After the YAPC::Europe 2005 conference in Braga, Portugal, I spent the weekend in Porto, famed for being the city of port wine. But first, I visited the Bom Jesus church in the hills over Braga. In the immortal words of the philosophers Bill & Ted, "there were many steps and columns. It was most tranquil." | ||
From the outside ... (532x800 370K) |
And inside. Nice to see that Catholics are paying attention to
Exodus 20:4 and Mark 10:21 (532x800 440K) |
Under the dome (800x532 325K) |
The church was built in 1784 (800x258 260K) |
and has some pleasant gardens below it (800x482 457K) (full size) |
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Then I got a bus to Braga railway station where I met Simon Cozens and a Stray Toaster, with whom I toddled off to Porto. | ||
Fancy tilework inside Porto station (800x532 440K) |
Ponte de Dom Luis I - the top deck carries a light railway, the bottom
a road, although it was originally built to carry two roads (800x532 430K) |
Train crossing the bridge (800x490 385K) |
It's nice to see people still live in the touristy bit of town (800x530 463K) |
Monastery, from Dom Luis bridge (800x603 473K) |
Ribeira, the oldest part of the city. My hotel was the yellow
building in the middle (800x532 485K) |
Barges, sadly just for show these days (670x800 645K) |
Archbishop's Palace (on the right) above the Ribeira (800x532 440K) (full size) |
The Ramos Pinto lodge (532x800 350K) (full size) |
Ramos Pinto lodge again (800x532 500K) |
Ahhhhhh (800x532 265K) (full size) |
What the Fuck? (800x409 257K) |
The Stray Toaster (800x532 340K) |
Port lodges in the evening (800x532 333K) |
Maria Pia bridge, designed by Gustav Eiffel (800x532 315K) (full size) |
Arrabida Bridge (800x532 247K) (full size) |
Porto Cathedral (800x645 492K) |
The city, from top of Torre Clerigos (800x532 590K) |
Prince Henry the Navigator, who was allegedly born in Porto, and
who founded the Portuguese empire (622x800 450K) |