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 Flea market in porto by nhcram
This market can be found in the Campo dos Martires da Patria street.
We unfortunately did not find any bargains that day! Leave a Comment
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Each people that have passed through the territory, that comprehends theactual Portugal have left their mark in terms of culture. From Roman times, and even from before then, as a result of the long Arab presence and their own maritime voyages to Africa, the Far East and the Southern Atlantic, the Portuguese have built up a unique culture and a different art.
Especially in the south, Portuguese architecture is a knowledgeable blend of Arab features and European styles such as the Renaissance. Of them all, the Manueline style (16th-century), an exaltation of the Portuguese overseas expansion, is perhaps the most original. Some of these masterpieces are considered World Heritage, and Portugal, a small country, is proud of having no less than 12 classified sites!
The art of the 'azulejos', the glazed decorative tile, inherited from the Moors, was used in Portugal in a very different way from all the other European countries. The most distinctive tiles are the blue and white azulejos of the baroque period. They are used to line the walls of churches, cloisters and palaces, forming a kind of graffiti that tells us the stories of saints or recounts profane themes, such as... the fables of La Fontaine.
Kept at Portuguese Museums are magical pieces that teach people about our art and history and show us the works of art that were born from the artistic inspiration of the Portuguese in their encounters with other peoples. More.
But culture is also the reflection of a lifestyle. Calm and tranquil (except when behind a steering-wheel) and endowed with an innate sense of politeness, the Portuguese have a melancholic side to them, that they refer to as “saudade” and which finds its most moving expression in Fado. Leave a Comment
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Entertainment
The Portuguese love to talk and enjoy themselves by getting together in a group on the pretext of celebrating family birthdays, weddings and baptisms, or even without any excuse at all. Preferably outside the house, because Portugal’s mild climate encourages this.
The Portuguese people’s natural taste for conversation has its own privileged setting: the Café. Here, gathered together around a small cup of coffee, the famous “bica”, people discuss such subjects as politics, work, women, men and the day’s news.
In the summer months, under the pleasant warmth of the sun, or at night, when the music becomes confused with the rhythmic sound of the breaking waves, the small beach bars provide an excellent and original alternative for having a good time. The climate is particularly helpful: in Portugal, the temperatures stubbornly refuse to break records for either the highest or the lowest.
Old spaces have been intelligently redesigned and are now extremely popular leisure areas. These are places with great charm, offering entertainment designed to suit all kinds of tastes and for people of all ages.
In the summer, there is a great wealth of cultural events. Mingle with our friendly and hospitable inhabitants at the festivities held in honour of the so-called Popular Saints, held mainly in the month of June, and enjoy the lively street entertainment. Music and dancing are to be found at internationally famous festivals, bringing excitement to the hot summer nights. Make the most of your stay!
As places that are regularly used for meeting friends and for taking part in animated discussions, cafés already enjoy more than a century of tradition in Portugal. Even today, a time when everything is done at great speed and in a hurry, to sit calmly sipping a cup of coffee is more than just a habit, it’s a religion. You’ll find cafés everywhere, but above all don’t forget to visit those where our poets and artists have left their distinctive marks. Leave a Comment
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Francesinha is the name of a typical food you can eat in Porto/North region. It is made with 2 slices of bread and inside the bread you can find beef, ham and cheese. All is covered with a spicy tasty sauce (no idea of ingredients, just know it’s tasty!!) and more cheese. In some places you will find “variations” such as egg, mushroom, and so on. I don’t have a photo; so i guess i will have to visit Porto soon, take my camera, order (and eat!!) Francesinha so that i can shoot it, just for your Vters. :-) Leave a Comment
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I should probably call it ýmust seeý as i never miss it when i visit Porto and i recommend going there. Majestic is a luxurious cafe that opened in 1921 and it has played an important role in politics and artistic circles. Nowadays it is almost an ýinstitutioný. Service is ok and so is food (pastry), although it is not cheap. Thereýs a certain ambiance in it, ý splendour, ý donýt miss. It is in Rua de Santa Catarina, a pedestrian shopping street. Once again, no photo available. :-( Leave a Comment
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 by micas_ptLeave a Comment
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 by magor65
How is port wine made?
There are about 40 varieties of grapes grown in the port wine region. They are picked by hand in September. In the past the grapes used to be trod upon by foot, but nowadays modern methods are used ( although for the sake of tradition a small fraction of grapes are still prepared for fermentation in this old way). Then the 'must' is mixed with a strictly specified quantity of brandy to prevent futher fermentation. All kinds of ports, except for a 'vintage', are aged in oak casks before being bottled.
Basic kinds of port wine:
- vintage - the finest and most expensive of all ports. It comes from best vineyards form one year and must be bottled within 2 years of harvesting. Its minimum maturity period is 15 years.
- tawny - blended wine from different years, amber-brown in colour;
- ruby - blended wine from different years, deep red in colour, fruity in taste, usually takes from one to three years to mature
- white - served chilled as an aperitif, either dry or sweet in flavour Leave a Comment
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The atmosphere of expectation can be alredy felt a day or two before the big night of June 23/24. In the streets you can see plenty of stalls selling herbs in pots, long-stem garlic and onion, plastic helmets and of course hammers made of plastic in different sizes and colours.
In the morning of 23rd people start decorating their houses and streets with colourful streamers and paper chains.
The whole feast starts late in the afternoon. Everywhere you can notice barbecues on the pavements, and soon the wisps of smoke can be seen all over the city as codfish, sardines and green pepper are being prepared for late dinner. At the same time streams of people are heading for Ribeira, most of them equipped with plastic hammers. OH, THE FIRST BLOW ON THE HEAD! I hoped to be only the spectator but it appears impossible. More and more people tap us, not only children, but also adults - even the elderly. No, of course it doesn't hurt, but the squeaking sound is a bit unpleasant, especially when you don't expect the blow.
We come to Cais de Ribeira hoping to find a free table in one of many restaurants. Unfortunately, all places are filled with crowds of people. By now, we don't react to the hammers any longer, the frequency of 'blows' is so high that sometimes it's even not possible to see the 'attacker'. The squeaking sound dominates over the people's voices. Now I understand why so many people are wearing helmets, although the blows in their case are a bit stronger. Leave a Comment
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