A set of photos from a mini-conference / workshop in Aveiro, Portugal [40 38 N, 8 39 W].
Aveiro was a major trade and fishing port until a large storm in the late 16th C blocked access to the sea. This maritime heritage is reflected in the small network of canals in the historic old town. Above: the Central Canal [40 38 29 N, 8 39 20 W]
Canal de São Roque [40 38 41 N, 8 39 20 W] not far from the fish market (a good place for restaurants!)
Igreja da Misericórdia [40 38 26 N, 8 39 13 W]. The decoration with ceramic tiles (azulejos) is very traditional.
Municipal centre [40 38 18 N, 8 39 15 W] at night from Praça Marquês Pombal.
A former ceramic factory [40 38 19 N, 8 38 36 W] which presumably produced large quantities of azulejos (now a cultural centre).
Streets and houses in the old town. Note the blockwork pavements which are everywhere in Portugal (no tarmac here!).
Salt pans [40 38 40 N, 8 39 46 W] in the river estuary (the “Ria”). The plants in the foreground growing in the salty water are some species of samphire – probably more valuable harvested for classy restaurants than the salt itself!
Travel notes
Onward travel made it easier to fly into Lisbon rather than Oporto (which is much closer to Aveiro). Oriente railway station [38 46 4 N, 9 5 56 W] ought to have been a quick taxi ride from the airport, but the taxi queue was phenomenal. Unfortunately signposting and directions in general in Portugal seem a bit haphazard and it took a while to locate the bus stop (about here [38 46 11 N, 9 7 36 W]). Bus travel within the city was a fixed price 1.30 €.
Finding and mastering the ticket machines at the station was not the easiest job, but once on the tilting Alfa express trains, the journey up to Aveiro was smooth and quick (about 2 hours).
The Hotel Imperial, Rua Dr Nascimento Leitão [40 38 23 N, 8 39 10 W] is a very decent 3 star in the Best Western franchise. The particular mini-suite of rooms (main room shown above) seemed such good value for 50 € per night that I checked whether I’d been given the right room!
Restaurants: Bombordo, simple, inexpensive Portuguese food, in a prime location on the Praça do Peixe.