Published on April 10, 2014 | by Francy
Porto – Best 2014 European Destination
Porto is also called the city of bridges for the numerous automotive and railway viaducts that cross its Rio Douro. The most famous of these is a bold 350 meters long iron structure reminiscent of a certain tower in Paris, perhaps because it was built in 1886 by the same engineer: Gustav Eiffel.
There’s a bit of engineering, although well hidden, in this spectacular video by Atmos Aerial Filming; it seems to have been shot by a wise and bold seagull, just like the old Jonathan Livingston. It’s not a gull of course, but rather a small jewel of technology, a flying drone capable of rearing up fast above the highest towers, glide over the rooftops, on the streets and squares, and finally over the mouth of the river, towards that sunset on the Atlantic Ocean that makes us dream.
However, the drone is never seen but you can perceive very well the sensation of flight. Pink Floyd’s songs complete this pleasant feeling of alienation that captures us since the first scenes, when we realize that we are flying with the view of a very high and original aerial perspective of the Casa da Musica and Avenida Boavista towards the ocean.
The Atmos Aerial Filming technician was certainly inspired by the story of the famous seagull when he piloted these small drones that can fly freely in the sky and take videos and photographs. One of these devices can be glimpsed in the cover image of Aerial Filming Atmos’ Facebook page, right at the top dipped in the sky. The scenic impact of these “flying” shots is really amazing and these guys have rightly decided to use them to celebrate the fascinating city of Porto, awarded Best European Destination for 2014.
So let’s spread our wings to go up along the 76 meters of the Tower of Clerigos, watching the astonished gaze of tourists as they admire the city’s rooftops from the terrace. And we fly towards the mouth of Rio Douro into the golden light of a sunset that will lead us to the end of the movie. The city of Porto is not much developed in height so it’s rather easy to fly over the rooftops of the old town, as you just need to keep away from the few buildings rising into the sky and you’re done.
Porto is not just the city of bridges, it is also the city of water, with Rio Douro crossing it and flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. All this is clearly visible along Avenida Brasil, which runs high on the cliff straight in front of the ocean, with windows open on the sunset. The people living in those houses don’t need televisions to distract themselves and see the beauties of the world, they just have to look outside! But now there is no time to be distracted, because when you are flying the horizon changes in a second, perspectives overlap and Porto shows us the past and the future from one end to another in the same neighborhood, from the laundry hanging from the windows in the lower Barredo area to the brand new iron and glass buildings at the other end of the district, from one generation to another, from the previous century to the next.
The city starts hemming us in, but maybe it’s the drone flying in tight circles on the estuary of the Douro, there where the city seems to really end, at the end of Avenida Brasil, beyond the round square there’s only a stone wall and then the rocks, Senora da Luz Lighthouse and the last strip of concrete that stretches out over the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, where you can glimpse a fisherman. We always end up there, where a thousand kilometers of Europe end in a strip of rock and concrete in front of the sunset. This is not California even if Pink Floyd are singing, we’re flying over and over the city of Porto near the mouth of the Douro, at sunset. Maybe the air currents always bring us back, or maybe we’re just curious to know if the fisherman at the concrete pier has caught his fish.
Seen from this height the cars on the bridge look like toys, we are flying with Pink Floyd hundreds of meters above, indeed we glide over these chords along the river. A small flock of seagulls crosses our flight and starts proceeding at our side, and it seems such a natural thing. But now the sun is really setting, they should go back to the nest because they cannot fly at night. The final shot is still in search of Eric Rohmer’s Rayon Vert, at the sight of the very last segment of the setting sun, as the boat returns from fishing and entering the river it leaves a long wake in the still water.
About the Author
Francy Hi! My name is Francesca I love travelling, getting in touch with new lifestyles, new ways of thinking and most of all always discovering news places around the world! I like reading travel books and magazines, art and food. These are my passions that I try to share with you.
Related Posts
10 Reasons Travelers should Get Medical and Health Insurance →
6 Travel Hacks to Save Time and Money in 2019 →
What are flight tracking apps and how have they improved travel? →
