I said, that way

Henry the Navigator set into motion the historical forces which made Portugal the pre-eminent European power for a couple of centuries. Here his statue in Porto seems to command even present day forces. In this photo he has the upper hand. But the crane seems to slyly ignore him.

I liked the opposing directions of the crane and the statue’s pointing hand. As a first-time visitor to the beautiful city of Porto, I felt this as the tension between the Porto of today, and the city as it was. Porto’s life vibrates with this tension. I sat below this statue and thought what a mundane scene it was, and yet it encapsulated what I felt about the city.