Oporto | Portugal

Oporto is the quieter side of the tourist-run western Europe. It is out of the way of major airline routes, and it does not have an attraction of a legendary scale, but! It's a cute, well-organized and well-disciplined place (ie. the people are reluctant to speak English, but there's plenty tourist info center and english signs, that non-Portugese speakers can traverse its city without much trouble).


The one scene that Oporto is famous for.


This is the hostel where I stayed at. A charming, petite, historic house. Complete with pigeons. The residents here seems to like the idea of feeding pigeons, unlike their pigeon-averse European neighbors.


The ultra modern light rail that runs through this city. Nice man. (because he stays calm as I stalk him).


Me on the bridge scene.


Souvenirs with chicken of Barcelos on it. In Australia, this chicken is also better known as, Nandos. Yummmm!


Vibrant café and shops riverfront. Touristy, but not overtly so.


One of the things I miss about the touristy Europe is the sound of accordion wafting through the air. And the smile of the old men who plays it.


Advertisement for port wine. Not my endorsed brand though. But in case you're looking for a good bottle of port, go and find Graham's 10 year tawny port next time you're at the airport's duty free.


Whispers says that this is the best pastry shop in Oporto. It is small (no seating), tucked away on some street corners, but surprisingly packed with people, even on a rainy Monday. I had to jostle around to get the sights many delicious Portuguese egg pastry at the shop. I couldn't possible eat all of them, but thankfully they have these takeaway mini-version!


Nice pastry people. They think I'm Japanese.


Complicated stair manouvers seems to be their pastime specialty (see the post on the Lello)


Ceramics as walls is another one of their favorite architectural bag of tricks.

Oporto | The Lello

Of all the famous places in Europe, why did I end up visiting Oporto? Oporto (or Porto, in local language, but I think that is a less distinctive name, so let's stick with Oporto) is the second largest city in Portugal. On the grand scale pf the glamorous European tour however, it is a rather modest town, known mainly for port wine!


Anyhow. The answer to why I end up here can be found in the Lello's Library. No, it's not about the search of some rare books or tomes of secret knowledge, but it is for the search of a stair.


This stair. I saw the photo of this stair on Google Image as I was browsing ryanair's destination list going out from Barcelona. And it looks befuddlingly interesting. I couldn't figure out how does this stair work in 3D. It seems convolutedly elegant, and yet it compactly snug in the small space. Plus, I have soft spot for antique shops, a bookshop no less!


View from the other side of the balcony. And that's a person coming up from the first floor. Do you start seeing how this stair works? It's works like a ribbon weaving in and out and finally parting ways in two. There's four landing along the way, and the red floor material seems to be made out of something like latex.


Looking from the second landing onto the street entrance. The shop makes the simple event of purchasing a book like a scene from a bygone era. There is cart at the other end of the small rail there, that carries books thru and fro the shop.


View of the back of the stairs. Looks like it sits on a Victorian gothic mansions, huh? I love the sight of books.

Day 143 - Alo! from Oporto

Oporto, or Porto in local Portugese, is the second largest city in Portugal. As its name suggests the city used to be a shipping port in its heyday, as well as the hometown of port (the red wine). The city was mostly built around 14th century during the booms of the colonial era, hence its narrow winding roads that wraps around its many steep hills. From a distance, it seems that the buildings are stacked on top of one another. And here am I, perching atop one of oporto´s hilly peaks, enjoying the breeze of the Rio Douro (river):


Despite its aged, medeival setting, Oporto maintains an ultra-modern light rail systemin the form of nifty yellow trams that quietly glides across the city, and on its iconic Luis bridge (more photos when I get back to Rome or home). In the mean time, one of the best part of the city is the hostel at which I stayed. Oporto Poets Hostel, tucked in one of its steep alleys, is a charming little home for me to stay at. It has a garden with a vista to Oporto accross the river, and a tan hammock under a lemon tree:


While lounging around at night, the place features an ancient typewriter machine and free and fast internet to go on blogging! wheee! The photo uploads you see now is one of the rare moments where they are organic as they are, ungenetically modified with the usual PS inspired clickety clicks.