Ludwig Meidner, like most of his poet friends, loved to walk the streets of the city. He roamed the outlying suburbs of Berlin for hours on end an drew his inspiration from what he saw.
At night, back in the dark, little attic room that served as his studio, he painted houses and streets that began to dance under his brush, as if the earth beneath the city were shaking.
From dancing houses it was only a step to blazing cities.
In the summer of 1912, that hot summer following a rainy April, that had such an invigorating impact on European art in general, Meidner embarked on his apocalyptic landscapes, which he painted one after another in a sustained creative frenzy.

*check blogg posting of October 29 2006
for a 1916 self-portrait etching by Ludwig Meidner

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" Cristal Palace "

Rua Dom Manuel II, Porto, Portugal 4050

Enjoy this peaceful park located outside of the Palácio de Cristal. Relax to the refreshing sounds of the fountains and the calming songs of geese, swans, and ducks as they swim in the pond. Take a leisurely walk and admire some of the most beautiful gardens in Portugal. As soon as you enter this serene paradise, you can put the worries of the world behind you.

Póvoa de Varzim  The ancient town of Póvoa de Varzim received its charter in 1308 and has developped over the ages from a poor fishing community to a resort popular for its sandy beaches and amusements, including a casino which animates the local nightlife.

Amarante  Crossed by the river Tâmega and surrounded by mountains, this pretty town proudly displays its 17th century mansions, with colourful balconies of painted wood brightly decorating the narrow streets, its restaurants with terraces overlooking the river or the beautiful bridge of São Gonçalo which leads to the great monastery of the 16th century that bears the name of the same saint.

Vila Nova de Gaia  Seat of a county of commercial and industrial importance and facing Oporto across the river Douro, Vila Nova de Gaia is the main centre of Port wine production. Thus, the heart of the city is dominated by the Port lodges with their characteristic red roofs
emblazoned with well-known names, and over fifty companies based in narrow and twisting streets are engaged in blending and ageing the famous drink. Some of them offer guided tours so that visitors may see how Port is made and taste different samples.

Espinho Cosmopolitan holiday resort with beaches anda Casino.

Matosinhos is, in spite of its industrial port, renowned for its gastronomy based on seafood and also popular for its coastline of small beaches enclosed by rocks beaten by the sea. Matosinhos also boasts of a valuable patrimony visible in monuments such as the Monastery of Leça do Bailio, the first headquarters of the Order of Hospitallers in Portugal and with a 14th-century fortified church exhibiting Gothic arches and a beautiful rose window.

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