Porto 2

Since markets were more likely to be open on Saturday compared to Sunday, I decided to tour the markets today and do the day trip tomorrow. I caught the metro to Bolhão Market (although I discovered later that it was walking distance from my lodgings).

It has been refurbished and is obviously targeted towards tourists.

I always enjoy looking at fruits that are available in a region.

This girl was very charming and persuasive in promoting her family's stall.

This would have been preserved from a previous incarnation of the market.

The entrance of the market. The reason I didn't encounter this first was because I entered using the connecting passage to the metro, which was the reason I took the metro, for easy entry.

Another view of the entrance from the left.

The side of the market.

The row of shops opposite. The whole area has been made very attractive to tourists. Porto is a hot destination at the moment which is causing angst in the housing market as properties have been diverted into short-term accommodation. More on that later.

Another view of the shops from higher ground. Of course there's a souvenir shop.

From the market it was only a couple of blocks walk to Porto City Hall. It being a weekend, it was crowded.

The Fonte dos Aliados, just ideal for birds to relax.

Nearby is the Hotel Aliados.

The Café Guarany where I had my first dinner in Porto of octopus 14 years before to the day was still there.

At the bottom of the plaza is the Igreja de Santo António dos Congregados with a beautiful facade.

I walked down the pedestrian shopping street Rua das Flores and came across this street artist who does portraits on repurposed vinyl records.

Tourists were enjoying eating and drinking al fresco but the tiles on this building caught my eye.

There wasn't much of interest further down Rua das Flores so I walked back along Rua de Sá da Bandeira back to the São Bento subway station entrance, noting where I had to be next morning to join the day trip.

I went looking for the next market west of City Hall and passed these attractive buildings.

The Portobelo Market was small and had only a few stalls selling artistic bric-a-brac.

The University of Porto with many young people in the plaza. The fountain is Fontes dos Leões.

Off to the northwest corner of the plaza is the Igreja do Carmo.

Facing the university, the art deco Armazéns Cunhas which used to be a department store needs restoration.

A closer view of the University facade.

I walked back east along Rua de Passos Manuel which was thronged with foot traffic.

A parking garage with art deco lines also in need of restoration.

Pingo Doce is not just a supermarket chain but also serves tasty inexpensive meals in their cafeterias.

There are no pictures for the afternoon so I think I must have had a siesta. I was rather tired after the long intercontinental journey and I hadn't really had a decent rest in Lisbon.

The last picture for the day, of a poster near the Praça dos Poveiros announcing a street demonstration against housing shortages. In short, the activists feel that too much housing is tied up in profit-making (e.g. tourist accommodation) and not enough is available to residents.