Blogs from Northern, Portugal, Europe - page 7

Seasick. Yes, that is what ran through my mind as I woke up feeling slightly under the weather and sluggish in my cabin. Seasickness could truly be the only reason. (mmm-hmm). After hitting the snooze alarm a few times, I rallied and met Dave and Merry Jo for coffee, although I wasn’t up to facing breakfast quite yet. We lingered at the table as we sailed along the river. Today was a low-key day with no off-ship excursions, also known as a relaxing vacation day. The sun came out making for a perfect day to sit on deck and read. It was nice to sit on the Sun Deck and watch the scenery pass by while waiting for some more food. Lunch was always a full-on buffet with entrees, salads, desserts, and an action station of ... read more

Arrived in lovely Porto on Friday morning and enjoyed 2 days of wandering the city. Beautiful blue sky day. We stayed at a small 7 room guest house, Cale guest house, in a great central location. Sitting there the first morning eating breakfast, listening to the languages of our fellow travelers - French. Spanish, Dutch. And then we see thru the glass door. the occasional peregrino walks by. I do feel like this could be a scene out of The Way!! And I love it!! We have been watching the weather. And by last night, the rain begins. In the middle of the night it rains hard. Neither of us sleep well, wondering what this next adventure will hold... while awake, I think about the weight of my pack. And by morning, my lovely small traveller's ... read more

PORTO RENDEZVOUS After leaving my hostel, I made several false starts to figure out how to exit Santarem. I even asked a policeman; he was unfamiliar with walking in the city. He gave me driving directions, which were of no help to me. I decided to have another breakfast and ponder the problem. An up-scale coffee shop called my name; I ordered and took my first bite. I realized in a panic that I had left my hiking sticks again! Leaving all my possessions behind, I raced back to the grocery store, where I had bought water and nuts for the day. There were the walking sticks leaning against the wall. What a relief! That’s the third time I forgot them in twenty-four hours! Returning to the café, I finished my sweet roll and tea and ... read more

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Todays heygo virtual tour explored the riverside area of Porto known as Ribeira - heart of the UNESCO world heritage site. Porto's riverside quarter, known as the Ribeira, is one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods and certainly one of its highlights. The area was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and it does not disappoint. Historically the quayside here was one of the busiest points on the River Douro with cargo from both up and down-stream landed here before the short journey to the centre of the city. Today it is equally bustling but the major trade here is now tourism. The waterfront (Cais da Ribeira) is long strip of cafes, restaurants and shops overlooking the river and the Port houses. Many of these businesses are housed in what would once have been single-storey ... read more