Ribeira is Porto’s historic riverfront, located west of the Luís I Bridge and probably the most touristic part of the city. In 1996, the historic center — including Ribeira — was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, mainly the hillside between the river and Clérigos Tower. Together, the views of the bridge, river, and Vila Nova de Gaia’s bank across the water create a postcard panorama that is emblematic of the city of Porto.
Now, imagine living in the middle of that! Many do, as evidenced by the not-for-show lines of laundry flapping in the breeze off the Douro River. While it’s true that the Ribeira of today is oriented towards tourism and filled with restaurants, bars, cafés, hotels and guesthouses, it also remains home to long-time residents who have no yards or fences or soundproof windows. Living in Ribeira must be a double-edged sword: envy the views, but don’t envy living in a fishbowl surrounded by swarms of tourists armed with cameras.
I was aware of the residential population in Ribeira, but it didn’t occur to me that there are offices there, too. Aside from stumbling through a community office perchance one day after a curiosity trip on the Elevador da Ribeira, I hadn’t encountered any offices in the neighbourhood. That is, until yesterday, when I happened to attend a meeting at an office that had nothing to do with tourism. The location (and interior) was such a surprise, and got me wondering… how many more of these are scattered around Ribeira, under the radar?
May 20, 2017
Album: Portugal [Spring 2017]
