Portugal. Port, port, port, porter.

Of course, someone does not agree with me, but I think Porto - the quintessence of Portugal. In contrast to Lisbon, which is in search of greatness lost some integrity, Porto clearly behaves in the same style. The same Eiffel and his partner, Theophile Seyrig accurately grasped the essence of stimpankovskuyu city long before the appearance of the steampunk. Their iron monsters rising from the ancient city walls, not only to connect the two river banks, but are crucial to its image.

Certainly, in Porto there azulezhu, ubiquitous portuguese painted clay tiles, and abandoned homes with broken windows, and landfills under the windows of houses and mazes of streets, and lovely trams, and flea markets with old magazines and records. But he has and distinguishing features.

First and foremost, I would call a bridge Luiz First. It is this "inverted Eiffel Tower is one of the most memorable attractions of Porto. Do not be misleading, my metaphor - a bridge built just is not the Eifel and Seyrig in 1886. Eiffel also built a bridge Dona Maria Pia nine years earlier.



It is a pity that the engine is no longer in demand. They would have looked gorgeous on the bridge.

Secondarily, it is tightly huddled at home on the waterfront. Their windows and doors, as if the eyes and mouths on the narrow faces, closely pressed to each other. And as quarrelsome neighbors are watching the passing boats, cursing and gossiping.

Here are their cousins ​​under the walls of the Cathedral.

The third - a port, and all of port related. Perhaps I had never even port wine did not drink. I can not, at least, think of any times. But at home the drink, it was a mandatory part of the program.
Port wine is different, but always tasty.
For some reason, the actual name of the port city is only one river. On the other side of town called Vila Nova de Gaia. And it is here are the most famous Portuguese port wine cellars. In these cellars are also, port (do not know whether there is a noun, but if not, what must be), museum and the production of port.

Fourth feature I'll call bookstores. What's called a bookstore in Moscow, is so only nominally. Because the bookstore is not just a place to sell books. This is a special atmosphere and energy. This is - I am not afraid of such a word - sanctuary for reading man.

In Porto, I met a few bookstores in different directions. Somewhere selling comics Tintin Release 70-ies. They were under strict protection of toy robots from Star Wars, squinting at erotic magazines with her daughters colors on the covers. My foreign peers were digging in the racks with yellowed press interested in Hello magazine 84-year, found the publication of Tarzan with coffee stains left in the year of their birth, and were happy!

Other shops reminded Branch Library reading rooms. The same endless shelves of books, large tables, table lamps, silence, and the rustling of pages.

But I'll show you the pictures from another store. If not hundred of thousands of tourists visiting it, just to photograph the interior, it would be the perfect bookstore.

Let me introduce - Livrariya Lello!

Contrary to my best guess is that up to the bookstore there was a secular salon, or even something as the aristocratic, the building was built specifically for Livrariya Lello. Shop is located here continuously since January 1906.

He is wooden, carved with gorgeous staircase, and huge stained glass ceiling.

On the second floor you can sit, drink coffee, read the verses to himself, like this one uncle.

Books in this store seem to be storing some special secret wisdom. They see the unique and inimitable. Of course, it is not. But there's this do not remember.

Knowing that the city has a store, transforms the perception of the whole city. He gets more music, other voices, and new meanings.

In addition to the bookstore I visited all the central market, where the lovely old lady hands strangle birds, where they will show a buyer, and courtesy will pack the poor thing in the package. The cells of these old ladies are sitting rabbits, chickens, ducks, chickens, pigeons ...

And the controversial exhibition "Human Body" (O corpo humano), which is known for its exhibits are not dummies made of papier mache, but real human bodies subjected to the process of polymerization. Films "Saw" - a children's romp in the sandbox compared to the fantasy of the author of the exhibition.

That he was so interesting and different cities of Porto. Tell him to "Obrigado", and went further.