“111 Orte in Porto die man gesehen haben muss” (“111 places in Porto that must be visited”) is the third book in the collection by the German writer and journalist, after two works on the regions of the Algarve and Alentejo.
“The three titles show readers and travellers three completely different regions of Portugal. There are 333 places with 333 ‘stories’, 333 tips for activities and 333 photographs. It is a work about the greatness of Portugal, with its cultural and heritage treasures”, said Catrin Ponciano, living in the Portimão area since 1999.
A former chef, the German, born in Bielefeld, admits that she does not miss life in her home country.
“I found my soul, my heart, my friends, and my love here, in Portugal, so I'm staying”, she confessed.
In addition to the three travel guides, Catrin Ponciano has already published a poetic essay about Fernando Pessoa and two books of political fiction that involve the post-revolution events of April 25, 1974, one of which has already won her a prize.
The idea of writing the guide for Porto, now published by Emons Verlag in Cologne, came after following a German television team preparing several documentaries about local culture and identity.
“I got to know the great ‘invicta city’ very well, and I fell in love,” she said, pointing out the sociocultural, political, artistic, and economic development that the book tries to portray, showing “something more about Porto and the people of Porto.”
Catrin Ponciano already has two more books scheduled for publication. In September 2024, a literary portrait about fado singer Amália Rodrigues will begin to be sold. In February 2025, the writer launches a literary essay about the life and work of the poet Florbela Espanca.
“All my books are aimed at readers and travellers who are looking for the pure, the genuine, the mystique of traveling, and the adventure of finding other ways of being, living, eating, thinking, and feeling”.
