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A Bus Tour Of Portugal – Part 2
by Mirdza Jaunzemis

Photos:Mirdza Jaunzemis. Oporto, at the mouth of the Douro River,
another UNESCO heritage site, was our
A mobile port wine vendor. next stop. It is the second largest city
in Portugal and is famous for its port
wines. There are three basic types of
port: white – made from white grapes;
tawny – the wine from red grapes is
aged in oak from three to forty years;
ruby – the standard type which is from
red grapes and is aged for three years.
The grapes grow on terraced hillsides
along the Douro, somewhat inland
from the city. We visited the cellars of
Sandeman and got a guided tour of
the premises, and after the process of
making port wine was explained to us,
we enjoyed a tasting. We took a boat
ride on the Douro River one evening
and had a lovely views of the six bridges,
the ocean, and the Ribeira (riverside)
Quarter with its narrow and colourful
houses sandwiched together up the
steep banks on either side of the river.

We visited the stock exchange building, another UNESCO site, which was
built 1842-1872 and its purpose was to establish the financial importance
of this city to the rest of Europe. It is no longer used as a financial center.
It resembles a palace with intricate woodwork, parquet floors, stained
glass, artwork, a magnificent staircase, the Moorish hall ( a feast for the
eyes - concerts are now held there),a lovely ballroom, a huge meeting
room and an inner courtyard with a glass and steel dome overhead.

The Church of Sāo Francisco, dating from 1383, symbolizes opulence
and intricate baroque artistry in every detail: wood carvings embellished
with gold leaf (1000 pounds of it, from Brazil) are everywhere, cherubs,
plants, animals, also the Tree of Jesse. It was originally a small church
dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, but was enlarged around 1513 and is
now the most opulent church in Europe. That afternoon we visited the
Casa da Música in the business area of Oporto. This is a twelve storey
irregularly shaped avant-garde building with three auditoria, the largest
seating 1300 people; the hall is said to have perfect acoustics, and there
is a baroque organ “pinned” to the wall; a really unusual building, but
appropriate for its uses. The Lello bookstore, built in 1906, is considered
the most beautiful bookstore in the world, with its neo-gothic facade, a

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