The centre of Porto is a fabulous place for a photographer to be. In comparison with other cities in Portugal, whereby architecture is marked by baroque, the architecture of Porto is rather monumental and dominated by granite constructions.
We were very lucky to see the Monument to the Discoveries following its renovation, which was accomplished a few years ago. This shot was taken during a winter sunrise; when the sun was rising just behind the monument, softly enlightening the limestone statues. You could almost imagine the Portuguese discoverers, setting sails early in the morning and leaving the safe Lisbon shores to explore the new lands.
Milano Duomo is the 5th largest Cathedral in the world and among this list of five – it is the oldest Cathedral. The day before I took this photo, we were enjoying some “Spritz” with a friend in a rooftop bar. From there, we had a view of the top of the Cathedral. From a bird’s eye view, you can see the many sculptures that are decorating the Duomo Towers.
We almost passed the square of Carlos Alberto in Porto without realising. We changed our course and slowly walk in and around the Praça de Carlos Alberto. The brilliance of the colors and cheerful atmosphere of this find, set us in the perfect mood for further sightseeing of Porto but there was more of this square to be seen.
The Monument to the Discoveries in Lisbon was built to honor Portuguese discoveries. It is located on Tagus river in Belem from where sailors would depart for new geographical discoveries. On the statue, there are 34 sculptures of sailors with the largest figure on top – the sculpture of Henry the Navigator.