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We began the day by taking the reasonably new commuter train from near where we are staying, Gaia, into the centre of the city at a very cheap return ticket of 2.40 euros. The Sao Bento railway station has the walls of the concourse decorated with pictures of triumphant historical battles made from blue and white tiles. The effect was stunning.
From the station everything seemed to be going uphill. And if there is an uphill there must be a downhill somewhere so the day was going to be one of physical exercise in temperatures in the high 20’s. The first stop was the nearby information centre to get all the maps and details of the city that we needed.
The large city market was our first visit. On the ground floor were traditional fruit. vegetable and flower stalls. The upper floor appeared to be set up for local farmers who bring in fresh vegetables. These stalls were run by older couples who must have a small plot of land outside the city and this may be their only way of making money. Our wish to buy fresh cherries at up to 3.50 euros/kilo was tempered by the small size of
the fruit. Perhaps we’ll see some better quality cherries at wayside stalls on our travels south tomorrow.
The rest of the day was spent meandering down through the city soaking up the atmosphere. The temperature seemed to be rising so finding cool places was essential. The occasional visit into shops and a quiet sit in the cathedral got us ready for the walk down hundreds (or thousands) of steps to the riverside area of Ribeira. Sitting under an umbrella with a cooling breeze blowing through our hair a large cold beer in front of us while we watched the cream of Oporto and many tourists strut their stuff or parade their latest Mercedes was sheer luxury. We sat for some time contemplating the day so far and where to next. The river is crossed by quite a number of high bridges over the Douro River which has made a deep gorge separating the two parts to the city. One of the rail bridges was designed and built by Gustav Eiffel. Young men took the opportunity of showing what they were made of by jumping about 20 metres into the river from the lower decking of a nearby bridge.
Thankfully there
was a funicular to take us back up the hill for a final wander before finding somewhere to eat. While waiting for service we reflected on the day. Porto was obviously a proud city in the past but unfortunately present day circumstances have left the city in need of a sustained revitalisation programme. There are many empty and run down shops covered in graffiti next door to quite modern buildings. The cobbled footpaths give a hint of what the city is attempting but the gaps in the stones are a great gathering place for millions of cigarette butts. Sitting at our outdoor table we wondered who cleaned up the rubbish off the pavement from around the tables. It seems some simple measures could improve things. To be chased down the street by beggars was rather unsettling. We watched the same beggar follow a well dressed woman into a shop and hassle her until she opened her purse.
Are we pleased we made this a stopover in Portol? Yes. Would we find it a place that needs a revisit? No. We don’t feel we have wasted our time here but perhaps we should have spent time wandering the Douro Valley. Another
day, as we have more of Europe to visit.
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