Welcome to Porto

Hello from Porto!

Well, I made it to Porto! I'm really excited to explore another part of Portugal. People in Lisbon told me Porto has beautiful buildings and landscape, with cooler temperatures, more rain, and an overall different weather climate. I've found all of these things to be true. Most homes and apartments don't have air conditioning, so the cooler temperatures should be welcome this summer!

My Airbnb is super modern and nice, and really conveniently located. As soon as I walk out of my building, there are amazing restaurants and shops everywhere. The University of Porto is nearby, so there's a youthful feel to the area as well. I'm sure that if the usual amount of tourists were around, it would be really popping! But right now, there is just enough activity for me, and I am loving it!

The Douro River

Since I'd been here before, I knew I'd be spending much of my time near the Douro River and marveling at the six beautiful bridges that cross it! The Douro flows throughout Spain, and empties to the Atlantic Ocean here in Porto. The restaurants and atmosphere along the walkway next to the river is so electric! The people are friendly, and buskers provide the music vibe. The area is also full of history. More on that next month.

Porto (and Portugal in general) is known for their amazing wines, and the Douro provides access for the wine boats to transport it - as shown in the first photo below. You also see the Dom Luís I Bridge in the background. This double-deck bridge connects Porto (left side of the photo) to the city and municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia - also known as just "Gaia" (which is the hub for port wine.)

Along the river bank is The Ribeira (meaning riverside), Porto's riverside quarter. It's one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, and known for the tall, colorful building terraces which make up the main part of the river bank.

Set against the stunning blue skies of Portugal, this is a sight that never gets old. A night time boat ride is certainly in the future!

Selina

I've written before about my love of coworking spaces. I missed not joining one in Lisbon. My apartment there was quite spacious, and with the December holidays followed by lockdown, it just didn't make sense. So I worked from home. But I found a wonderful coworking space here and joined right away!

Selina (www.selina.com) provides guests with beautiful places to stay, travel, and work indefinitely. There are a few Selina's in the United States, but they are mainly located in Mexico, Latin American, and the U.K. - with six locations here in Portugal. They offer a great place to network, make friends, have fun, be healthy, and explore the city you are in. They are environmentally and socially conscious, and growing every day with new locations!

As you can see, the facade is decorated with stunning gold tiles and a pattern that really captures the eye. Inside and upstairs is a large, open workspace area with a high ornate white ceiling, modern light fixtures, and wide structural pillars. The large windows open up so you can let in a nice breeze. It's such a comfortable place - and the people are super nice.

The Street He Lives On

I met some great people and hopefully made some lasting friendships from my Filmmaking Lisboa group in Lisbon. One filmmaker, Hussene Keshavjee, cast me in a short film along with Rae Hannah and Fausto Muniz. Rae plays my daughter, and I can certainly see a resemblance. Do you agree? We shot the film in my apartment and I loved being part of the creative team that made this happen. Hope you enjoy it!

Finally...

I'm really looking forward to being in Porto this summer. I feel very productive and in a good groove. I once again joined a gym, and it's within walking distance from my apartment. Having my coworking space so close by is also really convenient. I walk to everything!

I can stay healthy and in shape, get lots of work done, take in gorgeous scenery, and have tons of restaurants nearby to choose from. I was told, and have to agree, the food is Porto is really fresh and tasty. It's going to be a great summer!

Thanks for following along!

ACTOR // CREATIVE // VOICE TALENT

TAPP

Bob Tapper

tapp@bobtapper

www.bobtapper.com

Outside US: +01 9494846275

Inside US: (949) 484-6275

Opening up in Lisbon

Hello from Lisbon!

Oh, what a difference a month makes! We finally began opening up in April, and things are feeling more normal. Life is so good! It's been a time to start checking some sites off my list that I wanted to see and experience here in Lisbon before moving to Porto.

Meet Vincent Van Gogh

I've been waiting so long to see this exhibit! Even during lockdown, I was able to take train rides. One train I rode frequently always went by this big yellow tent-type building in Belém where the Meet Vincent Van Gogh (www.meetvincent.com) exhibit is located. It was closed during lockdown, but finally opened in April - so off I went! I've seen the Van Gogh exhibit in Amsterdam, and this one did not disappoint. It's a magical and multi-sensory journey through his life! What made it especially nice was that I was there with only a handful of people since there are few tourists, with even locals still slow to venture out.

Lunch in Almada

Almada is a city and municipality in Portugal, and only a short boat ride from Lisbon across the Tagus River. It's known for having some of the freshest fish around, so I headed over for lunch! My lunch consisted of fresh sea bass, potatoes, and a glass of wine for only about $10 USD!

Learning About Sound

Being a part of the Filmmaking Lisboa (https://www.filmmakinglisboa.com) group has given me the opportunity to make some friends and learn more aspects of good filmmaking. One day the group gathered for a learning session on "sound" - which is so important. Good sound and lighting are two key ingredients for making films that look professional (like big studio movies), and not amateurish (like a bad student film.)

Finally...

My next blog will come to you from Porto, Portugal! I really have some mixed feelings about the move. I'm excited to see more of Portugal because I do love it here, however I've been told Porto is quite different from Lisbon (think Los Angeles vs. San Francisco). The cooler and wetter climate may be perfect for the summer though!

Lisbon has been wonderful in so many ways, and I never expected to be here this long. I actually feel somewhat grounded here, but at the same time really looking forward to continued travel. There are more places to see, more people to meet, and more experiences to be had. I'll be back to Lisbon for sure!

Thanks for following along! Stay safe and healthy everyone!

ACTOR // CREATIVE // VOICE TALENT

TAPP

Bob Tapper

tapp@bobtapper

www.bobtapper.com

Outside US: +01 9494846275

Inside US: (949) 484-6275

Well, Hello There March

Hello from Lisbon!

I couldn't help but think back to a year ago. Everything was changing around me, and fast. A virus was shutting down borders and travel. I barely made it from Austria to Croatia before it all came to a screeching halt. Soon afterwards came my first lockdown - it lasted five weeks.

Fast forward a year later and I'm locked down again - but this time in Portugal. And if I have to be somewhere, I'm glad it's here. Our lockdown that started January 15th continues, but it was lifted just a bit mid-month. We can now get coffee and drinks to take away! Yay! Oh, the little things.

On the serious plus side, spring is here and the weather just keeps getting better and better. The city is still beautiful, and the lockdown will be lifted even more starting April 5th. It's supposed to fully lifted April 15th - which makes this a three month lockdown! Hopefully, we're now done with it since vaccinations are underway.

Henry the Navigator

You can't miss the Monument to the Discoveries in Belem - a district along the Tagus river here in Lisbon. The monument was built between 1958 and 1960 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator. It was intended to romanticize the idealization of Portuguese exploration. You can see Henry out front leading the way, with 33 historical figures (other navigators) behind him.

Fame Reducer

It's been really fun connecting with a group of creative film people here in Lisbon (we call ourselves Filmmaking Lisboa) and especially comforting during lockdown. So a group of us gathered for a few days to film a short series called Fame Reducer. The storyline is that Faye has the psychic ability to reduce people's fame, and my character (Seb Keller) has the FBI after him and definitely needs his fame reduced!

We filmed two episodes, and I'm in Episode 2! To see just my scene, you can forward to the 5:00 mark. If you want to watch all of Episode 1, you can click here!

Cascais, Portugal (Devil's Mouth)

Cascais is a quick train ride out of Lisbon and has been one of my favorite places to spend a day. It's known for nice beaches and beautiful seaside cliffs. Devil's Mouth (also known as Boca do Inferno) is quite spectacular, especially when large waves come crashing in. However, it also can be quite dangerous and people have died there exploring areas where it's not safe. On the days I've visited, the waves were impressive, but quite tame.

Finally...

Due to Covid and limited travel, immigration has extended visa stays through the end of 2021! So, I'm heading to Porto, Portugal for a few months starting in early May. Porto is the second largest city in Portugal (after Lisbon.) It's a seaside town about four hours away by train - or an hour if I wanted to fly. But I love train rides, so I'll be saying "all aboard" in early May!

I've been to Porto before for a quick day visit, and I've been told it's very different from Lisbon. The weather is a bit cooler, and can rain a bit more. Even though I love it here in Lisbon and have made some friends, I really want to move on and explore a different part of the country. You're sure to see much more of Porto in future blogs!

Thanks for following along! Stay safe and healthy everyone!

ACTOR // CREATIVE // VOICE TALENT

TAPP

Bob Tapper

tapp@bobtapper

www.bobtapper.com

Outside US: +01 9494846275

Inside US: (949) 484-6275