PORTO: IT WILL TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY WORDS Paul V. Walters PHOTOS Bruce Nelson, Antonio Sacchetti & Paulo Magalhaes Arriving in any city for the first time when grey skies, driving rain and cold conditions dominate is never pleasant. Often, the weather conditions can and do leave a poor and undeserved impression on a city. So it was with Porto. Located in northern Portugal, Porto is often neglected in favor of Lisbon – the country’s capital – when, in fact, this city is like the proverbial beautiful sister: prettier, more sophisticated and less tarnished than her southern metropolis. My first introduction to this magical place was the imposing Sao Bento railway station with its vast arrivals and ticketing hall festooned with around 20,000 azulejo tiles, created by artist Jorge Colaço. The massive blue frescoes depict the Battle of Arcos de Valdevez and the Conquest of Ceuta as well as an array of breathtaking smaller works. There’s an almost dreamlike quality to Porto – a tumbledown, romantic place of medieval relics, soaring bell towers, stately beaux-arts buildings, and seven bridges crossing the mighty Duomo River. The Parisian feel at Porto is brought on by the splendid two-tier wrought iron Maria Pia railway bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel – the man responsible for the famous tower that dominates the skyline of the French capital. Within 24 hours, the inclement weather that marked my arrival lifted, and the city revealed itself in all its finery; its pastel-painted buildings in hues of ochre, mustard and pink shone in the mid- morning sunshine. MERCEDES-BENZ PARRAMATTA 26 DESTINATION