September 22, 2020 – WANDERLUST FAMILY ADVENTURE

Monument to Dom Pedro IV – Porto, Portugal

September 22, 2020 Rita Aguilar Architecture, Europe, Historic Sites, Memorials, Porto, Portugal, Statue / Sculpture, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The monument to King Pedro IV is located in the Liberdade Square in Porto, Portugal. The bronze statue on a top of a high column stone was made of 5 tons of bronze by Célestin Anatole Calmels (sculpture) and Joaquim da Costa Lima (architecture). The column features two-sided pedestal stands which depict the delivery of Pedro’s heart to the representatives of Porto and landing at Mindelo where Pedro IV gave the flag to Tomás de Melo Breyner. The statue was fused in Belgium and it depicts Pedro (in a military uniform on horseback) presenting the constitutional charter to Porto. The monument was inaugurated in October 1866. The old town of Porto is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

New photo by Wanderlust Family Adventure / Google Photos

Old Town – Porto, Portugal

September 22, 2020 Rita Aguilar Architecture, Europe, Historic Sites, Porto, Portugal, Statue / Sculpture, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The old town of Porto, Portugal sits along the banks of the Douro River. The city center goes back thousands of years to the time of Phoenician merchants. The Praça da Liberdade or Liberty Square is the center of the area dominated by the statue of Dom Pedro IV. The old town and the nearby Dom Louis I Bridge were made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

Douro River Cruise – Porto, Portugal

September 22, 2020 Rita Aguilar Architecture, Cruise, Europe, Historic Sites, Porto, Portugal, Rivers, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The Douro River is one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, flowing from its source near Duruelo de la Sierra northern-central Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Porto. We booked a small boat cruise to see the sights of Porto from the river. The old town of Porto is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wonderful views of the Dom Louis I Bridge,

and the Maria Pia Bridge can be seen from the boat.

The cruise ended with a wonderful sunset.

The London Eye – London, England

September 22, 2020 Rita Aguilar Architecture, Attractions, England, Europe, London, Rivers

The London Eye, or the Millennium Wheel, is a cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. It is Europe’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel, and is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over 3 million visitors annually. The structure is 135 443 feet tall and the wheel has a diameter of 394 feet. When it opened to the public in 2000 it was the world’s tallest Ferris wheel. The spacious pods go very slowly around the wheel and allow for great views of the Thames and the city.

The Old Town of Coimbra – Coimbra, Portugal

September 22, 2020 Rita Aguilar Architecture, Church/Cathedral, Coimbra, Europe, Fort/Fortification, Hiking, Historic Markers, Historic Sites, Memorials, Museums, Portugal, Statue / Sculpture, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

We took a walk from the Praça do Comercio (Central Square) through the old town of Coimbra up to the UNESCO World Heritage Site University of Coimbra. Passing by the statue of Joaquim António de Aguiar we passed through the Almedina Arch.

We passed through a network of steep little alleys and stairs.

Stairs after stairs,

there were little shops along the way even a cannabis restaurant/shop

after more uphill climbs and stairs we reached the Sé Church

views from opposite the church

after the church we headed back uphill 🙁

We reached the Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro

across from the museum were the stairs to the university

Be sure to check out the post on the University of Coimbra here.
A wonderful (albeit very tiring) walk through the old town. Click on the links in the text for more pictures and in depth posts on each stop.

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30