From Porto to mobile phones, the letters that travel in the memories of those who visit the city

The six blue characters of the “Porto.” brand are back at the top of Avenida dos Aliados, as well as the irresistible attractive effect they produce on those who visit the city. Nobody goes through there without taking a picture of the letters.

The groups of tourists who gather daily in Praça do General Humberto Delgado, in front of the Town Hall building, take their time to admire the six blue characters “Porto.” placed at the feet of Almeida Garrett. It won't be just for the sake of the art of typography: the letters are a real tourist attraction and exert a fascination that no one resists. With mobile phones in one hand, the photographs follow.

They're probably the most photographed letters in town. From there you can't see the Douro, the bridges or the Clérigos, but the dazzle is similar to these icons of Porto. In an orderly way, the groups succeed each other, wait for the photography, climb the steps and position themselves. Some open their arms, as if embracing the whole city; there are those who choose a specific character and perch in it. Almeida Garrett is an involuntary extra in the countless photographs and the Town Hall building serves as a backdrop.

Nestled in the "o", hugging the "t", peering through the "p", as if looking out the window, to enjoy the view: Avenida dos Aliados extends out in front. The endpoint is a kind of stool to enjoy a moment of serenity, while the daily hustle and bustle of the city runs around.

“They look good in the square”

“In every city we found this kind of letters. This way we can send a picture to the family and show them where we are. Now these letters are very trendy. These, as they are blue, have a very strong colour, they are beautiful. They look good in the square”, praises the matriarch of a Spanish family who was there on Thursday morning.

They are from Sória – “Where the Douro is born”, says the patriarch – and welcome the return of the letters, after a period away to avoid gatherings during the pandemic. "The important thing is that the letters are in their place and that there is no pandemic," notes the son, to which the mother replies: "But there is still a pandemic!"

Anyway, it is unnecessary to ruin the last day in Porto with a discussion: “We really enjoyed it, the biggest problem was this horrible heat. To visit things is not good, it is better to be cooler. But it was like that, and we had a good impression of Porto”, concludes the mother.

"They are very beautiful"

Another family, with Asian features, also carries a photographic record with the blue characters. “They are a symbol of the city, and this square is very popular, it is a tourist attraction. We thought it might be interesting to take a picture of the family here. It will be a memory that we take from Porto”, explains the young man, to whom the father “pushes” the responsibility to answer the questions.

Passing through Porto, the South Korean family living in Germany sees in the letters of Praça do General Humberto Delgado “an added value for this scenario”. “They add detail to this place. And they are very beautiful,” concludes the “spokesperson”.

The turnout at the site was considerable, propitiated by the passage of groups on guided tours. Two Spanish friends took the opportunity to take a selfie, but did not give up the place in line to climb the steps and pose. “There is a line, but I still want to take a picture with my friend,” says the young woman from Murcia.

“I really wanted to come to Porto, I am Spanish, and Portugal is the neighbouring country. I really like Porto, I love the bridges, the weather, the people and the food. It is very similar to Spain and we came here to spend a few days”, she adds, recognizing the return of the letters to Praça do General Humberto Delgado a sign of “a return to normality after the pandemic”. “Let's hope there are no more jolts and we can enjoy it,” she concludes.

As long as it is, there will be no shortage of cameras pointed at the giant blue letters, creating memories of Porto.