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Hi Te friends

Enjoy this picture from 'Vila Nova de Gaia' city taken Porto side !

You can see the Monastery of the Pilar Hill on top and the Dom Luis Bridge.

Part of the area classified by UNESCO as World Heritage in December 1996, the Monastery of Serra do Pilar is the architectural landmark of Gaia. ...

The bustling suburb of Vila Nova da Gaia lies opposite Oporto on the steep south bank of the mighty River Douro.
Sitting on top of a pre-Roman fortified hamlet, it was given town status in 1255 by King Afonso III and then bequeathed to the aristocracy in order to counteract the power of the bishops of neighbouring Oporto, who were charging unreasonably high shipping tolls at the time.
Gaia today is dominated by the Port wine lodges, with over fifty wine companies based in its narrow, twisting streets. Here, the ageing and blending of most of the world's supply of Port wine takes place beneath a sea of red roofs emblazoned with some of the most famous names in winemaking.
What to see. The 16th-century monastery church of Serra do Pilar features unusual circular cloisters and panoramic views of Oporto and the River Douro. From the church's terrace, the future Duke of Wellington planned his surprise attack on the French in 1809.
A tour of the cellars is a must for any visitor to Vila Nova da Gaia, followed by a wine-tasting. One of the best-organised lodges is Sandeman, founded in 1790 and housed in a former 16th-century convent with a small museum. Taylor's, one of the last privately-owned English wine companies, offers a lively, informative tour of the premises and impressive views from its spacious outdoor terrace.

The Dom Luís 1st Bridge is an arch bridge that spans the Douro River between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. At the time of construction its span of 172 m was the longest of its type in the world.

The Government held a competition for the construction of a metallic bridge on the Douro River on a site that was adjacent to an existing bridge and would replace it. Teófilo Seyrig had already engineered the D. Maria Pia Bridge project, whilst working as a partner of Eiffel. He now took sole responsibility for the new, major Luis 1st Bridge. The construction was begun in 1881 and the bridge opened on 1886-10-31.

Total length 385.25 m
Weight 3045 tons
The arch measures 172 m in length and 44.6 m in height


Nikon D40X
2009/04/03 14:28:52
RAW (12-bit)
Lens: 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 31mm
Exposure Mode: Manual
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/320 sec - F/5
Exposure Comp.: +5.0 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Optimize Image: Vivid
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-A
Color Mode: Mode IIIa (sRGB)
Tone Comp.: Normal
Hue Adjustment: 0°
Saturation: Enhanced
Sharpening: Medium high

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Additional Photos by Aires dos Santos (AiresSantos) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5588 W: 198 N: 11285] (41820)
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