Blogs from Northern, Portugal, Europe - page 14

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

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

Today is a holiday all over Europe. It is the equivalent of our Labor Day and I assume that this long holiday weekend is the reason for so many tourists in Porto. (BTW I should have pointed out yesterday that I can not readily distinguish Portuguese from Spanish, so it could be that the latter is the most common foreign language that I have been hearing.) Today I hired a car with private driver to take me into the winemaking region of the Douro Valley where the grapes are grown for port wine. It's a bit of a splurge, but I prefer it to the alternatives which are an all day group tour or renting a car and driving myself. It worked out well. I got in a lot of sightseeing and took many scenic pictures ... read more

19th April A stormy night with high winds, the sound of thunder & rain, but it cleared by morning although the wind kept up. A little stiff in the ankle & calf department this morning. Found out that a couple from Blackpool rocked up in a van last evening so I went over to have a chat to them before it got dark, they live near Stanley Park & South Park Drive! Had a good laugh. Small world. Up, got sorted out & then went down to reception to see Rieca for the police phone call. Didn’t need her as it happened as someone was there with half decent English. Despite us saying we couldn’t go back to give a statement they were expecting us! She said she would try & organise for us to visit ... read more

1st April Woke to the sound of rain...hey ho! Packed away, put the coordinates in the Dyson & headed for Portugal as apparently it’s sunnier there. Cathy needed a fix so we stopped at a Lidl, then filled up with fuel as we were told that it’s more expensive in Portugal. We also stopped off at two tyre places to have the tracking checked – good fun trying sign that one so I Googled it & the tyre fitters just laughed so goodness knows what it said, probably ‘Please check the cartwheels on my chariot’ – but Billy was too long for their ramps. On the way south Cathy had two run ins with the Dyson, one of which was shouting keep left but wildly gesticulating right....what I have to put up with. It rained. Arrived ... read more