Local Businesses Get Their Front Gates Revamped by Street Artists #1 and #2

3 days ago, in my post A Barber Shop with a Cute Personalised Artwork, I've shown you a cute Graffiti painted over the gate of a local business.

Well, that wasn't just an isolated case. It seems to be a new trend. And I like it.

Walking around on a Sunday Afternoon in the centre of Porto it's probably not a very touristy thing to do... you'll find all the stores closed, with the exception of a few cafés and even rarer kiosks.

However, in compensation, one can find a few artworks that can't be appreciated during regular business hours.

Here are a couple of pieces I've enjoyed.

Both Graffiti are themed after the Type of Business of each shop.

This is an example of how much Street Art has evolved in this country. A couple of decades ago, this would be seen as a criminal act. Well, but the kids back then are we adults now... and we decided to make a change.

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#1 - Casa Natal

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^{(Natal is the Portuguese word for Christmas; Casa means House)}

This is a grocery shop with a lot of history. Located near Mercado do Bolhão (Bolhão Market), they're still around 118 years after the opening. Their motto is "In this shop, it's Christmas everyday."

And in the Graffiti you can see represented some of the good stuff we Portuguese like to eat on Christmas: Codfish, Wine and Dry Fruits.

On the background... a fire, representing the fireplace. There can't be a Christmas without a fireplace, right?

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#2 - Óptica Novavisão

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^{(Óptica means Optics; Novavisão is the junction of two words, Nova Visão, it literally means New Vision)}

This is pretty obvious, no? It's a Optical Shop. They sell glasses, contact lenses... and everything related to that. (If your vision is blurred, go see them... Don't wait until you can't see the entrance at all!)

• A little trivia / rant:
  Óptica is no longer a valid word in Portuguese, at least on theory. On practise, very few of us accepted the last Orthographic Reform imposed by the borderline insane and out-of-touch-with-reality politicians.
  (Maybe they'll force it down our kids throats until it becomes the norm... otherwise, it won't go through, since the largest majority of us couldn't care less about this idiotic reform.)

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This Optical Shop is situated in the neighbourhood of Cedofeita, on a small narrow street, called Travessa de Cedofeita. Every night a lot of people, mostly youngsters, gather in this street, drinking beer, wine... vodka. Chatting about life and everything.

On Fridays and Saturdays the crowd will be larger. A lot larger!

Oh, and of course there's food. There's a coffee shop that stays open until very late, and they serve various kind of pastry, really yummy... and hot from the oven!

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Camera	Canon IXUS 210
Location	Porto - Portugal
	Edited with GIMP

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@trincowski signing out.