For us, one of the enjoyable aspects of exploring is to admire the different architectural styles. I’m far from being any kind of knowledgeable person on architecture. I just appreciate a building that clearly wears its birthdate, be it Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Mid-century, or even the 1970s. On our way to the Serralves Foundation and Museum, we walked along a section of Boa Vista Avenue. It happens to be, from start to finish, the second longest avenue in the country. Apparently now considered an upscale neighborhood, what attracted our eye was hich lends a very interesting neighborhood called andalong Boa Vista. We found a cafe open on Sunday ( a rarity here) to rest midway and get a coffee and a decadent pastry. Confeitaria Petúlia. The sign is wonderful and it feels like a step back a few decades. Classy breakfasts place that seemed to be mostly locals.
Further down Boa Vista and wow, building after building with wonderful old features. Tiles – check. Metal work – check. Balconies – check. Houses started getting bigger and we stumbled on a few small gated estates, one indicating it was the residence of a Viscountessa. I think the interesting thing her is how many historic buildings are needing repair. I get it, boy do I get it, restoration is tricky, time consuming, and expensive. Still, there are some serous gems in this city.
