Portugal: Porto & Braga.

<p>G'day everyone.</p>

<p>I'll be travelling to Portugal in mid-October to do some volunteer work in Braga, with two days of liesure time in Porto. I'm not familiar with the area, and will be travelling on a shoe-string budget so I can't afford some of the "travel tours" that I've managed to find online (Some tours cost 200 Euro for a full day!).</p>

<p>Can anyone recommend some nice places to shoot? I prefer people places (markets, etc) and older architecture. For shooting people, are locals welcome to foreigners taking pictures? Are there any local customs to be aware of? What about tipping and the like for street vendors and/or performers (if such things exist there?).</p>

<p>For architecture, I'll be shooting with a 35mm camera (with 24mm, 28mm and 40mm wide lenses) so if there are any nice vantage points for taking pictures of buildings, so that I can avoid the "building falling backwards" perspective issues, that would be great too.</p>

<p>Also, does anyone know what the weather is like this time of year in that area of the world? I've only been to Asia where you have to worry about things such as rainy season -- not sure if there are seasonal considerations for Portugal.</p>

<p>Thanks for any input.<br>

-Patrick</p>

<p>Sounds like a good trip. I been to Porto a couple of times to visit family. The people in Portugal are really nice and its pretty safe- just like any city be careful of your valuables. Anyways I would suggest you take the train from Porto towards the south. There is a train line that follows the west cost, its the train that the locals take so they are not expensive trips....Making stops at Valadares, Aguda, and Espinho. *If you use Google Maps and search for Porto, you can see the train routes and there stops* Espinho is known for their large markets and its something you should check out for sure. Porto... you will have a lot to photograph.....<br>

As far as the locals... you should start learning to say "Obrigado!" These are Europeans they like to enjoy their lunch breaks for 2 hours! <br>

What volunteer work will you be doing in Braga? Sounds like a sweet deal. Have fun! </p>