News

Sugestions Fernando Vaz
15 January, 2019 / ,
  1. Restaurant

Euskalduna.

It was born two years ago. The Euskalduna. A restaurant out of this world. At that counter where love is served in the form of boletos or rooster-fish eggs. With herbs, shaves and reductions. Textures and flavors. Elements. Juices. Aromas. The shrimp and the mackerel, shrimp and pigeon seem out of a fable. And the rabanada that closes the meal is a metaphor that reminds us that what is perfect does not need anything. It is through small insignificances that Vasco travels in search of perfection. In a smoked chicken broth to season a squid. In a low temperature yolk to make a rolled ticket sublime. In a carabineiro juice that gives a divine touch to a prawn açorda. In the gum of a carolino rice berry. Or that bread that Rui kneaded. A must repeat to those who’ve been there. A discovery for those who love the elegance of good food and have not yet found the best destination for this purpose in the very noble and unconquered city of Porto

 

  1. Sightseeing

The green Porto. In the park. It could be in the City. Listening through plantains the whispers of Nick Cave pushing the sky. Or in Serralves. Go through the Clareira das Azinheiras with Richard Serra. Cross the Alameda with Claes Oldenburg. Contemplate the sky in the Roseiral with Anish Kapoor and the Sky Mirror. Feel the caress of light on the Lake and the Meadow. And end up in the Tea House as Lou Reed to drink sangria in the Park and sing “Oh It’s such a perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with you”.

 

 

 

  1. Exposure

Miró is back home. In Serralves. Some works from the collection of the Portuguese State, you will find paintings from the Miró and Mapfre Foundations collection. An exhibition focused on the period leading up to Miró’s grand retrospective at the Grand Palais in Paris in 1973. Tension and anger at the death of painting. Creation and destruction. Trimmed frames. Burned. Murdered. Die to be reborn, to reinvent. New materials. Ready made art. Bags, buckets, boxes of wine. Some works that were not shown for nearly forty years. And the Sobreteixims we already know of “Materiality and Metamorphosis”. “Miró and the Death of Painting”. Another great exhibition in Serralves. We are waiting for you until 3 March.

 

Porto – Two places to visite
14 January, 2019 / ,

POINT 1: CAPELA FAROL S.MIGUEL O ANJO

The Lighthouse-Chapel of São Miguel-O-Anjo was the first lighthouse built from scratch in Portugal and one of the first in the world. It was built in 1527 in the area of ​​the Cantareira, by order of D.Miguel da Silva – King’s ambassador to the Pope, Bishop of Viseu and Abbot Commander of the Monastery of Santo Tirso.

The influences brought and lived from his stay in Italy inspired the construction of what is considered the first Portuguese renaissance building. Like the Pantheon in Rome, the lighthouse chapel features a centralized plan where the sacred area lies at the center of the space. Originally, the lighthouse was embedded in the cliffs of the river Douro but in the late nineteenth century it was surrounded by the construction of the new jetty.

 

Although it is currently closed to the public due to its poor state of conservation, it is worth visiting this monument and its context. To see in the background the sea line, to imagine all the traffic that has passed through it for all these centuries and to read closely the inscription on the stone wall that is resisting the erosion of the times.

The lighthouse now awaits restoration works that will include an exhibition of the history of the monument.

 

POINT 2: MIRADOURO DE SANTA CATARINA

The viewpoint of Santa Catarina is, simultaneously, the width of the Chapel of Santa Catarina and Senhora dos Anjos, high in the parish of Lordelo do Ouro. The wide, welcoming area is surrounded by a stone wall that protects us from the cliff and invites us to approach.

Here we are invaded by the wide view of the estuary of the river Douro. Within reach is great part of the south bank of the Douro, the garden of the Calém, the bridge of Arrábida, the green Park of the Pasteleira and the house to the sea. As we look over the wall we can contemplate the topography that descends on terraces or peer into the courtyards and gardens of the neighboring families.

 

The square has recently been renovated and the chapel is also in good condition. In the stripped white façade, the tile figures of Santa Catarina and Senhora dos Anjos stand out. The chapel opens on Saturdays to celebrate Mass at 5pm. The late afternoon visit allows you to admire the beautiful sunset.

Night in Porto
10 January, 2019 / , ,

One needs to start this journey with their belly lined. Create a wall that is prepared to protect us from the aggressions that we are about to endure. For this, there is no better than a Francesinha. The place? Requinte, still in Matosinhos, which promises to protect all those who venture out in Porto.

The night is a crescendo, and if we have dinner in Matosinhos it is necessary to start to climb the Avenida da Boavista where, in the middle of it, it is obligatory to make a pit stop in the Bar 1900, in Foco. The young environment and the mystery that covers it, are signs of a promising future. There, one drinks beer, cold “minis”, or cocktails brilliantly prepared by its owner: Martins, as everyone knows him by.

However, this is just a warm-up. When the sounds of the bells begin, announcing a new day, it is time to take to the sea and continue to climb Boavista towards Porto. Then the world begins. Adega Sports, Adega D.Leonor and 77 are the mandatory stops. Also, these places are not eternal and when their closure begins it is time of indecisions: go for a little dance or call it a night. For those who are willing to make their night epic, in my opinion, there is only one place to go: Boo. Refined space, many stories, where we are well served and well received, with the music of vogue and an environment of more or less general madness. However, for the less adventurous, the Rendez Vous or Porto Tónico  are always good places to stretch your legs. These never disappoint and are a safe haven of leisurely play.

It is necessary to finish as we started, in Rainha da Foz , accompanied by a Francesinha or some “panados à Rainha” and a beer, laughter and memories of a recent night that promises to linger in our memory.

 

Zeca Couceiro da Costa

Hotel Solverde Spa & Wellness Center
28 December, 2018 / ,

The Hotel Solverde Spa & Wellness Center is a reference of Greater Porto, the only 5 star hotel in the north of the country, located in front of the beach. It is only two minutes from Espinho and just 15 minutes from Porto, this hotel offers the ideal conditions for both leisure tourism and business.
It is set in a 2-hectare complex with direct access to the beach.The hotel provides a pleasant atmosphere of relaxation spiced with the scent of sea air and magnificent views of the sea and the surrounding landscape.
The gastronomy is also one of the highlights of this Solverde hotel unit, offering a rich and varied range of the most delicious delicacies of traditional Portuguese cuisine.
The Spa & Wellness Center is one of the most complete and modern in the country. It provides for the perfect symbiosis between body and mind, offering exclusive treatments, allied to the Thalgo and Terraké brands.

Accommodation
• 174 rooms (90% are interconnecting rooms)
• 169 rooms, 111 of which have a balcony and sea view
• 5 suites with balcony and sea view
• Rooms for people of reduced mobility
• Air conditioning
• Safe
• Mini-bar
• Telephone with a direct outside line
• Cable TV
• Free Wi-Fi

Restaurants | Bars
• “O Jardim” Restaurant with panoramic views of the sea
and gardens (capacity for 200 people)
• Coffee Shop (capacity for 100 people)
• Ponto de Encontro Bar (70 seats capacity)
• Salão de Jogos Bar (70 seats capacity)
• Esplanade – Roofed Bar for smokers (36 seats capacity)
• 24-hour room service

Services
• 17 meeting rooms with natural light (the largest with 400 m2)
• Free Wi-Fi
• Laundry service
• Free private parking (300 cars)
• Private garage (50 cars)
• Charging point electric cars: 1 Tesla + 1 Universal
• Business Center
• Helipad

Leisure
• Outdoor seawater swimming pool
• 2 Tennis courts
• Padel court
• Football pitch
• Beach Volleyball Court
• Mini-Golf
• Playground
• Bicycles

Spa & Wellness Center (1800 m2)
• Gym equipped with cardiofitness machines
• Indoor heated seawater swimming pool
• Heated seawater dynamic swimming pool
• Saunas area (sauna, laconium, salts steam bath, ice cabin
and sensations shower)
• 6 treatment cabinets, floating, vichy shower and royal bath
• 2 relaxation rooms (one of which has Wave Dream)

Entertainment and amusement close by
• Espinho Casino and Bingo
• Golf – Oporto Golf Club and Miramar Golf Club
• Horse Riding
• Skydiving
• Surfing and other water and nautical sports
• Espinho Tennis Complex
• Indoor Karting
• Paintball
• Gaia-Espinho maritime boardwalk (>15 km long)
• Gastronomic itineraries
• Tourist Cruises on the River Douro
• Guided visits to the city of Porto, Castles, Museums, Port
Cellars
• Gaia and Porto Marina
• Various tourist activities

Clerigos Museum
14 December, 2018 / , ,

The journey through the Casa da Irmandade (1754-1758), where the Museum is located, provides a return to the past as you get to explore spaces that once were private and destined for the daily life of the Brotherhood of Clerics.

Walking through the Casa do Despacho, the Sala do Cofre, the Archives, and the old infirmary, one can see that the Museum has a collection of cultural assets of considerable artistic value from the 13th to the 20th century, which spreads through its collections of sculpture, painting, furniture and jewellery. These goods are messengers of a historical and cultural patrimony, whose function was lost throughout time but gave way to the creation of the museum.

 

The infirmary of the Brotherhood of Clerics, which operated until the end of the 19th century and dedicated to the treatment of sick clerics, has been converted into an exhibition space and currently houses the Christus collection. This exhibition, conceived from the donation of a collection by a private collector, reveals the passion for collecting and tells a story complemented by objects, once of devotion, considered today cultural legacies of interest. They are important pieces of sculpture, painting and jewellery making that enhance the encounter of art with faith.

The exhibition, distributed in three rooms – Núcleo da Paixão, Viagem das Formas e Imagens de Cristo – invites you to travel through time and space, through image and devotion.

The Museum of the Irmandade dos Clérigos, is part of the Portuguese Museum Network, since August 28, 2018.

 

Sugestions by Paulo Sarmento e Cunha
7 December, 2018 / ,

I’ve been living in downtown Porto for 15 years, since the area was decadent and unsafe in the eyes of most… but not mine.

The downtown of this city has a strong character, with spaces enveloped by buildings with history and traditions. It is from here that I often go for walks, usually on foot or by public transport.

I know the city where I live. I’ve been discovering its corners over the years, from where the river meets the sea to the opposite side, where the city is still strongly marked by the industrial movement of other times.

There are not many public sites in the city that I have not visited, some of them quite vivid and filling my memory. However, Porto always surprises me. The sites are reborn and renewed, so I often feel like a tourist in my own city.

I will be a tourist when I go back to Quinta do Barão de Nova Sintra, after the recent requalification, which made it worthy of the name Jardins Românticos de Nova Sintra (Romantic Gardens of Nova Sintra), going back to stroll, see the old fountains and how the new sculpture of Julião Sarmento was integrated into the new garden.

It will also be a pleasure to revisit Parque da Pasteleira and witness the transformation to which the old water reservoir is being subjected in order to welcome one of the sites of the City Museum. I am curious to know how the history of the City will be cared for inside the successive water cells of the old reservoir.

I usually start my days early. I try to keep this habit on weekends and get out early to enjoy the mornings. I avoid, therefore, the night and the atmosphere of bars. I prefer coffees and I like to read in the light of day. My favorite is Guarany, right on Avenida dos Aliados. With a lot of arabica, the taste of the coffee is prolonged.

 

As for restaurants, I have a particular relationship with Euskalduna Studio, in Rua de Santo Ildefonso. I never got to dine there. “We’re sorry, but we don’t have a table”, “Sorry, but we’re full”… are some of the answers I’ve often encountered. I’ll keep trying…

To listen to music… naturally, Casa da Música.

The magic of Christmas in Lapa
5 December, 2018 / , , ,

If we ask different people what Christmas is like in Porto we will get different answers. They will say that it is the beauty of the Aliados Christmas tree, the color of the lights downtown, the frenzy of Santa Catarina, the Bolo Rei from different traditional pastries or the cod of a certain grocery store, which has been conceptualized by years of infallible service to the palate of Porto. All this is true, and there would be more to add. However, all this is part of something infinitely more important, all this underlines the joy of what Christmas really is, but it does not exhaust or overshadow it. Christmas is the birth of Christ, the proclamation of redemption, the celebration of God’s supreme trust in His people.

Living, or being in Porto, on this date makes it mandatory to witness to the way the city lives this significant moment of its spirituality. I venture to say that, at least once in my life, so as not to steal the limelight of other parishes, it is mandatory to participate in the extraordinary Missa do Galo in Lapa. Christmas is also magic, and magic is not incompatible with solemnity. The experience of the Missa do Golo in Lapa is just that, magical and solemn. Here, the spirit is awakened through the different senses in a sublime way. As the eyes marvel at the artistic richness of the Church and with the aesthetic rigor of the celebration, the scent of traditional incense reinforces the intensity of the moment and the music of extraordinary execution and delicate choice fills the time between words that give meaning to everything else. It is a unique experience!

The very special care put into this Mass, the strict observance of a tradition that is strengthened with each passing year, has had the power to attract more and more people, giving more meaning to the Christmas of each one who chooses to join this celebration. One can say that there is pomp, rigor, staging even, but without ever losing sight of the essential. Everyone gives their best to receive the Christ who has come. I would say that it is the gold, the incense and the myrrh that Porto has to offer.

 

I would dare say that this is not an exclusive moment of believers; it would be terribly selfish. This is also a time for those who do not believe, but like to feed their spirit with the beauty of creativity and the sublime power of art in different forms, architecture, painting, sculpture, music, the word. Believers and non-believers, for different reasons, some of them communal, leave from there full of soul and with the clear notion of the privilege of participation in such a special moment. And Christmas happens.

My street … Rua de Serralves
4 December, 2018 / ,

I live on a street where the past is giving way to the future. A narrow, old, somewhat run-down street, typical of the old Porto. But, a modern urbanization, superbly placed on a wide and green ground, was imposed in the place where formerly was the old Wool Factory of Lordelo. There, in this place and still taking advantage of some structures of the facade of the old building of the early nineteenth century, there is now a different way of living. It is no longer the artisans who move there to work in the factory, but the families or early couples who live there.

From the windows of my house or down at the gardens, I see a brook. Rare thing! Ribeira da Granja, as it is called, is the largest water trail that crosses the city of Porto. And it brings a very special charm to all of its surroundings. There is the sound of running water and birds are seen laying on the grass where many children play.

The street is dotted with small shops, cafes and grocery stores, small dwellings, which bring a large influx of people. As it rises, the street is improving, with more modern recently built housing, until you reach the splendorous that is Serralves. The entrance to Casa de Serralves, an icon of the city, almost at the intersection of Rua de Serralves and Avenida Marechal Gomes da Costa, appears, imposing and inviting a visit.

 

This is my street.

Ferrimex: everything you need for the “do it yourself”
15 October, 2018 / ,

Ferrrimex presents a wide range of innovative products and services for DIY, minor repairs, remodelling works, lighting and gardening. In the physical store – located in the Boavista area – or virtual, you will find superior products at a very affordable price.

The company also bets on innovation and has a tool hire service available, for those who need to make a small repair and do not want to invest in something that they probably will not use again.

Learn more about this innovative service through the following contacts:

Ferrimex Home & Office, Rua João de Deus, 58 Porto

Telephone +351 223 264 249

Email: comercial@ferrimex.pt

www.ferrimex.pt

 

 

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

Nationality: Italian

International experience: Internship under the Erasmus +

Before Porto, my Erasmus stops were Madrid and Barcelona: two populous cities full of life. However, my time in Porto was by far the best I could have imagined. And the vibrant international community that Porto offers. As soon as I arrived I felt welcome and had the feeling that everyone knew each other or wanted to be friends.

 

  1. A suggestion of a restaurant to go in Porto

Tasquinha dos sabores (favorite restaurant)

  1. A bar that you really need to know

Labirintho Bar

  1. A tour of Porto

Rua Santa Catarina to take a walk and go shopping

  1. A place to study

Livraria Lello. A place to study or to go when you are struggling to find the motivation to study. This place inspires anyone to choose a book and start reading.

The panoramic view from the Guindalense Futebol Clube.