Aveiro - 197.58 km2 of magic: portuguese Venice

     When i was signing up for the trip to Portugal, little did i know what was there waiting for me. I just wanted to see a bit more of what this world had to offer and use well my time abroad. There's no better way to travel then while studying in another country and having all those foreign students to do that with you. And so i talked my roommies into to enrol quickly to the list, pay the money and start packing our bags. To be honest i don't really remember if we looked up Aveiro on the internet or not but it sincerely wasn't that important. Sometimes it's good to do something spontaneously. Adventures are always needed. 
    It was a long way from Valladolid to Aveiro especially that we went there by bus and we almost didn't make it on time to the station but when we arrived to the city of our destiantion we realized that we had no idea how much it was worth it. 

     When we got off the bus, we all did a group photo and than decided to explore the city. 
    We were not really prepared for a weather like that coz it was pretty early and it was sunny but a bit windy and we didn't know if we should take our jackets or leave them in the bus.
        Traditionally, we took a group photo with all the other international students right away when we managed to get off the bus. I barely knew those people back then but I was always excited to get to know them better and spend this experience with them. After taking the photo, when I did my first look at the city, I was mind blown. 
        Why was I mind blown?! Well, don't ask me, just look at the photos. Like, I have never ever before seen a city more colorful than Aveiro. I know it might sound like an exaggeration but believe me. There is no other place like that. Every single building covered in mozaic pieces of different patterns and colors. You have no idea how many times I was coming up to some houses and taking pictures not of the whole view but specifically of the ceramic tiles. Then I would post it on my Instagram between all the other photos. I could really imagine myself moving there and just enjoying the magic of portuguese architecture.

     If you heard about the expression "archilovers", I am one of them, but to make it more funny, it's not me who studies architecture at the University but my youngest sister! Thought, don't get me wrong, she's an archilover too but just not s much as me. 😉
     Another charming thing about the small coast city is that crossing its streets and going along the river, you can see not that small groups od students, kids having their drawing classes outside the schools and universities and just sitting somewhere on the benches trying to not only develop their manual skills but also capture with the pencil lines constructions of the Portuguese Venice, coz that's how people call Aveiro. 

    Gondolas on the river, making the city even more magical than it already is. Somebody tell me please, how can one place be as breathing as this one? If you are planning to travel around Europe or Portugal in specific, you cannot miss out on Aveiro. I warn you, you cannot miss out on portuguese Venice. That would be a crime! 😉       

     Let me show you another unbelievable part of this out-of-earth place which is the Costa Nova Beach! Did any of you read or watched the Nicholas Sparks book/screen version of his novel "Dear John"? I know it's kinda cliche but let me tell you what I mean. Whenever I get back in my mind to that story i remember the main cover of the book and the movie and all I see is the sandy beach. Not this tipical beach with sand only, milion of tourists and no trees or grass all around but just skyscrapers but the sandy-soft beach with not a single soul around, small colorful stripes-painted beach houses, high growing wild grasses and the long long wooden pedestrian zone, some sort of pier that leads you to the beach itself. It simply cannot be any better.

            Summing up, you have to add Aveiro to your TRAVEL LIST! RIGHT NOW! 💕

Yours,
Anett Cristy Joane
Xoxo