Cidade Invicta

JusticeiroJusticeiro Registered Users Posts: 1,177 Major grins
edited June 12, 2006 in Landscapes
During last weeks trip to visit my wife's family in Portugal, I managed to get away and spend a day walking around Porto, the second biggest city in the country, and its main port. These are not my best photos from an artistic perspective, but I think they give a good "feel" of the city. I have always been a frustrated travel guide photographer!

The City of O Porto (the port)
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For having bravely resisted a military invasion in the 19th century by the armies of Napoleon, and never having been conquered by the moors, the city is now known as The Unvanquished City (A Cidade Invicta)

Here the title is enlarged somewhat to "Ancient, Most Noble, Always Faithful, and unvanquished" in truth, the official appelation "Always faithful" belongs to Macau.
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The tyoical view of the city is seen from the Douro River, which divides Porto from its smaller appendage, Vila Nova da Gaia.
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View of Porto from Gaia

Spanning the Douro is the famous Ponte Dom Luis I, designed by a student of Eiffel, and clearly bearing his imprint.



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Ponte Dom Luis I and (atop the Hill) the national Military Academy

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Dom Luis bridge and "Rabelo" Boat used to transport Port Wine


Port Wine

Port Wine is undoubtedly Porto's most famous product, despite the fact that the cellars of the Port Wine companies are located on the riverfront in Gaia. The Port wine is grown and "made" upstream in the steeply walled and terraced Douro river valley. It was then sent to the Cellars in Gaia to be aged, and shipped to the world (primarily England). Regular Port resides for up to ten years in giant Oak casks deep inside the cliff face. Most of these companies are were originally English, and have Foreign names (Dow, Burmeister, Taylor, Sandeman), although a few of the best are also portuguese (Calem, Fonseca, Noval).

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Casks located in the Cale Cellars, Gaia.

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Vintage Ports being aged in individual barrels

Across the River in Porto proper there a quite a few things to be seen, including the city's old walls, finished in 1370.

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Medieval City Walls

Ascending the steep hill from the river to the Plateau where the bulk of the city lays takes one through steep and narrow streets.
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You can climb this hill, or simply jump on an Electrico down by the riverside Alfandega (customs house)
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Just up from the City walls is the [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Sé do Porto, [/FONT]the city's principal Cathedral.
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Other impressive stone constructions include the Cleric's Tower, designed by Nasoni and built in 1754

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Torre dos Clerigos

Though Porto does have some fine medieval architecture, it is most known for its late medieval through early modern mercantile character, with a great number of monumental buildings made of granite. The main drag is the Avenue of the Allies (Avenida dos Aliados).

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Along with granite buildings, Porto (and indeed all of portugal) is known for its tile covered churches. Here is one in the "Square of Lions" across from the University.
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Adn here is my favorite church in the city "Igreja da Batalha
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The City also posseses many fine squares and cafes. the most ancient of these cafes, however are closing. "A Brasileira", the literary center of Porto in the 19th century, has been sold and subdivided into a restaurant and a smaller cafe. You can see from what remains how beautiful it once was.
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Another Cafe, the "Imperial", considered by many to be the city's most elegant, was bought, and turned into, horror of horrors...
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A Mcdonalds

Travellers to the city can feel quite safe, as it hosts both mounted Police
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As well as a sizeable military garrison, keeping the Spaniards from getting any ideas.
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All in all, a wonerful city to visit, and to photograph. The quality of the ligth is wonderful, very clear, and very bright. As well as having wonderful colors, natural, and artificial.
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Cave ab homine unius libri
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