Portugal - Porto

Porto, Portugal, often referred to as Oporto, is a city located along the Douro River in the northwest of the country. Our 90 day sentence was up and we were able to return to the EU for 90 days! And we are back to sun and 80s! I managed to find my sunglasses and we even put on sunscreen.

What did we do?

Clerigos Church and Tower: Clerigos Tower is an iconic landmark in Porto. We climbed 225 steps to the top for panoramic views of the city. The adjacent Clerigos Church is equally impressive and worth a visit. Its Baroque architecture and ornate interior are a testament to Porto's rich religious history.

Lots of gruesome Jesus figures.

A bit strange... we went from the Crucifixion to artwork made of litter

on our way to climb the Tower.

Sharon's favorite part... climbing. Up we go.

So glad we don't have to walk on those!

Inside church

Porto Cathedral and Bishops Palace - The Porto Cathedral is a building with a Roman-Gothic structure, from the 17th century. It underwent major renovations in the Baroque period (17th-18th century). We toured the Bishops Palace, climbed the Tower, visited museum, and then saw the Cathedral.

Side view of Porto Cathedral

Bishops Palace 

The pictures do not do it justice

The baroque main staircase was
the best part of the palace

Private Chapel behind those doors
so they say 🤔 

Throne Room was used for 
official ceremonies

Also known as the Red Room, the 
color of Divine Love

Time to climb the tower:

Up we go 

Up some more

Still more steps 🚶‍♀️ 🚶‍♂️ but I can
see the light

What a view

 

Back down to explore the lower areas:

Resting after the tower climb
and descent 

Mary with infant Jesus

Treasure Room 

Saint Vincent Chapel

The Ribeira District: This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a picturesque neighborhood filled with narrow winding streets, colorful buildings adorned with traditional Portuguese tiles, and lively squares. The Ribeira district is lined with cafes, restaurants, and shops. We enjoyed walking along the riverbanks after crossing the Dom Luís I Bridge.

Up hill we go

Entertainment - he had a crowd

Dom Luís I Bridge: One of Porto's most iconic landmarks is the Dom Luís I Bridge, an architectural masterpiece that connects Porto with Vila Nova de Gaia. The bridge features an impressive double-deck structure, with a pedestrian walkway and metro rail on the upper level providing breathtaking panoramic views of the city, the river, and the bustling Ribeira district below. We walked both the upper and lower levels.

Don't get run over

He chickened out and did not 
jump. Good call.

Vila Nova de Gaia this is where numerous wine cellars offer tours and tastings. It's a good place to learn about the history of Port wine production and sample some of the finest varieties. We did not do any tastings but we did go inside to check it out. 

Cockburns could be serious

Duoro River

 

São Bento Station is located in the historic city center of Porto, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The large panels of around twenty thousand azulejo tiles were designed and painted by Jorge Colaço. São Bento translates to Saint Benedict.

Livraria Lello: For book lovers, Livraria Lello is a must-visit. This historic bookstore, often described as one of the most beautiful in the world. Evidently it boasts an interior with intricate wooden carvings, stained glass, and a stunning red staircase. It's said to have inspired J.K. Rowling while she was writing the Harry Potter series. Sharon didn't realize we needed to purchase tickets ahead of time. Even with tickets you still had to wait in a queue (line). Sadly, we did not get to see this.

The queue! Half a block long.

Church of Saint Ildefonso and Museum 

  

18th Century

Shot, shot, shot! This chalice
would make a serious shot glass.

Saint Manuel

Crucifix 16th Cetury

Miscellaneous Porto

Astronauta Food and Drinks --
Our favorite very local hangout

Igreja de Santo António
 dos Congregados

Catholic Church

Main shopping district

Plenty of entertainment

Igreja da Ordem do Terco
Church in honor of Our Lady
of the Rosary

Sidewalk

Sharon loves the steps... at least
we were going down

Trolley Tracks

Statue of Vímara Peres

Tuk Tuk

Estátua da Carquejeira
Statue for the Gorse women who
transported 40 to 50 kilos of gorse
from the Duoro River to downtown

Bells Bells Bells

Where did we eat?

Tasquinha D’Ouro II -- a little hole in the wall with outside seating. Very little English spoken and definitely a locals spot. We are enjoying the food and the prices! Dinner under €20.

Vegetable Soup

When in Portugal you must try Francesinha. An expat that we met in Inverness, Scotland lives in Porto and she recommended Brasão Aliados.  When we arrived they were full so we made a reservation to come back later. It was worth the wait!  

We started with olives & capers, bread
and ham butter 

I'm hangry! Let me eat!

Francesinha with an egg

Goat Cheese Salad with Honey &
Walnuts

We even got French fries because that is 
what you do. We could have skipped
the fries and kept our bread basket.
Next time we KNOW.

Oficina dos Rissóis was plan B and we made an excellent choice.

Homemade Pickles

Chicken & Red Curry Rissois

Oficina Cesar

Tomato Rice

Soooo gooood 👍 

Hot sauce!

Restaurante Provas for a little lunch snack.

Tomato Salad 

Meat & Cheese Board

There was a bakery right across the street from where we were staying, Ogi by Euskalduna, always had a line. You know what they say... If you see a long line, get in it! Sharon made us stand in line for pastries.

One of each

Our room

Chocolate 

Pear
The best one!

View of the line from our room

Where did we stay?  We stayed in an AirBnB the Downtown Apartment hosted by Jorge. His mother who spoke no English checked us in.  

How did we get here? 

27 September

28 September

Well, we left Arbroath on 27th September by train. We switched trains in Dundee, Scotland that took us to Glasgow Queens. From Glasgow Queens we took the bus to the airport. We flew from Glasgow Airport to London Stansted Airport where Sharon's luggage did not arrive. The luggage ordeal is a blog in itself! After finally giving up on the luggage, we took the shuttle to the Holiday Inn Express, free night using points. Sharon received an email the next morning saying that they have her luggage. Where, we do not know... But it's 'there'.

Back on the shuttle on the morning of the 28th back to the airport. We start at the Easy Jet counter... no one home. Sharon heads to the information desk. They send her to a phone to call the number listed on the wall except there is no number. It says go to the information counter.  Luckily she remembered the number she dialed yesterday and they said they would send someone to the counter. Finally, got the suitcase and headed to Ryan Air to check in.

Arbroath Station

Waiting for the train at
Dundee Station

We arrived at Glasgow Queen

In the cold waiting for the bus

Our bus

On our way to the airport

Boarding the plane in the rain

Poor guy had the middle seat
Flight Glasgow to Stansted 

The look of where the f$%& is
my luggage

Our free Holiday Inn room

Shuttle to and from the airport

Here to pick up bag but counter is
closed

Found it!

I tried exchanging my last 2 pounds.
I was laughed at!

Avocado toast 😋 

Scrambled egg and fried
potatoes 

Our last flight for a while and 
somehow I booked the middle
and window seat.
I hate flying economy!

Stick a fork in her, she is pooped

We've arrived! Time for a new
sim card

Our sporty VW!

When did we visit?  28 September - 1 October 2023

According to little Ms. Google, for the month of September we traveled 1,561 miles. Transiting over 1,400 miles (trains, bus, & plane).

Porto is a city with a rich history and warm hospitality. It has a nice blend of old-world charm and vibrant modern life. We would have liked to have spent a little more time here.

"From Portugal with love"