Ribeira, picture postcard perfect

 Ribeira

Rain, rain please go away, come back again another day…or so the saying goes. It has been raining in Porto everyday for over a week with no signs of letting up soon (November is supposed to be particularly rainy).

Some of these photos were taken pre-rain and others on cloudy rainy days. Even so, Ribeira is still picture postcard perfection!

This historical center is one of the oldest in Porto and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996.

The Ribeira starts with Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto) and moves down towards the Douro River and up and down the river to the left and right of Dom Luis bridge. The best view of Porto and Ribeira is from Gaia on the other side of the river.

Sé Cathedral

As much of a religious icon as it is a fortress with it Baroque architecture is one of the oldest churches from the 12th Century.

And more churches...

Igreja de São Francisco (St Francis)

The intricate detail of the architecture is spectacular and is the only Gothic church in the city (Baroque/Roman influenced). 

Igreja de Santa Clara is a really beautiful church. Here is the view from the Douro River. 

Duke of Ribeira is a famous fisherman who saved a boy from drowning in the Douro and became a celebrity. The Ribeira Negra mural portrays life along the Porto River. Cubo da Ribeira is a monument and well known landmark of Porto.

Ribeira Negra

Cubo da Ribeira

More photos of Ribeira community

Street Musician on the square

Lunch at Fish Fish

Bridges of Porto

I took a boat tour to view the six bridges of Porto, most connecting to the Ribeira.

The main bridge connecting Gaia (port wine distilleries) is Dom Luis. Traveling east along the river is Dona Maria Pia Bridge (built by Eiffel Company), Infante bridge, Freixo the most easterly bridge and São João bridge which is a railway bridge and finally, Arrabida bridge. The first bridge built to cross the Douro. 

It may look familiar as It was in my Walking Tour post.

Freixo Bridge (most easterly bridge)

Infante Bridge

Dona Maria Pia Bridge

Arrabida Bridge

São João Bridge (railway bridge)

In other news...

My new Porto friends, Bob and Judy treated me to a very tasty Korean dinner and afterwards we went to a local coffee house near their house for a Barista Competition!

We were jammed into this tiny place (there is a courtyard but closed due to the rain) not to drink coffee, but Porto tônica (white port wine and tonic water, yummy) and watch Portuguese barista’s compete for the best “frothy” coffee design. 

The point is who had the best topping design to gourmet coffee. The winner was the current barista campion who had just returned from a competition in Australia. I’m not making any of this up!

And the winner is...(the one facing the shoes)