Portugal

Many bridges span over the river Douro in Porto. The Ponte Maria Pia, a technical cousin of the "Viaduc de Garabit " in France, was constructed by Gustave Eiffel and his collegue Théophile Seyrig 1875/1877. The team split and 1881/1886 Mr. Seyrig built the Ponte Dom Luís I, seen here. With a span of 172m. it was the the longest bridge of this type worldwide. On the lower deck are cars, the upper deck is for pedestrians and the Metro Line D.

Late afternoon the shadow shows the construction of the bridge.

Looking south over the river Douro. Near the old harbour on the right bank there are still some parts of the old wall, that surrounded the area in medieval times. "Ribeira", the old town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since a couple of years. In the backround spans the new Infante Bridge over the river.

Not all shops are closed during th long siesta-break. This really nice tea- and coffee shop was open! See the exotic indians that welcome the customers on both side of the entrance.

Azulejos, glazed tiles, give the "Capela das Almas" a very distinctive look. These kind of blue and white tiles are widely used, even on private buildings.

More Azulejos on the front of these houses in the centre of Porto. Each floor has it´s own entrance door. Satellite dishes are used for TV. What people do not use are tumble dryers. They prefer green energy.

The construction of the dominating Cathedral began 1100 and was finished around 200 years later. Though it underwent different alterations over the centuries (gothic, baroque), the romanesque structure of the once fortified church is still clearly visible.

The Cathedral has a very nice and quiet gothic cloister, that you can visit for a small fee. It was built 14th/15th century, is elegant and totally intact.

The Cathedral has a very nice and quiet gothic cloister, that you can visit for a small fee. It was built 14th/15th century, is elegant and totally intact.

Azulejos, glazed tiles, that are very typical for Portugal, give the gothic cloister at the Cathedral "Sé do Porto" a very specific look.

A sunny afternoon on the streets of Porto. Once upon a time the shopowners really invested in opulent facades. This afternoon the shops were closed and the clean shutters had needled some sprayers to use the cans.

Most people having walked the "Camhino Portugues" will remember this spot. Not only for the church "Barreiros de Maia", but as well for the coffee shop on the left where the coffee (as advertised on the blue/yellow board) is only 45 cents.

This romanesque church (12th century) is the only remaining building of the former monastery. It is believed to be one of the oldest existing romanesque churches in Portugal. The monastery has played a role over centuries as a hospital for the pilgrims heading north to Santiago, and since 2004 Rates has an "albergue" again.

Two angels, the lower one with an incense holder, inside the former abbey church in Rates. Though the carving may look a bit primitive, they seem to be very friendly.

Actually Barcelos is an interesting little town, with a huge market, a comfortable hotel, great restaurant, very friendly staff at the Tourist Information and very unfriendly persons inside the churches I went to visit. You ask, even beg, for a permission - NO! It is not allowed to take any photo from the inside. Not even one. They make very clear, that they want you out of the church. I had that in the "Igreja Matriz", that has an interesting history and here in "Igreja do Bom Jesus da Cruz". But I will not talk about it. All stories should stay in Barcelos.

Walking out of Barcelos in the morning I found this blunt example of political unfairness. On the righthand side, opposite the baroque portal, you see the fassade of the office of the Communist Party of Portugal (Partido Comunista Português), clearly marked by a red flag and Hammer and Sickel. It is absolutely not fair to put a traffic-sign on front of that and so not allowing any left turn.

Braga is the center of one of the oldest dioceses of the iberian peninsula, dating to the back to the Migration Period, when Martin of Dumio was able to christianize the invading Suebi tribes, who founded a kingdom here, after the roman power crumbled. The cathedral originally dates back to the 12th century, but it got greatly modified, resulting in a mix of romanesque, gothic baroquche parts. This is the main portal (western façade). The gallery was built in gothic style between 1486 and 1501, the middle arch seems older, the upper part and the towers were "modernised" during the 19th century.

The south side of the cathedral in Braga does have a romanesque portal. Here the the romanesque architecture of a "basilica", with its tall central nave and the lower aisles, is in evidence