Adventurous Maite: 3- Northern Portugal. 7th March 2018 (Porto)

7th March 2018 (Wednesday). Porto

Igreja de São Pedro de Miragaia

One of Porto's oldest churches is the medieval Igreja de São Pedro de Miragaia. It was completely rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries, and pays homage to St Peter, patron saint of fishermen. Its exterior is beautifully tiled with blue and white azulejos, which segue into its light interior. The altar is a profusion of intricate gilded woodcarvings. The parrish of Miragaia used to be a community of fishermen, so it is not surprising that the church is named after their patron saint, the fisherman São Pedro (Saint Peter)

One FC Porto scarf hanging off a balcony

Pedestrian walkways in Miragaia

Jardim Municipal do Horto das Virtudes - Fonte das Virtudes. Garden of Virtues

A fantastic spot to relax or just look at from the promenade

Rua Francisco da Rocha Soares, Miragaia

Clerigos Tower

Palace of Justice of the city of Porto

Jardim da Cordoaria - Cordoaria Garden

These charming sculptures can be seen in one of Porto’s loveliest parks, the Jardim da Cordoaria (Garden of the Ropery) on Campo dos Mártires da Pátria. There are four of these bronze and steel benches around the park, which were sculpted by the Spanish sculptor Juan Muñoz in 2001. The work is called Thirteen Laughing at Each Other, as there are thirteen figures in total. On each bench are two or three almost life-size figures sitting on the top tiers laughing with or at a figure laying upside down on the bottom tier, who they may or may not have pushed over. The sculptures are utterly captivating and look totally at home in this park setting – in any Portuguese park you are likely to see a group of men sitting on a bench talking animatedly and laughing at each other

Campo dos Mártires da Pátria

Residencial Caldeira

Cafe Piolho D'Ouro: The most Bohemian Coffee in Porto. A traditional café,

full of city history in the city center. Praça de Parada Leitão 45.

Located in downtown Porto, the Carmo and Carmelitas churches look like the biggest church in the city. In fact, they are two churches separated by one of the world’s narrowest houses (1 meter wide). This house was built to make all contact between the nuns and the monks impossible. If you look closely, you’ll find Carmo Church (on the right) and Carmelitas Church (on the left).

Carmelitas Church was part of a convent in the 17h century. The building has a classical façade with a single a bell tower and a rich gilded interior. The church was used as barracks during the French Invasion of Porto (1808-1814)

IGREJA DOS CARMELITAS

The Igreja dos Carmelitas, next door, is the earlier of the two churches and was built in the mid-17th century with the exterior completed in 1628. The church was part of a convent that no longer exists.

The facade is done in granite with three arched entrances topped with statues. There is a single bell tower on the left, the top of which is covered with blue and white azulejos tiles.

The interior of the Igreja dos Carmelitas has a single nave with six ornately decorated side chapels. The white ceiling adds a special lightness to the interior aided by the many large windows. The organ has been restored thanks to in part from contributions from the general public.

IGREJA DO CARMO

The Igreja do Carmo was built between 1756 and 1768 in the rococo or late Baroque, style by a disciple of Nicolau Nasoni, Jose de Figueiredo Seixas. The Igreja do Carmo has an outstanding azulejo-covered exterior with the azulejos added in 1912. The tiles were made locally in Vila Nova de Gaia and designed by the artist Silvestro Silvestri. They depict scenes of the founding of the Carmelite Order and Mount Carmel.

The exterior facade of the church is richly crafted with a rectangular portal, flanked by two religious sculptures of the prophets Elijah and Elisha carved in Italy.

The interior of the church has a single nave with seven lavish gilt altars, the work of sculptor Francisco Pereira Campanha, as well as a number of fine oil paintings

Azulejos Tiles, Igreja do Carmo

Interior, Igreja do Carmo

Praça de Gomes Teixeira, The Square with the fountain of Lions

Old Praça dos Leões in the beginning of the 20th century (now Praça de Gomes Teixeira). This is one of the nicest squares in the Carmo district of Porto. The square with the fountain of lions. It got its name on 1936 in honor of Francisco Gomes Teixeira, a well known professor in the University of Porto.

Around the square there are some buildings belong to the university, the Carmo Church and main roads to the city center.

It's a walking distance from Sao Bento station, Livreria Lello and the beautiful Rua Galeria de Paris.

The fountain with lions around it, is one of the few water sources in the city.

Highly recommended to visit this beautiful square and peek into the university store or paying a visit inside the beautiful church

The Fountain of the Lions (Fonte dos Leões), is a 19th-century fountain built by French company Compagnie Générale des Eaux pour l'Etranger, in the civil parish of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória in municipality of Porto. Cast by the Val d’Osne foundry in France, it is a copy, in most part, of the fountain in the Town Hall Square of Leicester, England

The Rectory building of the Universidade do Porto, in Praça de Gomes Teixeira

Campo dos Mártires da Pátria

Casa Oriental is the traditional grocery right next to Clérigos Tower. At a time when supermarkets and malls didn’t exist, Casa Oriental was the grocery shop by excellence, supplying Porto residents with everything they needed. It opened its doors at the foot of the Clérigos Tower in 1910 and since then, despite the usual obstacles of modernity, it has remained strong, representing the best of regional Portuguese products

It started out as a shop for products brought from former colonies (coffee, tea and spices), but after World War II it expanded its offering to traditional confectionery, sausages, cheeses, fresh and tinned products and salted codfish (which are on display right next to the entrance). The visit is mandatory to bring a “saborzinho”, a little taste, of Portugal home

The Clerigos Tower

Traditional souvenir shop

The old tram passes by the Clerigos Tower, one of the landmarks and symbols of the city

Força Portugal Official Store

Clerigos Church

Liberdade Square (Praça da Liberdade) is a square located in Santo Ildefonso parish, in the lower town (Baixa) area. The square is continuous on its north side with the Avenida dos Aliados, an important avenue of the city

Porto City Council

Bank of Portugal

The BBVA bank building on the Aliados Avenue

The Youth, the sculpture depicts a naked girl sitting with her arms resting on plinths. Just below where the girl is sitting, and forming a square, are four heads with which the water runs from their mouths, making up the fountain part.Overall quite a tall structure, and worth a few moments of your time if passing by. Statue by Henrique Moreira

Rua Sá da Bandeira, well known as one of the most beautiful

streets of Porto, due to its great architecture and wide areas

Visiting the official FC Porto store

Official FC Porto merchandise

Fruits at the Mercado do Bolhão

More fruit stalls in Bolhao Market

Wine stalls

More Bbottles of Port wine on display at a stall

Traditional Portuguese souvenirs

This is one of the most popular and lively markets in Porto.

It holds the essence of the city. A must-see 👀👀👀

Igreja do Carmo - Carmo Church

Rua Santa Catarina - My favourite shopping area

ViaCatarina Shopping Mall, Santa Catarina Street

I really like this façade in pink

The famous Café Majestic

Since its opening in 1921, this charming café began to gain popularity in the Portuguese city of Porto amongst the writers, politicians and artists of the time. Under its original name “Elite”, the coffee shop began to receive visits from personalities of all shape and form, even women! If there was something that the Café Majestic did well in its time was admitting women in their venue, being the first one to do so in the city

Fnac store

The church of Saint Ildefonso or also known as Igreja de Santo Ildefonso is one of the most touristic attractions in Porto. It's recognized by its structure, specially the two bell towers on the sides. The blue and white tales on the walls of the church makes the Church of Saint Ildefonso an impressive monument to visit

Church of Santo Ildefonso (Igreja de Santo Ildefonso), an eighteenth-century church located at the south side of the pedestrian zone Rua da Santa Catarina. It was built between 1709 and 1739. Also the facade of this church is decorated with beautiful tiles. The church is named in honour of the Visigoth, Ildephonsus of Toledo, bishop of Toledo from 657 until his death in 667...

Statue of King Pedro V of Portugal at Batalha Square.

There are many restaurants, cafes, theatre and hotels around...

The São João Theatre (Teatro São João)

Vintage Tram 22 at Batalha Square

The red building behind is the four-star NH Collection Porto

located in Porto’s central Batalha district which has a distinctly local feel

R. de Cimo de Vila 129

Travessa Cimo de Vila

Porto Cathedral's Surroundings

Streets surrounding the Cathedral Se

Porto Cathedral (Se Catedral)

The large square in front of Porto's Cathedral was built during the Middle Ages. It is high up on the hill and offers a good advantage point for looking around the city, which at that time would have been walled, and down into the river Douro valley

Rua São Sebastião

In the oldest Porto street is Rua das Aldas, next to the Cathedral and D. Luís Bridge (Eiffel), in the heart of the historical center, next to traditional restaurants, Fado, museums, churches... 10 min from the main attractions: São Bento, Aliados, R. das Flores, Ribeira, Douro River and Livraria Lello...

The streets Rua das Aldas and Pena Ventosa, are the oldest in the city, where pilgrims leaving Portugal make their way to Santiago de Compostela

Rua da Pena Ventosa

This little square was certainly one of my favourite finds in Porto. At the end of a narrow street you'll find Largo da Pena Ventosa where you’ll see pastel coloured homes and outdoor cafes. It gets quite lively in the summer and is a great spot to spend some time after you’ve taken some great photos

Museu do Vinho do Porto

Rua Cais das Pedras

Tram 1 Infante - The traditional Linha 1 tram

"Infante-Passeio Alegre", follows the river Douro to reach Foz do Douro. This trip in an authentic charming tram is full of romance and a great way to discover in passing the Solar do vinho do porto (the wine institute), the Museo Carro Electrico and some splendid buildings and landscapes. A tram comes along every twenty minutes or so and they run between 9 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon

Hotel Vincci Porto, R. Alameda Basilio Teles, 29

S.T.C.P. The Porto Tram Museum (Museu do Carro Eléctrico) is a museum operated by the Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos do Porto. It was inaugurated in 1992 and is installed in a former thermoelectric power station next to the River Douro in Massarelos.

It exhibits material related to the history of trams in Porto. The collection contains 16 electric cars, 5 trailers, and two maintenance vehicles as well as the former equipment of the power plant, which provided electricity for the tram lines