Street Art: Porto, Portugal

picture taken in the city of Aveiro, north of Portugal 

In 2014 the city of Porto created a program to allow street artists to use specific walls or spaces and abandoned houses transforming them with urban art. Since then, graffiti and other interventions alike have been seen as art, and their authors artists. Tourists from all over the world are drawn to Porto street art, which led to street art tours.

Miragaia

The free street art tours have maps and guides. Your guide can be a student from the Visual Arts School or the street artist himself. The tours have a specific date and time, but nothing keeps you from doing it on your own. 

power box

power box

Palácio de Cristal

Before I heard there was a program allowing the artists to use some specific public spaces, I just thought how fun and creative those interventions were. With my camera at hand I started shooting the arts that most caught my attention. However, if you take one of the tours you will be able to find some hidden street art really worth seeing. Remember you have to be into those things, otherwise you'll just say it's vandalism.

Jardim das Virtudes

Unfortunately, Porto does have plenty of vandalism, which is sad to see, but don't mistake a rebel prick for an urban street artist. The artists have many techniques and a story to tell behind every mural, besides, many of them are really making a living out of it. 

So, jump on this photo safari in Porto with its giant murals, funny art ideas, power boxes turned into paintings and so much more!

Sé area

Sé area

Sé area

                   

LELLO Bookshop: booklovers unite!

Lonely Planet and The Guardian considered Lello bookshop the third most beautiful bookshop in the world and it sure deserves to be on that list!

I don't mind visiting bookshops when I am out, not only traveling but in my own city too. There's something magical when you enter a bookshop or a library. I guess it's a feeling that all the wisdom in the world is on the pages of those books right in front of you.

Lello & Irmão (Lello&Brother) has been open since 1906 and much thought was put into it, from books to architeture. The fact that it has been an inspiration for acclaimed authors like J.K.Rowling is no secret and I would dare to say that many travelers put this bookshop on their travel bucket list because of that.

There is a € 3 entrance fee that is fully discounted if you purchase a book, plus you get a map of the bookshop with some curiosities. It gets around 4,000 visitors a day from around the world, and lines can be long at any time of year, though  inside Lello it is never crowded.

It sells around 5,000 books per week! 

On the top shelves behind closed glass doors there are rare books and first editions. You feel you are being transported to another era just by looking at them and imagining all the acclaimed authors who have their first editions in there! A feeling that maybe only booklovers will understand and share. By the way, every single person who enters Lello smiles! It's amazing to see. Of course I know this because this happened to me, so I started looking at people as they entered to see if I was the only one.

If architecture is also your thing, the red stairs are a big deal, and again an inspiration for the Harry Potter stories. If you are able to get a picture of you at the stairs without no one else photobombing it, consider yourself a lucky booklover.

In July of this year, 2016, the bookshop was under restoration for 4 months to receive its original façade color and clean stained glass ceiling to celebrate its 110 years. It was and still is stunning!

With its anniversary, Lello Bookshop was chosen to be the host for the worldwide book release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I took this picture about one hour before the release, and all the fans, visitors and travelers were there in front of the small two-story bookshop just waiting for Lello to open its doors again, after the 4 month period. The excitement was so strong that it felt like it was opening for the very first time.

Lello bookshop definitely deserves a visit. From booklovers to tourists I guarantee everybody will have fun browsing (and maybe buying) books, having a cup of coffee, buying a souvenir or just feeling closer to Harry Potter.

Best sunset of Porto!

Every sunset is one of the best shows Nature allows us to admire. 

My initial idea was to describe one of the best sunsets I have ever witnessed, and in my opinion, the sunset seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, in the north of Portugal, is one of the most beautiful and romantic sunsets for you to watch. But what better way for me to tell you about the sunset other than showing you pictures? So, here are some pictures I took of the mesmerizing sunset from Vila Nova de Gaia, across from Porto, both cities sharing the Douro river. Make sure you add this to your bucket list!

Porto on your left, Vila Nova de Gaia on your right

View from the bridge

View from the water promenade

Sunset!

Admirers

The Douro River

Gaia, Porto and the enchanting Douro

Malls in Porto

When we think of Portugal we never think of spending some quality time at the shopping mall, right? After living here for a while I came to the conclusion that neither do the Portuguese! But, at the mall you can have a bite to eat, browse some stores, and do the biggest trend nowadays: charge your phone while using free wifi! That's why I created this list of the "busiest" malls in Porto so you know where to go according to your needs.

1. Via Catarina: if you are walking around the Bolhão area you will come across this mall since its on the street that takes the same name and it's at one of the most traditional areas of Porto. In my opinion, the best feature of Via Catarina is the food court that imitates the Portuguese houses and also some tables that make you feel like you are in a streetcar.  Congratulations to the person who had this idea! Isn't it just too cute?

2. La Vie Baixa Porto: still in the Bolhão area, there's La Vie. It has the famous bookstore Bertrand and it holds some events. Though from what I see, it's just a place for you to chill a little before you go back to sightseeing.

3. Parque Nascente: now this is a relatively big mall but it's away from the tourist area, in Fânzeres. You should go up to Levada station, up the street and in four minutes you're there. Really good for shopping for clothes or groceries (there's an attached supermarket), eat something, go the famous Primark two-floor store, hang out and use free wifi. 

4. Shopping Cidade do Porto: this is one of the calmest malls I've ever been to. Close to Casa da Música, Shopping Cidade do Porto may be seen as a perfect place to work online. At its food court, there's free fast wifi and outlets for you to charge you phone, tablet or notebook! Always good to find a place for you to charge your devices nowadays, right?

5. Alameda Shop&Spot: until June this year, 2016, this mall used to be called Dolce Vita, but nothing has changed just the name. It's peak hours are just before a game starts at Estádio do Dragão, Porto's soccer team stadium, which is in front of the mall. There's a nice water fountain and a glass floor on the first floor. Easy access from the subway station, another place to have a bite to eat and just chill.

6. Mar Shopping: this one is a big mall, considering that the famous Ikea store is there! Since it's really away from tourists and with no public transportation nearby, they provide a free shuttle service from Casa da Música bus station every half an hour, round trip.

7. Norte Shopping: biggest mall in the North of Portugal! Sete Bicas station is full of shoppers holding their shopping bags! Remember, Portugal is not famous for its shopping malls, but this is a modern one with 267 stores (including Primark), and its ground floor is made of those Portuguese cobblestones which is really nice, because you don't feel like you are in a mall, it seems like you're outdoors. 

Each one of them brings some special feature as I have highlighted, and at all of them you'll feel comfortable and safe and will definitely charge your own energy to go back there and appreciate all that Portugal can offer you. So, you see, in case you were wondering if there were any malls in Porto, you just found the perfect post!

1 day in Sintra

Just thirty minutes away from Lisbon, Sintra needs to be in your trip itinerary!

I arrived in Sintra by train, but if I can give you a piece of advice: don't go during rush hour, you won't be able to move, other than that, easy ride. It will be clear to you that you have arrived in the bucolic village of Sintra. The train station itself already attracts tourists to admire its beautiful ornamented tiles. I admired them so much, that I forgot to photograph! Can you imagine? Only mental pictures...

We, my husband and I, stayed with Airbnb hosts in an apartment around 10 minutes away from the historical village in a very residential area. We only had a day to get to know the city, so our host gave us great tips on what to do first. I always do my research on where to go, what to do and to eat, but when a local tells you what is amazing in their city and what is a big tourist trap, you should be all ears.

Here it is our itinerary for 1 day:

1. Pena's Palace: we went to Palácio da Pena (in Portuguese) right after it opened at 10 o´clock. Bear in mind that the Palace is on top of a mountain, so if you decide to go walking I strongly recommend you do some lunges first. You'll see many people taking tuk-tuk rides, going by excursion buses or vans, but also many red-cheecked walkers.

There is a hefty entrance fee, 14 euros. If you're planning on spending the day there, which is totally possible, money well spent, because the property of the Palace is enchanting. Anyway, I spent only my morning there and I don't regret going out of budget to visit Sintra's biggest icon. 

2. Moorish Castle: what's interesting about seeing a castle is seeing a castle and its big stoned walls blocking the villagers. So, while people were standing in line to enter the castle, we went through a passage where you go down contouring Castelo dos Mouros (in Portuguese) until you reach the historical village, for free.

Again, prepare your breath and legs if you decide to go down walking. There is paid transportation for you to go down, but since the Palace and the Castle's entrance are almost next to each other, people usually decide to do everything walking. I'm just trying to warn you about going to the gym before you travel...

The path is absolutely breathtaking! On one side, a lushy area with plants and trees from all over the world, on the other side, the tall dark gothic wall of the Castle, under your feet cobblestones that are thousands of years and behind you... ok, tourists.

It's a long way down until you reach the historical village of Sintra, but it's worth it. Stop, take pictures, drink some water, realize that you are in a place full of history with an amazing scenery. Even when you have left the Castle's area, the narrowed streets are still part of the fun of being in Sintra. I guarantee that there will be something at around almost every corner that will call your attention.

3. Historical village: maybe you didn't realize that you've just visited a Palace and a Castle on the same day, so I'm here to remind you that you visited a Palace and a Castle on the same day! Of course, a fairy-tale town needs a historical village. From all the hustle and bustle of the tourists some details of the village might go unnoticed. I say this because I was so excited with everything that I was just "brownsing" the city. Do you know what I did ten minutes after I realized this? I started my stroll again feeling all that town could offer me.

  

The handicrafted Portuguese tiles, the bags, purses, hats and shoes made out of cork, the many stores offering a sweet cherry liquor called, ginjinha, the huge line - in front of a famous restaurant - of people who wanted to eat the city's pastry, travesseiro, the street singers, the thousands of postcards waiting to be sent, the narrowed entrance doors to local stores, and the many people in awe to be in that quaint town.  

4. Quinta da Regaleira: here's the last part of our one day trip to Sintra. Just like Pena's Palace, you can spend a whole day visiting the Quinta. In English, quinta means farm, but if I say farm you'll have another idea of what this unforgettable place is, so let's keep its original name, besides it's fun saying quinta.

Easy to get there on foot from the historical village of Sintra, the Palace of the quinta is opened for visitation and it will be the first thing you see. However, I recommed you to leave it to the end, because there are many places for you to visit, walk,  photograph, meditate, have fun in the quinta, so before you leave the property make sure you stop by to take a look at the story of the people who lived there. Everything is included in the 6 euro entrance fee. There are oh so many paths for you to take at the quinta, so make sure you explore them, not necessarily in order, but as you go. I say explore because there are some "hidden" places, like the Iniciatic Well, a place you understand what's the Earth and what's the sky. Philosophical, right? But you'll get it once you're there.

A place where I would definitely go back! The quinta seems to be envolved in mystery, maybe because of its paths, green areas, "princesses" towers, wells, devotion towards religion, or maybe just because of the palace colors, its thick doors and mosaic floors. 

If you only have one day in Sintra those are the places you should definetely pay a visit. They are not only tourist sites, or the town's main icons; Pena's Palace, for example, is considered a World Heritage Site, one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. After being in such a fairy-tale place, Sintra will be forever in your heart!

Off the beaten path

North of Portugal: Póvoa de Varzim 

When we think about cities to visit in Portugal, many famous places start coming to our mind, be it for their historical monuments or for their worldwide known sweets. One of the big cities to be remembered is Porto. 

The city of Porto, in the North of Portugal, attracts visitors of all nationalities. Porto still has the characteristics of a country with a big history, delicious culinary, strong religious tradition, not to mention the fact that the tourist feels like worshiping the Portuguese culture. 

If you are thinking of a picturesque place, you are right, but forget that as soon as you take the subway. The subway train and station are modern, clean, passengers use an electronic pass and there are no turnstiles. Most of the subway lines aren’t underground, what makes a much more pleasant ride. 

The last station up North of Porto is in a city off the beaten path, called Póvoa de Varzim. It was the first city I visited in Portugal and, of course, it shouldn't be widely known. It is a city of fishermen, flat (without the ups and downs of downtown), with a population of around 64 thousand people. Extremely popular for the Portuguese people in the summer, it has a long beach with a large stretch of sand and cold water, but besides that it has also many tiny narrowed streets, which inspires many photographers, professionals or not. 

A peaceful city that is proud of its security any time of day or night, its easy signals to drivers to stop for pedestrians, its huge wall of Portuguese blue tiles – that tells the story of its people through paintings on the tiles –, its proximity to the big city, Portuguese or why not Spanish, its traditional catholic churches, bakeries and a historical downtown that still has the symbols that represent the fishermen of Póvoa de Varzim. 

You can literally see one church at every corner in the historical center of the city. All of them are worth a visit. If you are religious, do your praying, if not, just admire the richness of details they have. I entered many churches in Portugal and they are never the same. By the way, one of the churches in the historical circuit of Póvoa is a stop to the pilgrims going to Santiago de Compostela. 

In the city's bakeries you will always find the traditional Portuguese sweets. All of them with the yolk color, their primary ingredient. So, my recommendation for your first tasty experience is: ask for Bola de Berlim (Berlin's ball), it just melts in your mouth! 

There you go! Just a one hour subway ride from downtown Porto, you are able to visit a city off the beaten path, where there is beach, historical center and a window watching boulevard. Funny fact here is that this is actually more popular than going in the store and buying something. During the day people are just busy going from one place to the other, but when night comes, say hello to the window watchers!

Póvoa de Varzim is worth the ride and worth the visit, just be sure you bring a jacket with you, 'cause boy it's cold up there!