Blogs from Porto, Northern, Portugal, Europe - page 9

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Europe » Portugal » Northern » Porto June 3rd 2017

We went for breakfast and coffee, and headed out for another tour of the city. We walked up Se Cathedral, and then headed out onto the upperdeck of the Ponte Dom Luis I. From here we enjoyed a fabulous view of the river and the old city, crossing to the south bank and back. We then boarded the No. 22 tram for a ride across the city. Then it was off to the Palacio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange) for a tour that we had booked earlier. This old palace is a beautiful building, with a very nice old courtroom, and a stunning Moorish-styled ballroom. We then had a rest while A&P did some shopping. In the evening we went out for a nice meal of Portuguese dishes. Without knowing it, Jim ordered a "Francesinha", which is ... read more
View from Se Church
A view of Porto from Se Church
Crossing Ponte Dom Luis I

Europe » Portugal » Northern » Porto June 2nd 2017

Today we doing our own walking tour of Porto. First stop is the famous Lello Bookstore which is considered one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. We had to book advanced tickets for it, because it is so popular. It was really amazing to see but too overcrowded to really enjoy it. Then we walked up past Carmo Church with its striking facade of azulejos (blue and white painted tiles) adorning its outside walls. As we wandered through the streets we came upon the beautiful square at Avenida dos Aliados. There we admired magnificent architecture of the buildings surrounding it. We walked on past the very old Church of Saint Ildefonso and then Chapel of Souls both with lovely azulejo tiles. Bolhao Market, which dates back to 1850, was next on our list to ... read more
Inside Lello Bookstore
Bookstore
Pat at the bookstore

Europe » Portugal » Northern » Porto June 1st 2017

Today we are off by train to Portugal's second largest city, Porto, which lies north of Lisbon. After our three hour train ride we arrived mid afternoon at the central train station in Porto. We had a short walk downhill to our rooftop apartment with great views of the city. Once we dropped off our luggage we headed out for an early dinner. Allison chose a vegetarian restaurant which was nice. We then wandered through some of the narrow streets to a viewpoint overlooking the Douro River. Allison and Patrick stopped there for a drink and we continued back to our apartment. We enjoyed watching the amazing night lights turn on throughout the city and across the river.... read more
Jim's Chili veggie burger
Side street in Porto
Clock tower

Europe » Portugal » Northern » Porto » Sao Mamede de Infesta May 11th 2017

Ascending from the Sao Bento metro station, my first view of Porto was the 12th century cathedral against the backdrop of a pure blue sky in the glow of early evening. The pre-booked hostel was just around the corner and I checked in quickly so that I could enjoy the views from the cathedral courtyard before nightfall. The cathedral sits on a crowded ridge that tops the slope up from the Douro river. The scramble of buildings from the waterside up the hillside is one of the classic views of Porto. Back at the hostel, I was the sole participant of the ‘communal’ dinner, though they rounded off the meal with a glass of port, the fortified wine produced exclusively here in the Douro Valley. The hostel was full of international students, many of whom were ... read more
Porto
Porto
Porto

Europe » Portugal » Northern » Porto May 9th 2017

The drive from Fátima up north to Porto was another easy affair on the highway. But we were a little bit shocked as the toll prices for the highway a quite high. At least we go a first impression of the really beautiful landscape of Portugal. By arriving in Porto it was pure chaos. Roadsides are not made for our logic and finally we ended up using our mobile phone to navigate towards our hotel. We had booked a supercheap guesthouse on the way to the airport as we had to be at the airport the next morning at 5.30 am. Well, we had booked kind of a shithole. Well, the room was ok and the lady who takes care of the place was super friendly and tried to keep everything clean. But, well, not really ... read more
us with our friend Juliana over the roofs of Porto
restaurants in Ribeira at the Duoro
at the Duoro

Europe » Portugal » Northern » Porto March 29th 2017

19, 20 & 21 March 2017 Arrived in Porto at around 4pm. There is a time difference of an hour between here and Spain, so we were able to get out and wander. What an amazing city. It is a Sunday afternoon and it seems everyone is out enjoying the beautiful weather and the markets on the banks of the Duoro river. The area of Porto is known mainly for being the original Port Wine developers. We went into a “cave” (we might call it a wine store) and there I discovered that Port wine comes in white, ruby and tawny. It all tasted pretty good to me. There are many Port Wine caves and we are told some are better than others. In Porto the people really enjoy cod I am told, so that evening ... read more
Pont Luis I
View to an old Fortress
A bridge with 2 platforms

Europe » Portugal » Northern » Porto » Matosinhos October 5th 2016

Bom dia, Peter was sitting at his office working hard one day, or possibly searching the internet for discounted flights as was most likely the case, and came across an excellent deal to Portugal. Being the last country in Western Europe I had not visited, he bought the ticket and started packing. As there are not many flights directly to Europe from Vancouver, the flight would involve a transfer in Toronto. I flew standby, and was actually able to get an emergency exit row with more than enough leg room! The connecting flight in Toronto, was not as smooth. Firstly, there was a security breach because, apparently "someone managed to wander into an area they should not have been. Don't worry, it's all fine now." However, this meant security doors had been shut in the terminal ... read more
Porto
Port at Taylors
Streets in Porto

Europe » Portugal » Northern » Porto September 17th 2016

Porto, one of the biggest street parties I’ve ever been to and this all happened by chance... During a brief trip away to Portugal this summer, myself and three other friends intended on travelling up to Porto on the 17th September as we knew we only had time to fit in the sights of this great drink loving city for one night only. When we spoke to locals in Lisbon about our intentions to road trip up that day we were in for a little surprise. It so happens that this specific evening Porto would come alive with music & culture from all around Portugal, bringing a togetherness of foodies, locals and party lovers. Oh and four likely folk from The Midlands, UK. The festival was in its 6th consecutive year of running and with no ... read more
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Europe » Portugal » Northern » Porto June 30th 2016

I have to apologize....it is just the start of the summer, and I'm already solidly late on my travel blogging! Good news, if I'm late, it's because I'm slightly busy having a lot of fun, and discovering, or re-discovering places I always had on my list! But first, here I am in Porto after few days in Luxembourg. Cheap flight on Easyjet direct from Luxembourg to Porto. I arrived a little late, but in Portugal, it's not really an issue! I took the midnight tram to the city center...and even at midnight, the tram was packed! Porto is only a short stop for me. My next stop is...for once I'll say it, Madrid. I looked for the cheapest option between Luxembourg and Madrid. Porto came in a a bonus with a combination of Easyjet and TAP. ... read more
Lovely day on the banks of the Douro
My very private tour...
Port wine was transported form the Douro Valley, 100km inland East...

Europe » Portugal » Northern » Porto June 20th 2016

We flew into Porto and picked up our rental car at Hertz. Hertz told us you get the best deal if you reserve a small car then upgrade when you arrive. We rented a car with GPS or else we spend a lot of time lost. When we arrived at the Sheraton (free on points from our credit card), there was a commotion going on. We were told the police would not allow us to park in front of the hotel and the hotel employee would park our car. When we went in we found out the Portugal National football team (soccer to us) was staying in the hotel and would soon be down to board the bus to the game. We waited with everyone else and the press for them to come downstairs. They were ... read more
Showing Warrior sprit at the Cathedral
Finding good friends in Porto (Randy and Nancy)
Mark and I, Porto behind us




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