|
| |
|
OPORTO |
| |
|
|
| |
Capital of the north, OPORTO (Pôrto) is very different from Lisbon -
unpretentious, inward-looking, unashamedly commercial. As the local
saying goes: "Coimbra sings; Braga prays; Lisbon shows off; and Oporto
works." The city's fascination lies very much in the life of the place,
with its prosperous business core surrounded by smart suburbs and
elegant villas, side by side with a heart of cramped streets and ancient
alleys that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Classified Area.
Together with Rotterdam, Oporto was declared European City of Culture
2001 . The reality of the situation is that due to considerable delays,
many events will take place in 2002. For further information on events,
contact Porto 2001 , Edificio Peninsula, Praça do Bom Sucesso 127-5° (tel
22 605 9400, www.porto2001.pt ). Meanwhile, daily life in the city
continues to be inconvenienced by the major roadworks and construction
sites that characterize the preparation.
The City
The stifled streets of the old town rarely permit any sort of overall
view, so it's a good idea to climb the 250 steps to the Baroque Igreja e
Torre dos Clérigos (daily 10am-noon & 2-5pm; tower ¬0.50) to get your
bearings.
Not much goes on in the daytime at the waterfront since the big ships
stopped calling here, but this is definitely the centre for nightlife.
To the west, a statue of Oporto-born Henry the Navigator faces the glass-domed
former Stock Exchange and the back of São Francisco (Mon-Sat 9am-5/6pm;
April-Oct also Sun 10am-6pm; ¬2.50, including entry to museum), perhaps
the most extraordinary church in Oporto. Outside it looks like an
ordinary Gothic construction, but the interior has been transformed by
an unbelievably ornate attack of eighteenth-century refurbishment. Don't
miss the church's small museum , which consists largely of artefacts
salvaged from the monastery that once stood nearby.
The Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis at Rua de Dom Manuel II (Tues 2-6pm,
Wed-Sun 10am-12.30pm & 1.30-6pm; ¬2.50), over to the west behind the
city hospital, was the first national museum in Portugal. Its collection
includes glass, ceramics and a formidable array of eighteenth- and
nineteenth-century paintings, as well as the late-nineteenth-century
sculptures of Soares dos Reis - his O Desterro (The Exile) is probably
the best-known work in Portugal. Follow the road past the museum, or
take any bus from the Cordoaria stop except #6 and #18, and you'll come
to the Jardim do Palácio de Cristal , a peaceful park dominated by a
huge domed pavilion which now serves as an exhibition hall. In summer
the park is home to a vast funfair. On the far side, across Rua Entre
Quintas, stands the Solar do Vinho do Porto (Mon-Fri 10am-11.45pm, Sat
11am-10.45pm), where you can sample one of hundreds of varieties of port
in air-conditioned splendour - a good prelude to visiting Vila Nova.
|
| |
|
