Leca de Palmeira:
Just outside the limits of Porto is a great landscape / architecture project by the Portuguese architect, Alvaro Siza. It is the Leca Swimming Pools situated in and on the Atlantic Ocean's rocky coast here in northern Portugal. Accessed by a trip on the Porto Metro and a 40 minute walk across an industrial canal, the beach and the swimming pools are well worth the trip.
The project consists of three or so swimming pools built into the rocks along the shore along with a series of changing cabanas / storage rooms for guests. Arriving to the complex along a road running parallel to the shore, a series of scopper standing seam roofs are all that is visible. These fragments vary slightly in pitch and rest upon a series of concrete retaining walls running parallel to the street edge. From the road, a ramp leads you into this complex; on the seaside are the various pools and beaches associated with the complex.
Unlike my previous day's visit to the Casa da Musica where you are allowed to roam freely through the complex, I was not afforded the same hospitality here at the swimming pools. As I arrived, two men were setting on the roof edge, and when I attempted to walk down the entrance ramp, one of the 'gentlemen' leaped up and began YELLING, 'NO! NO! NO! ***%@^@" (I assumed the '***%@^@' means we are closed in Portuguese, but you never know...) Dressed in a purple shirt, khaki pants, and a red beret, the man had no indication that he actually worked there. It did not say 'Leca Swimming Pools' (in Portuguese) on his shirt, nor was there any sign posted that listed the hours and / or days of operation. Nothing. So, to get the man to stop screaming, I backed up, apologized, and walked away.
Some of you may be thinking, as I am known to do on occasion, that I am over exaggerating this description...that the man was probably just saying something to the point of, 'sir, we are not open today..' or 'thank you for coming, but...' But that is just not the case...it has been a long time since I have been yelled at and this is exactly what he was doing. I have to admit, I almost started laughing at the fact...
So, as I am walking away, I decide that this trip is not going to be a total bust. I can take photographs of this from the sidewalk outside the complex. Sidewalks are public, at least they used to be. Along the seawall edge, there is white metal grate fence that keeps people from accessing the roof. I take out my camera and stick the lens through the grating and damn if the guy doesn't start screaming at me again! This time waving his arms like crazy! So, I pull the lens back through the grating and he stops screaming, but he is still standing up with his eyes drilled into mine. I start taking my photos and he is watching every move. Just for fun, I stick the lens through the grating again, and yes, he started screaming at me! Now that I have learned how to push his buttons, I decided I can make this photographing experience fun and humorous all at the same time...
As mentioned earlier, the pools are cut into the rocks along the beach; however, there is a point where the rocks stop and a sandy beach begins. From here, you can easily walk into the swimming complex as the beach in the complex opens directly onto the public beach. But my friend running the complex, or one of his accomplices, strung a red tape from the sea wall down to the lower rocks as a barrier to keep people out. Now, I am not looking for trouble and I am not going to cross this tape, but like the fence on the seawall, I decide to get as close as possible. Of course, the bully has moved into the lower terraces and is watching me come down the stairs towards this tape. As I get closer, so does he. I set all my gear down and take out my film camera and start composing a shot. By this time, he is waving like crazy, and so to have a little fun with him, I just wave back as if I was his best friend that I see down the street and we hadn't seen each other in ten or so years! He didn't find this amusing, I guess, because he stopped waving, but went back into the shadows to watch me. I climbed upon some of the rocks for another photograph still on my side of the tape, and sure enough, he starts flapping his arms AGAIN! I repeat my wave back and he retreats again.
There is no one at this complex. The pools have been drained and there are just a few people on the beach in general. Why he was so adamant about keeping me behind that tape is beyond me. It is not like I was going to go over and kick out lights or tag the bottom of the white pool with spray paint or anything...the huge camera should have given it away that I was not that type. I guess he does have to watch out for people like that though...
Upon leaving, I walk in the opposite direction of the canal as there is more to see along the seawall. I stop to take a few more pics, but I do not find my new friend. I guess all the waving to each other tired him out, so I moved on, happy to have made a new aquaintance in Portugal.
here is the link for the photos...to protect the innocent, I did not include a photograph of my new friend...
http://picasaweb.google.com/christopher.kitterman/PortoAlvaroSiza?authkey=B6u976T_-68&pli=1&gsessionid=QgtqXau-4MGL8D2sga7uOA#
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