Aveiro, Portugal

                                                               Me in March 2016 :)

I always wanted to visit Portugal. Had two Erasmus Plus projects  there in 2015, but couldn't take part at none of them since I was in the middle of my first feature film shootings.  Finally, the opportunity aroused in March last year (2016) due to an APV meeting in Aveiro.

Some green area in Aveiro :P

                                                              Portuguese pavement


Spent there only couple of days and so, couldn't see too much, but enough to fall in love with the place and want to come back again.


Aveiro is famous for its dynamic and innovative university (University of Aveiro) which situates top 401 the best universities in the World in 2016-2017.  As the education is developed at a high level, the life quality is good too and the rate of unemployment very low (about 5% ). In terms of economy, the city is known for the salt commerce, tourism, recycling and sustainability (they have a waste recycling factory).

The sweets from eggs :P

Preparing tripas

Tripas

On the other hand, Aveiro is famous for its sweets (ovos moles de Aveiro, trouxas de ovos, both made from  row eggs; Raivas are the biscuits of Aveiro - very tasty, and  I also ate tripas, a sort of pancake filled in with chocolate or  sugar, or honey or fruits). The food is also amazing, based on fish, vegetables, potatoes. There is a traditional meal of fish as well, the most eaten one being the bacalhau and the cod.

Bacalhau fish

Ceramics and pavements have a big tradition in Aveiro, as most the houses are 'covered' by azulejo teleworks and  the streets are paved with calçada portuguesa (the Portuguese pavement). In Aveiro, there are the moliceiro  boats  with which you can travel all along the lagoon and the canal. The city is known as the Venice of Portugal, due to the canals'  system and the moliceiro boats.

The birdge in Aveiro

The  moliceiro boat

                                                                     Azulejo taleworks

Talking about boats and water, please take some coats with you - in March last year was so shiny as well as so, so, cold! The Atlantic Ocean is bringing a cold wind and makes the winters wet and summers dry.


Oh, forgot to tell you where the Aveiro name is coming from. Countess Mumadona Dias wrote a testament in 26 January 959 (AD) in which she highlighted the fact that the area was an important centre of salt exploration by the Romans; she also mentioned the name of the place as the monastery's lands Alauario et Salinas (so probably Aveiro comes from Alavario).

Another assumption ....
In 1435, King D. Duarte acknowledged to held an annual duty-free fair, later known as the Feira de Março (March Fair). I assume that Aveiro may be coming from 'feira', but my researchers couldn't confirm this - hope that the historians will help me a bit at this point.


What else: Aveiro has an open space mall :) Yes, it is true. There are shops in a certain place in the center of the city and the place is called 'the mall'.  N4ear to this place there is a suspended garden where I heard that teenagers go to have sex during the nights (not sure it is true). What is true, though, is the fact that people love each other a lot in Aveiro and there is a bridge on the Aveiro's canal where lovers link colourful ribbons and locks.

                                                                The love bridge


About the Ocean...did not have the chance to try it - was too cold in March, but heard some stories about children drowned there because of the dangerous waves.

The  Atlantinc Ocean 

Love to you! 

:)