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PORTO
Youthful spirit meets an ancient past in this picturesque Portuguese city. Romanced by the Douro river’s embrace, Porto is a melange of modern living and Medieval beauty.
City of Bridges
A most appropriate moniker, as visitors will quickly discover, the two sides of Porto are laced together with bridges. One bridge is seemingly from the future, and right next to it, a Victorian era crossing leaps and swoons over the water. Designed as clifftop crossings, they ironically draw just as many passerby down into their shadows at the river’s edge. The most famous is the Dom Luis I bridge, a steel lacing that forms the backdrop of Porto.
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Architectural Expressionism
Arches, swirls, flower-petal patterns, all part of the whimsy elegance of Porto’s many architectural styles. So many floral and geometric motifs on incomprehensibly expansive tile mosaics and friezes, but no heroes are depicted. Why? Because the Moors held true to Islamic law and avoided portraying false icons. But there is no shortage of expressive forms in the wide variety of architectural vision that is Porto.
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Perfect Perch
The Portuguese have yet to meet a rooftop they don’t like. A table with a view is a Porto pleasure, even as a cat performs a high wire act along the edge. With a flying leap, he darts between the stylish boots of our waitress as she’s refilling our glasses while translating the menu. Afterwards there’s Parque dos Clerigos to stretch out in under the stars, listen to music and maybe think about tomorrow. Plans that may include visiting the Livraria Lello bookstore, (inspiration for Harry Potter’s Hogwarts) directly across from the park. (But only if there’s no line, which is quite unlikely).
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Sunset Extraordinaire
The view from the high ground of Jardim de Morro at sundown is an image that never leaves one’s heart. The park is terraced with curving concrete benches formed to the contour of the hillside, hosting the wise few who leave the bustle of the old town to cross the Rua General Torres bridge for this sublime vista. Maybe taking a slight detour to pick up some wine and cheese to enhance the moment at Dourum Restaurante just below the bridge on the quiet south waterfront.
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Cliffside Thrill Ride
Not for the faint of heart, (but worth it for the thrill –and the view) descending the cliff aboard the Funicular dos Guindais cable car is a Porto must. After strolling the high bridges across the river, it's the fastest and most fun way to reach the riverfront promenade.
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