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April 17th - Day 8
April 17th - Day 8
Our introduction to Porto yesterday proved that there was much to enjoy in this lovely coastal town. What I didn't know until now was that this was where J.K. Rowling, who at one time had a now long forgotten Portuguese boyfriend, and sat in a Porto cafe one winter to write her first magical book about Harry Potter. From the dark capes used by students, to what Naomi tells us is a fantastic bookshop located in this city, J.K. Rowling drew from the charm of this city and wrote elements of what she saw into her books. Naomi, of course, is a huge fan of HP. I guess we all are! It is going to be fun to explore some of these sites as we walk about this beautiful city today. More to come.
Our introduction to Porto yesterday proved that there was much to enjoy in this lovely coastal town. What I didn't know until now was that this was where J.K. Rowling, who at one time had a now long forgotten Portuguese boyfriend, and sat in a Porto cafe one winter to write her first magical book about Harry Potter. From the dark capes used by students, to what Naomi tells us is a fantastic bookshop located in this city, J.K. Rowling drew from the charm of this city and wrote elements of what she saw into her books. Naomi, of course, is a huge fan of HP. I guess we all are! It is going to be fun to explore some of these sites as we walk about this beautiful city today. More to come.
The magnificant São Bento railway station, over twenty years in the making, was completed in 1916. Part of the work included building a tunnel, seen at the end of the station, allowing for trains to enter the station without disturbing the rest of the city.
Beautifully detailed blue tiles describe the history of the region, including a fantastic, but over-dramatized scene of the Battle of Valdevez, which took place at Arcos de Valdevez on the banks of the river Vez between the Kingdom of León and the Kingdom of Portugal in the summer of 1140. What actually took place however, at least according to Wikipedia, was basically a jousting match between knights on horseback. Few lives were actually lost.
The Lello Bookstore (Livraria Lello), was built in 1906, and is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world. But the reason there were linups over a block long to see it is because it is said that J.K. Rowling, who lived and taught English in Porto between 1991 and 1993, was inspired by it. All of this is quite possible, because J.K. Rowling was apparently a loyal customer at the bookstore. At any rate, Naomi bravely waited in the line for over an hour in drizzling rain, and was rewarded by seeing it first-hand!
While Naomi was at the Lello Bookstore, Hilary and I visited a contemporary photography vy Paulo Cunha E Silva, a well known artist in Porto, who is also a medical anatomy instructor at the University. Hilary put the thermal imaging system he uses at the university to good use.
What would a day be like in Portugal without seeing another church? The Igreja de São Francisco, built in 1245 stands out, however, for its outrageous opulence. It is believed that over 300 kilos of gold dust were used to decorate the church’s interior. Apparently, the temple’s ornamentation was for a time considered too extravagant for the poverty that surrounded it, so it was closed for a few years.
Under the Igreja de São Francisco lie the catacombs, where the Franciscan monks are buried and members of Porto’s wealthiest families. There is also an ossuary underneath, with thousands of human bones, disconcertingly visible through a glass floor.
A statue of Prince Henry, 'the Navigator". Living between 1394 –1460,, he systematically explored Western Africa and islands of the Atlantic Ocean and was responsible for early development of Portuguese exploration and maritime trade with other continents.
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