In Porto

🧩 Azulejo ❣️ In Porto, another particularly eye-catching classic Portuguese feature is Azulejo. The history of tile development in Portugal can almost be described as a brief history of Portugal. The earliest tiles were introduced to Spain and Portugal by the Moorish invasion of the Iberian Peninsula; later, during the 60 years of Spanish rule over Portugal, European painting styles were brought into Portugal. 👍 During this period, Portuguese tiles were mostly in a colorful and ornate style, but during the Age of Discovery, the blue and white porcelain technology brought back from Ming Dynasty China once again influenced Portuguese tile-making, resulting in many tiles with only blue and white colors, such as the impressive large-scale tile walls inside the Capela Das Almas (Chapel of the Souls) and the Igreja do Carmo (Carmo Church) in the old town of Porto, as well as inside the São Bento railway station. 🥹 I wonder if Eastern tourists who are unaware of these histories, upon seeing these Eastern-style blue and white tiles depicting Western Catholic figures and stories, would feel a sense of both familiarity and strangeness. 🧩 Livraria Lello ❣️ A relatively young attraction is the Livraria Lello, known as "the most beautiful bookstore in the world." 😍 My favorite part of Porto, besides the aforementioned features, was the relaxed atmosphere. At that time, I stayed in a hotel in front of the São Bento railway station, located high up in the city, where I could open the window beside the bed and see the Douro River and the mountains across the river. Every evening, I liked to walk to the port, sit on the shore, and watch the afterglow of the sunset reflecting on the river, enjoying these peaceful moments. From there, I could see the downhill avenue and the cityscape below the mountain. 🥰 At that time, I had been traveling for nearly three weeks since leaving the UK, and perhaps it was the accumulated fatigue that made me feel that sitting by the window, blowing the cool breeze, and gazing at the cityscape for an afternoon was also a great pleasure. #Europe #EuropeanTravel #Portugal #PortugalTravel #Porto #MyTravelDiary #RecommendedGuide