Fun

Suggestions – Elien Declerck (Erasmus)
15 October, 2018 / , ,

Nationality: Belgian

International experience: internship and currently living and working in Porto, the city where she moved to after meeting her boyfriend there.

  1. A suggestion of a restaurant to go in Porto

Bira dos namorados, in the street of Ceuta. It is a restaurant that recently opened, but which already existed in Braga. It is a hamburger and pregaria place, with a simple but very good menu. I love the space because it is filled with quaint motifs with its own style and it is almost all built through reused materials.

 

  1. A bar that you really need to know

Capela Incomum, in Travessa do Carregal, in the area of ​​Cedofeita. It is a bar inside an old chapel of the nineteenth century.

 

  1. A tour of Porto

I highly recommend a bike ride along the river Douro to Foz. There are several places along the Ribeira where you can rent a bike, so there are no excuses for not doing this tour. Then, when you get to Foz, you must eat fish in one of the restaurants!

 

  1. A place to study

E-Learning Café in the Botanical Garden. In addition to being a space to study, the e-learning café also organizes various academic and cultural events. The garden is the perfect setting to take a break and a picnic before returning to study.

 

  1. A secret of the city of Porto

The secret ingredient of Francesinha’s sauce! I have not found it yet. Porto has several good restaurants to eat francesinha. My favorite is the restaurant Santiago. That’s where I ate my first one and I was a fan!

Douro Academy
7 October, 2018 / ,

The Douro Academy is the perfect location for all your surfing and canoeing experiences.

The academy is located in the Douro Marina, in Vila Nova de Gaia, in one of the most beautiful landscapes of the north region next to the Douro River and with the ocean in sight. The location is therefore ideal for those who practice or want to learn water sports. You can bring your boat or board or rent equipment from the academy.

Whether it is for training, learning or sightseeing, the Douro Academy has several experiences available that allow you to enjoy the scenery while playing sports. Surf, Stand Up Paddle (SUP), Surfski and Kayak Surf classes are available, as well as kayak and SUP tours, ideal for enjoying the beauty of the Douro’s shores.

 

The prices and terms of participation are explained in detail on the website.

www.douroacademy.com.

Information:

Douro Academy

Douro Marina
Rua da Praia, Vila Nova de Gaia
GPS: 41º 08’ 35’’ N | 8º 39’ 02” W

Tel: + 351 914 322 630

E-mail: info@douroacademy.com

 

Parque Oriental
21 September, 2018 / , ,

It is one of the less known green spaces which makes it more peaceful and ideal for strolling, relaxing or playing sports.

Designed by the same author of Parque da Cidade – the landscape architect Sidónio Pardal – Parque Oriental benefits from the proximity of Rio Tinto and many of the routes are old rural roads that crossed the fields. This quiet and bucolic setting, dominated by pines and cork trees, is perfect for relaxing or escaping the heat on the warmest days of summer.

The wild flowers and some examples of camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas lend more color to this space, making it even more enjoyable for those who like to be in contact with nature.

With nine hectares in length, this park is also ideal for walking, running or cycling, often receiving initiatives designed to promote physical activity.

 

Alameda de Azevedo, Porto

Animaux de Porto
12 September, 2018 / , ,

Laura (26) and Romain (29) came to Porto almost by chance. To their passion for the city they added their love for animals and created Animaux de Porto, a company that provides pet-sitting services.

The French couple, from Brest, Brittany, passed through Porto whilst on vacation in 2016, but it took some time before they decided to leave their jobs and live in France a year ago. Accompanied by their cats, Pipoune and Snookie, they got in the car and began a new life in Porto 17 hours later.

When one of the cats fell ill and realized that the treatment involved taking three pills a day, they questioned what anyone who had animals with similar problems would do. And so the idea came up to create a service for those who have animals and do not want to take them out of their environment whilst on vacation or working.

Pet-sitting is more than a job; it’s a passion that began even in France, when they took care of their relatives’ pets. “We bring a special presence to the animal, which has a moment reserved just for him,” they say, explaining the advantages of this service for both the animal and its owner who receive messages and photographs to keep them informed their animal’s state of mind. And language is no obstacle since, in addition to French, Laura and Romain also speak English and a little Portuguese.

Information:

www.animauxdeporto.com

animauxdeporto@gmail.com

Instagram: @animauxdeporto

Facebook: Animaux de Porto

Tel: + 351 926 857 199

Tél: +33 631 890 173

Loja das Tábuas – An expression of nature
9 August, 2018 / ,

Have you visited Loja das Tábuas? It produces boards for most kitchen Chefs and markets traditional Portuguese products with national, raw materials and revitalizes them with a contemporary and elegant touch.

Visit it at the Palácio das Artes in Porto and find dozens of different models of cutting boards or tableware that you can customize with a laser engraving. In addition to the Portuguese pine, you will find, for example, oak wood boards, olive wood and various cork products. There you can find other utensils such as benches, wine boxes or national cutlery products.

At the end, take your boards in a reused litter pack to complete an experience that values tradition and past knowledge whilst creating emotions in the present.

Largo de São Domingos, 20
Palácio das Artes
Porto
+351222080067
https://www.lojadastabuas.pt

 

The suggestions of Maria Miguel
20 July, 2018 / , ,

At 17 years of age, Maria Miguel already walked the runway for brands like Saint Laurent, Chanel and Isabel Marant. Her career – which she tries to reconcile with her studies – makes her travel a lot, but Porto is her home.

Her passion for the city is implicit and she recently said in an interview with a Portuguese newspaper: “To me, of all cities, it is the best to live in. It has the sea, the river, has great food”.

Maria Miguel was born in Braga but lived in the Gerês area. When her father went to work in Angola, she accompanied the family and lived for seven years in the African country. She still spent a year in England but now, despite spending a lot of time in Paris, it’s in Porto that her family and friends live and here she comes back whenever she can.

The love of fashion came by chance in the life of this “tomboy”, who liked to play football and to walk in shorts. She was approached several times by representatives of models agencies but it wasn’t until the age of 14 that she decided to give it a go. After winning the L’Agence go to model contest, proposals for work began to emerge. She travelled to London and later to Paris, where she did a casting for Saint Laurent that changed her life. She has already opened two runways for the brand and worked exclusively for the prestigious Parisian brand for a full year. Despite all her success, she continues to not be dazzled by fame, keeping her tastes simple and normal for a young girl of her age.

RESTAURANT

Puro 4050: It has the best tru e pizza in the world! Largo São Domingos, 84 Porto

STROLL

Baixa do Porto:

Not only is it beautiful but you can also get a good workout in as it is full of ups and downs.

GARDEN

Parque da Cidade:

It has really cool football fields!

 

The traditional barber shops in Porto
20 July, 2018 / , , ,

These are nine of the traditional barbershops in the city of Porto and all are located between the Hospital Santo António and the São Bento Station.

Also traditional is the decoration of these barbershops, with iron armchairs and brass instruments capable of withstanding decades of use. Professionals also follow this longevity: many are elderly gentlemen with weather-discolored hair and clever fingers wrapped in wrinkles.

  • Barbearia Porto: It was born in 1946 but from that date only the chairs and a shoebox are left. The new owners brought in the rest of the vintage decor. It is two steps from the Avenida dos Aliados.
  • Barbearia Garrett: Since 1979 in the hands of Acácio Branco, this barbershop is just a few meters from the Porto City Hall. With an old-fashioned décor, this establishment only has male guests.
  • Oficina do Cabelo: Formerly known as Tinoco, reopened under this name. From 1929 it maintains the marble washbasins, iron chairs, huge mirrors and floor covered with fan mosaics. It is now considered part of Porto’s heritage.
  • Barbearia Santo António: It is not much bigger than a corridor, but it brings a lot of history in the hands of António Cardoso. There are more than 50 years of cuts at the beginning of Rua 31 de Janeiro.
  • Barbearia Norton: In this barbershop, in the Batalha area, we talk about everything and keep alive the tradition of the neighbourhood barber with leather chairs, beard brush and razors.
  • Salão Veneza: It is almost 90 years old and more than 70 years as a barbershop. Some of the most unforgettable characters of our history have already sat in these red armchairs.
  • Barbearia Sport: It was in 1942 that this barbershop settled in Porto. It happened in an era where one would spend more time embellishing their moustache than cutting hair.
  • Barbearia Invicta: Aventino Silva has been in this barbershop since the age of 10 and despite the arrival of the blades, he has not lost clients.
  • Barbearia Orlando: It already has two spaces in Porto but it is in the Rua Álvaro Castelões that the tradition, the customers and the conversations are kept on point.

Source: “Os bigodes à antiga e a arte de os fazer bem feitos” – Prova de Aptidão Artística (Artistic aptitude test) by Edgar Duarte (Escola Artística Soares dos Reis)

Port Wine Museum
20 July, 2018 /

The Port Wine Museum, inaugurated in 2004, is housed in the Cais Novo warehouse, an 18th century building built on the initiative of a Douro family for the wine depot of the General Company of Agriculture and Vineyards of Alto Douro.

The purpose of this space is to present the history and importance of the Port wine trade in the historical development of the city. Several panels and multimedia stations throughout the museum illustrate the commercial activity, the wine region, the Douro railway line, the boats rabelos, the evolution of bottles and various objects related to the famous nectar.

The area of ​​the museum is developed through a course that provides different readings for the same set of pieces and covers areas as distinct as the archaeological residues of the commercial Porto, the shipwrecks in the Douro banks, the rabelo boats, the importance of the opening of the Douro line and the appearance of banking in the city.

Information:

Rua de Monchique, 94

Entrance fee: 2,20€ (student discounts, >65 e PortoCard members

Schedule: Monday to Saturday: 10:30 to 17:30

 

 

Douro Marina – Where excellence lies in the quality of service
16 July, 2018 / , ,

Douro Marina, located on a beach street in Afurada on the edge of Vila Nova de Gaia, is a port of great excitement with incredible views, places for walks, restaurants, shops and cafes.

This infrastructure is one of the emblematic works of the MCA Group that was responsible for the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance. With a capacity for 300 boats up to 20 meters, Douro Marina is the largest port north of Lisbon. It has support infrastructures and services with about 2000m2, spread over 3 buildings, whose architecture reflects and interacts with the surrounding riverside landscape, inspired from the Portuguese tradition of shipbuilding.

In addition to the port, the Marina has welcomed in its complex space, leisure events, sports, corporate events, conferences, training and presentations, benefiting from the extraordinary views and logistic conditions, which includes catering and meals.

Douro Marina is a new concept where sports, leisure, tourism, gastronomy and nature combine in a sustainable, innovative and full service concept.

For those who simply want to relax and watch one of the best sunsets in the world the esplanade is the ideal place. Nonetheless, you can also enjoy the 3 restaurants, nautical charters, nautical products shop, sailing academy, SUP gym and kayaks and bike rental, as well as spaces for group or private events.

Since its creation, the MCA Group / Douro Marina aims to achieve recognition in terms of sustainability and preservation of space as an indicative example where the intervention of man adds value and preserves its surrounding nature.

 BLUE FLAG HOLDER 2018 IN THE DOURO MARINA

The national ceremony to raise the first Marina Blue Flag in 2018 took place on June 19. This event took place in the Douro Marina in Vila Nova de Gaia, being the first Marina awarded the Blue Flag in the north of Portugal in the last 9 years.

Eduardo Vitor Rodrigues, Mayor of Vila Nova de Gaia, José Archer, president of the Blue Flag of Europe association and Manuel Couto Alves, president of MCA Group / Douro Marina, presided over the ceremony which also included representatives of public entities and tourism in Northern Portugal.

According to the National Blue Flag jury, the choice of Douro Marina to host the ceremony was recognition of the commitment shown and the work carried out in favour of sustainability. More so, seeing that there weren’t any Blue Flag awards since 2009 in a Marina or Recreational Port in the northern region of the country.

The beaches of Porto
17 May, 2018 / , ,

The sunny days and heat encourage you to go to the beach and in Porto youdo not have to go far to nd a quietplace by the sea to sunbathe, stroll, savour a delicious meal or a cool drink.

Being in a city by the beach is an easy dream to ful-l for those who are in Porto. Visit the nine BlueFlag beaches where you can enjoy the summer without giving up the city life.

PRAIA DO OURIGO

The bathing tradition dates back to the 16th century, when it was said that these waters healed diseases.

PRAIA DO HOMEM DO LEME (HELM MAN BEACH)

It’s ideal for those who have children, since it has two playgrounds. It is a rocky beach, with an area of 374 sq meters. The name comes from the bronze statue, placed on Avenida de Montevideu, which pays homage to theshermen.

PRAIA DO CARNEIRO (RAM BEACH)

It has an extensive beach and has been very popu- lar since the 19th century. Some centuries ago it was a grazing area. A folk tale tells that it was here that one of those sheep strayed from its fold. The image of the sheep was eternalized on top of the Chalé Suíço (a kiosk that still exists today in Rua do Passeio Alegre).

PRAIA DAS PASTORAS (SHEPHERDESS BEACH)

The beach is delimited by two piers, which protects itfrom the wind. It is here that the Douro River ows intothe Atlantic Ocean. It has this name because it was cus- tomary for the shepherdesses to bring their sheep here to graze on the herbs and smell the seaside.

PRAIA DE GONDARÉM

A beach with 115 meters of extension. The name of this beach derives from the Latin and means something like “rest in the battle”. It has a stone wall that is covered because of high tides, making it safer for children.

PRAIA DO MOLHE (QUAY BEACH)

It has an extension of 168 meters and it is named after the coastal structure, similar to a pontoon that advances into the sea and limits the bathing zone. The landscape is embellished by the Pérgola da Foz, a cement balus- trade built in the 1930s that functions as a privileged gazebo over the sea. The staircase and the surrounding area make it one of the most beautiful beaches in Porto.

PRAIA DOS INGLESES (BEACH OF THE ENGLISH)

As the name implies, it was a beach preferred by the British community of Porto. An 86 sq meters sandbank,an area of very smooth slopes and ne sand.

PRAIA DA LUZ

A small beach framed by rocks and a garden area on Avenida do Brasil. When the tide is low you can see two pontoons supporting the baths of the 19th century.

PRAIA CASTELO DO QUEIJO

Located next to Castelo do Queijo. It is a rocky area,much sought after by shermen and people seeking totake advantage of the medicinal properties of rocks.

Photo credits: Marisa Pinheiro