This was officially our first day in Portugal. We arrived yesterday after a full day of travel with a connecting flight from Madrid, Spain. A good night’s sleep helped tremendously in calming our nerves after chasing our connecting flight and searching for a lost item upon arrival at Porto airport.

We celebrated our first day in Porto, Portugal by visiting the coastal city of Aveiro, viewed the striped houses of Costa Nova, and visited Capela do Senhor do Pedra (Chapel of the Lord of Stone).

It was about an hour’s drive from the central part of Porto to the coastal city of Aveiro. There were several things mentioned about Aveiro. First, it is popularly known as the “Venice of Portugal” because of the canals that allow the waters of the Atlantic Ocean to reach its coastal lagoon. Second, the brightly painted Moliceiro boats that were used to gather seaweeds in the lagoon. Now, it is used to ferry tourists around the canals. Third, the delicate Art Noveau architecture of the houses that feature iron works and pastel tiles. Lastly, definitely not the least, the Ovos Moles – tasty egg yolk treats wrapped in thin wafer shells.

Costa Nova is a village farther west from Aveiro. The village became popular for its striped houses along the coast. Originally, families of fishermen owned the houses. It was used to store fishing gear and to shelter animals, like oxen used to pull fishing boats to the sea, from the elements. The houses were built on stilts to avoid sand and sea water from damaging it. It was also painted with alternating colors of red or ochre to easily identify it when sailing in during heavy sea fog. The shade of colors changed when the houses became popular and were acquired by new owners. The houses were converted to summer houses.

Capela do Senhor da Pedra was short drive north of Costa Nova. The chapel, located on large rocky boulders sitting on the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, was built with a unique hexagonal shape to withstand the crashing waters of the ocean. The rocky boulder was originally the site of Naturalistc Pagan worship. It was said that a chapel was built on top of it to “reclaim” pagan sites and convert the local population to Christianity.

Random photographs of our travels. Memories found and captured in a photograph.

Don’t forget to visit our Art Shop or our Photo Gallery.