authors adorn the shelves.
Opulence
Much of the interior is treated with painted plaster designed to mimic sculpted wood. Light streams in from the stained glass ceiling.
Fonte dos Leões
Not far from the library, we find the Fountain of the Lions, a 19th-century fountain built by a French company in response to an 1882 Porto initiative to bring water into the city.
Igreja do Carmo
Partner to the older Igreja dos Carmelitas next door, the late Baroque-style rococo Igreja do Carmo was built between 1756 and 1768. The locally-made tin-glazed ceramic azulejo tiles, depicting Mount Carmel and the founding of the Carmelite Order, were added in 1912.
Vímara Peres
We rejoin our bus, and it takes us up to the highest point in the city, the Terreiro da Sé, a vast esplanade which overlooks the old town. A statue of ninth-century nobleman Vímara Peres (820 –873), the first ruler of Portugal, rises against the sky.
Porto Cathedral
Originally built in the early 1100s, this Baroque Roman Catholic Cathedral, with 20th century modifications, is one of the city’s oldest landmarks.
Ramos Pinto Cellars
From the Terreiro da Sé we have views over the Douro River and the Ramos Pinto Cellars: just one of the many port wine cellars in the region.
Igreja Sao Lourenco
We also overlook the mossy spires of the 16th century Church of St. Lawrence, …
Torre dos Clérigos
… and over the rooftops to the bell tower of the Baroque Clérigos Church, built between 1732 and 1763.
On the Plinth
People sit at the base of the Pillory of Porto, once a place for the hanging of criminals, and an enduring symbol of the power of justice.
Tiles at the Cathedral
Blue and white azulejo tiles adorn the cathedral …
Balconies and Tiles
… and the houses outside its borders.
Monastery of Serra do Pilar
Back in the bus again, we drive past the historic circular monastery, built across the 15- and 1600s …
Dom Ponte Luís I
… and the double-decker metal bridge spanning the River Douro. When this bridge – designed Teophile Seyrig, a disciple of Gustave Eiffel – was started in 1880, it was the longest of its kind in the world.
Church of Saint Ildefonso
The eighteenth-century Igreja de Santo Ildefonso was undergoing renovations when we drove past.
Ribeira Housing
Our last stop was in the charming and picturesque UNESCO-listed riverside district.
Lamps and Laundry
Traditional Rabelo Boat
From our river-front coffee-shop table, we watched the Rabelo boats – traditionally used to transport port barrels – take tourists along the Douro River.
St. John the Baptist
On our way back to the bus for the last time, we passed this quirky modern sculpture of St. John the Baptist by Portuguese artist Joao Cutileiro, …
Porto Building Tiles
… and more traditional blue-and-white building tiles.
Lines and Curves
Our last images were of the ultra-modern Porto Leixões Cruise Terminal, …
Porto Leixões Cruise Terminal
… designed by local architect Luís Pedro Silva, and opened in 2015.
Local Police – Porto Leixões Cruise Terminal
I’m not sure I have ever seen so many churches in one day!
Porto is a delightful city to explore, and we had the additional pleasure of knowing we’d be sampling some of the local wine with our dinners once we were back on the boat.
Cheers!
Photos: 19April2018
