We wanted to explore the greater Porto area in depth and I wanted a framework and routine for practicing my photography. I also wanted a reason to get out and walk without getting bored with repetition. We decided to marry the three desires together. Thus was born “The Metro Project.”
Porto has one of the larger metro train networks in Europe. It has 67 kilometers of train lines with 82 stations plus a funicular.
The Plan: We agreed that we would get off and explore a bit around each one of the 82 stations plus the funicular. I would snap some photos at each stop. It’s not meant to document the area or show all the highlights. We’ll just hop off, pick a direction, and start walking. Or, walk from one stop to the next. Photos would be whatever caught my eye whether it was a local landmark or a bug. I would try to find four to twenty “keepers” from each stop, knowing that some will be much more photogenic than others. The project might take six months or sixteen years (currently looking like 16 thanks to Covid & then travel.) No one but us may be interested in the photos. Don’t care.
We decided to work sort of from farthest to closest down each line and add pages as I complete them.
First stop: Fânzares. – Metro Stop #1 of 82. (The far right one in the map below.)
More Stops added as completed:
- Venda Nova, Carreira, Baguim – Metro Stops #2, #3, & #4
- Campainha, Rio Tinto, Levada – Metro Stops #5, #6, & #7
- Nau Vitória, Nasoni, Contumil – Metro Stops #8, #9, & #10
- Estádio do Dragão & Campanhã – Metro Stops #11 & #12
- Heroísmo & Campo 24 de Agosto – Metro Stops #13 & #14
- Bolhão & Trindade – Metro Stops #15 & #16
- This project came to a halt with the start of Covid. Then, when rules relaxed, we started traveling a lot again. Plus, now, 5 new metro lines and some extensions are in the works. Someday, I may pick back up this metro project, but probably not soon. It was fun for a bit.
