Housing complex in Alcabideche, Portugal, Part 2. Housing has always been key to modern architecture in Europe, and interestingly, remains a relevant topic throughout the old continent today. I visited some of the most seminal works by Portuguese architects who have tackled this topic with fervor and commitment.

Cafe do Cais, Portugal. During my first visit to Porto, the northernmost city in Portugal, I strolled through the charming historic neighborhoods and streets lined with beautiful facades, of course, stopping far too frequently to sample freshly baked pastel de nata, the country’s famous custard tart.

Over the past decades, many European cities and towns undertook robust and sympathetic revitalization programs within their historic centers. By transforming narrow, picturesque streets into human-friendly environments—often restricting vehicular access to the city centers—the notion of a pedestrian zone was re-invented; at least in contemporary terms, as I am not sure that medieval streets were places of visual or olfactic charm.