Our whistle coffee stop from Porto to Lisbon took us into
Aviero.
Aveiro is referred to as the ‘Portuguese Venice’ thanks to
its canals, the bridges over the canals and the painted colorful moliceiros, which
is the towns take on the gondolas of Venice. But although the city centre has
canals and pretty boats, the similarities end there. It is certainly attractive.
The lagoons of Ria de Aveiro have been a major salt-producing centre for
centuries and this is evident from the flat coastal landscape and salt pans
which abound around the town.
My research shows that the original usage of the moliceiro
was to transfer the harvest of seaweed, which was the main source of
fertilizing the farmland of Aveiro. These days, they are mostly used for boat
rides along the canals. The moliceiros are known for their bold colours and decorations.
If you are a fan of Art Nouveau movement, you should visit
Aveiro. Walking in the streets, especially alongside the river reveals many
buildings with this style. The usage of exposed iron and large, irregularly
shaped pieces of glass for buildings is fairly common.
Having been to Porto before visiting Aveiro, walking through
the streets of the old part of the city, it seems as though Aveiro too has a
diverse collection of Portuguese tiles which are decorating the walls of the
buildings. Walls covered with ceramic tiles was evident in Porto and I loved these
buildings. But in Aveiro, it seems every building was different than the one
next to it, both in color and the pattern of the ceramic tile.
Aveiro’s pavements are far from boring. Here, the black and
white cobbles take on many motifs, swirly circular patterns and geometric forms.
Aviero was a surprise to us. It is certainly a town that
deserves more time to be devoted to it, learning about its history and walking
the quiet streets, observing daily life.
