A bright afternoon invites us to visit Vila Nova de Gaia, the town on the opposite bank of the Douro. We cross the Douro by metro over the Ponte Dom Luís I. It was designed and built by Théophile Seyrig and opened in 1886. The Ponte Maria Pia, built by Gustave Eiffel, was opened in […]
Porto City Walk – Part 1
This time, we try to explore the northern part of Porto’s old town on our city walk. The starting point is São Bento train station. The entrance hall is richly decorated with azulejos (Portuguese tile paintings). One shows the conquest of Ceuta by Infante D. Henrique, who made Portugal a maritime nation. The station is […]
First impressions of Porto
After we arrive in Porto, we take the opportunity to get our first impressions of this incredible city. Starting from São Bento, we take a look at the Rua das Flores, one of the major shopping and restaurant streets in Porto, before walking along the Rua de Mouzinho da Silveira, which leads to the banks […]
Flight from Luxembourg to Porto and Hannah’s Studios
After a rainy winter, we decided to visit the city of Porto in Portugal at the beginning of February. The weather forecasts are turning out to be very favorable, and we hoped for a spring-like atmosphere. The nearest airport to our home is Luxembourg. We set off by car early in the morning, as there […]
Cabo da Roca
The Cabo da Roca lies on the Atlantic coast west of Lisbon in the municipality of Sintra. It is the westernmost point of the European continent, and thus forms the counterpart to Cape Spears near St. John’s, Newfoundland. The rocks fall 140 m steeply down and provide a home for a wide variety of plants […]
Sintra – a town with centuries-old palaces
Sintra is approx. 25 km northwest of Lisbon and part of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra which became UNESCO world cultural heritage in 1995. In the municipality of São Martinho you find the Royal Palace, Palácio Nacional de Sintra, essentially built by King Manuel I. It is known by the distinctive shape of the two […]