Porto, Portugal Photo Gallery
To go to Porto our ship was docked in the city of Leixoes, one of my favorite terminals because of it's design.
The terminal building appears to be a ribbon unraveling in the breeze.
You can see in this photo that there is a very nice beach here.
She Changes, known locally as anémona (the anemone), is a sculpture designed by artist Janet Echelmanl. It is designed to reflect the seafaring and industrial heritage here. The three support poles are painted to resemble the smokestacks and lighthouses in the area. The net structure is meant to reference the city's fishing industry.
This area was made for beach rugby. I had never heard of this before.
This monument, Lantern Tower of Senhor do Padrao (Our Lord of the Sands) from 1758, was near our port gate.
A beautifully tiled building close to the port gate.
In Porto Brian wanted to taste some port, where it's made. Graham's is one of the best and has the emblem to show that they supply port to UK's Royal family.
These very large barrels is where the ruby port is aged.
Tawny ports being aged in barrels.
Some very old barrels of port.
Really old wines in their cellar.
Graham's Hall of Fame for their wines or the especially good ones.
The "Victory Vintage," widely recognized as one of the finest wines ever made.
The special Platinum Jubilee port for Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday celebration.
Brian is listening to Francisca, our guide, explain something to him.
The Rogers and us at our tasting after the tour. Brian was surprised to find that 3 of his 4 favorites were tawny ports, not the ruby ones.
Brian and I at a terrace at Graham's which looks over Porto.
Looking down towards Porto old town from Graham's tasting room.
Looking towards Ribeira – Porto’s Romantic Riverfront.
There's a cable car in Gaia, which is the port wine district directly across the river from Porto.
These rabelos or wooden boats were once used to transport barrels of wine from the valley vineyards to the city. Nowadays, the rabelos normally line the riverbank of Vila Nova de Gaia, and participate in the annual regatta in June.
These are the rabelos that race in June. It's a really big deal here and they have a big party during that time.
Looking over the Douro River from Gaia.
Looking down the Douro River at one of the six bridges here.
The Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, built in the 18th century (before 1758) has a nice facade made with the traditional Portuguese porcelain.
More beautiful tile here in Porto.
Dom Luis I Bridge spans the Douro River. The metal arch bridge, rising 150 feet above the water, connects central Porto & Gaia with upper and lower bridge sections.
There were guys there making money by getting tips to jump off the bridge.
There goes one of them.
And a big splash!
One more photo of Porto along the Douro River.
Igreja do Corpo Santo de Massarelos (Parish Church of Massarelos)-Rising above the riverfront with a facade adorned in blue-and-white azulejos (hand-painted tiles), this church was built in 1776.