Old buildings in Porto

Porto is an old city. How old? Well, the Romans had their main outpost in Portugal here. It has been a thriving commercial port town for nearly 2,000 years. Most of the buildings you see were built in the last 200 years. And because Portugal's economy was so depressed for much of the 20th century (under a dictator), the look of the place has a time capsule feel to it. There is lots of color, and lots of grit and grime. The buildings aren't uniform in height, width, or style:

The place is very hilly. So you get lots of great uphill or downhill views. By the way, the dilapidated place in the foreground is for sale. Right on the riverfront:

They love to adorn their entryways with beautiful tile:

Most of the streets in the old quarter

are single lane, cobblestone, and steep:

There is a thriving street art scene in Porto:

A graffiti artist's take on the national symbol, the Portuguese Cock:

Grit and color:

The central train station terminal has beautiful Portugese tile walls:

Today is our last day in Porto. Tomorrow we head south to the beach town of Cascais to sell our surfboards and check out the professional surf contest.