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So today is my day to explore Porto. Maria's friend that I met last night, Alberto, came to pick me up around 10am and from there we took a bus and a train south about 30 miles or so to Porto. The city is much larger and more beautiful than I thought. It sits on the ocean with the River Duoro (Golden River) running through it. The river used to be used to transport wine from the vineyards outside the city down to the centre area to be sold but now it simply divides Porto from V.N. Gaia, the city right across the river from Porto. I would get a bunch more historical tidbits from my tourguide Alberto the rest of the day (thanks Alberto!!!) The downtown area of Porto is fantastic, particularly along the river. Houses of all colors rise up the hilly slopes of the city and the area is dotted with catholic churches all over.
We met up with Maria and another friend of theirs, Eurico, for lunch at a cafe. We had a sandwich which I think is called franceskahne or something like that, haha. I forgot already. Its really popular in this area and is
absolutely delicious but of course, quite unhealthy. It consists of steak, bacon, ham, sausage and cheese and then topped with a fried egg and gravy, and served with fries. After eating one you cannot do much more than sit around and have a coffee or espresso which everyone here (besides me) customarily does. Its funny talking to these people about music and movies. Almost all of what they get over here is in English and unfiltered. Most TV stations are in English and they get some American channels that I don't even get ha. I was joking that they know more about American movies and music (particularly hard metal) than I do. It really isn't a joke though, they do.
After lunch we checked out the Palacia de Cristal which has views over the city and the ocean. Pretty damn cool, especially when we saw some peacocks just strolling around like we were. Met Maria at her work and headed home exhausted after all that walking. Big props to Eurico and Alberto for a tour of their beautiful city. Had a great time but my feet payed for it. Got some beer and wine on our way home which
was crazy inexpensive (beer was 27 cents a can and wine was no more than 2 or 3 euro). The wine is not bad at all either. They have a ton of vineyards nearby and all over the country too. Even tried some vinho verde (green wine) which was a little weird but worth trying. I heard Marias mother was a great cook and they were right. Had some beef with ''portugese'' spices as they called it, potatoes, rice and salad. It was SOOO GOOD and followed by ice cream. I feel like I am being pampered at a five star hotel when I am here. Too lucky. We spent our time after dinner talking politics so its probably a good time to mention that Maria, her mother and many of her friends I met are all card carrying members of the Portugese Communist Party. They all joked that they thought I would freak out when I heard this as an American but it wasn't a big deal. We just talked a lot about our political views, politics in both countries and the issues they face in Portugal. It was a good time. Even though I do not really agree
bridge over duoro river
bridge over duoro river with communism, I have a ton of respect for how hard these people all work to try to make their country a better place to live. Anyways, that's really all for now. SOOOO happy to be here now. I love these people ha.
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