Porto

---

Driving from Lisbon to Porto was another day of a seeing how many tolls we could avoid.

On arrival in Porto the outer suburbs could almost have been anywhere in Australia. Quite different to the typical narrow streets and barely a footpath let alone any sign of a nature strip that we have become used to.

Our apartment was at the top of the hill with a long walk down into the town centre. It is apparent that there is generally less money about in Portugal than Spain with a number of property developer opportunities looking for a bank balance. Very sad to see so many run down buildings that were obviously grand in their day. You get the feeling that in a few years time the locals will not be able to afford to live in the city as the tourism industry gobbles up all the accommodation, similar to Barcelona.

Some spectacular views of the city and river were available from the bridge which doubled as railway and pedestrian walkway. The buildings on either side of the river make for a picture postcard view. A lovely lunch was had in the tourist precinct of Rice and Squid and a salad on the side. Unfortunately Rob's camera/sd card starts playing up. Looks like quite a few photos have been lost but a new card and a new day are able to replace most of them.

Building facades were in many cases highly decorated with the quintessential Portugese ceramic tiles giving a bright and cheer appearance. Of course the mandatory exercise was to search out the best source of Pasteis de Nata or Portugese tarts. While Lisbon excelled on this score we felt it was a solemn duty to do some quality comparisons so we could inform our followers. The hot weather had us regularly searching out cafes for drinks. After admiring the amazing murals in the central railway station we sought out the market looking for a meal but the locals and tourists in the know had the few tables fully booked plus a waiting line which we chose not to join. The lunch we found was off-circuit so the waiter had little prior experience dealing with English language speakers. Getting the bill took longer than it took to eat the meal.

Like many European countries Porto has an efficient metro system that is easy to use and negotiate. It made the trip back to the apartment at the end of a hard days walking so much easier.

---