I decided to not punish myself with a 0300 wakeup again and opted for the later flight putting me in Porto a few hours after Britt and Matt arrived. I invited along a friend from work, Jenn, who hadn't visited Portugal yet.
The train and plane were seamless and we arrived in a much warmer Porto than the Germany we left behind. We took a stroll across the Ponte Luís I (bridge) to Gaia and grabbed some charcuterie and cocktails at Esplanada do Teleférico (Terrace Cable Car). The terrace had a wonderful view of Porto and the Duoro River.
Old Porto
Overlooking Gaia across the river from Porto
First drink was a Negroni made with Port wine
All the snacks
Sunset over the Douro River
Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar
Tram over the bridge
While it made for a wonderful sunset, as the night fell so did the temperature so we stopped by the Airbnb for a wardrobe change. We wondered over to the bar and restaurant district for some more great food and wine and enjoyed the Ponte Luís I from below before calling it a night. The bridge was designed by an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel who accommodated the locals by building an upper and lower span to mitigate the need to climb the steep hills along the river banks. You can see some resemblance to the Eifel Tower in its design.
Street, or possibly river, performers
09 October 2021
After a breakfast from the nearby café that would serve us well during our stay, we walked back across the Ponte Luís I to the CICLO Bicycle Shop. They had really nice German e-bikes for their tours and everyone besides Jenn seemed to fit just fine. There was a fog early in the morning that luckily lifted before we got underway.
Somehow Jenn didn't know how to ride a bike so the guide gave her a travel bike with the seat post low enough she could touch both feet to the ground while stopped. This is not the correct method but did make for funny waddle starts.
First stop was up steep hills to the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar that overlooks Porto and the Douro River from Gaia not far from the terrace we enjoyed the afternoon before. Adjacent to the monastery is a military base which seems like a pretty sweet gig for the Portuguese.
Then it was across the Ponte do Infante and back into Porto.
The Sé do Porto (Porto Cathedral)
As we made it to the São Bento train station, one of the older cyclists on tour with us had a spill and couldn't continue. Honestly, it was pretty hectic in the downtown area without dedicated bike lanes and hopping on and off curbs. I'm not surprised someone got hurt and had to catch an Uber home. Safety first!
During the delay, we admired the blue and white tiles found on the building walls throughout Porto. In the Porto São Bento train station, these tiles told the story of Porto's history.
Downtown
Around the corner is Câmara Municipal do Porto (city hall) and where the local university students parade through during important milestones and where thousands of people gather to watch fireworks during New Years' celebrations.
Igreja do Carmoi preveiously used to hide opposition during the raids of Napoleon and the fascists'.
Torre dos Clérigos (bell tower) which was the dream of the Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni who renovated the Sé do Porto so well the city gave him carte blanche on another project.
The last stop on the tour was the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal with views of the Ponte da Arrábida, the last bridge spanning the Douro River before spilling into the Atlantic Ocean.
An old torpedo that was carved out into a canoe
A bit last minute, we decided to take a sunset cruise on the river after realizing our tour the following day had far less time on the water than expected. At only 15 euro, it was worth a shot. Speaking of shots, it did come with a small glass of free Port wine from a shop around the corner.
The boat was a little crowded but we were lucky to get some decent seats. It didn't really matter though, because a bachelorette party and group of Africans could have cared less about the views as they erupted into a dance party despite the terribly blown out speakers.
Typical boat found on the Douro River
So many bridges
Old Porto
Matt taking in the views
Me enjoying the local fare
A heavy fog rolled in as we sailed downriver
There were a few sailboats on the river but I think most of them stayed downstream where the river opens up a bit.
Porto on the left (north), Gaia on the right (south).
Giggles
Another sunset
Heading back to the bar district for dinner and drinks
Igreja dos Clérigos at night
Espresso martinis are a staple when out with Britt and Matt
10 October 2021
It was an early morning but luckily the tour guide agreed to pick us up at the Airbnb instead of us wandering through town to meet him somewhere. Waiting for the pickup.
Louis (pronounced Lou-ith) was a pleasant young man who kept us entertained throughout the day. The first stop was a small village in the wine country upriver. I haven't been to Napa Valley, but I'm pretty sure it is similar given how much Portugal reminds me of northern California. We had some port wine and coffee (separately) and enjoyed the quiet town before heading down to the river.
Unfortunately the boat ride, which was the big selling point on us booking the tour, was an overcrowded one hour tour instead of a pleasant cruise snaking up and down the Douro River. With quite possibly the worst seats on the boat, we made the best of it and enjoyed a couple of 10 euro bottles of wine instead.
After the boat, we ate together at a small restaurant in the riverside town. It was quite a spread and with the great company, probably my favorite part of the tour. We had trape, a baked cod macaroni and cheese casserole thing, and desserts with grappa. Of course, we didn't get any pictures of this highlight. Instead, just a picture of Matt hydrating.
Next stop was a vineyard for a tour and wine tasting. Quite frankly, my memory is a little hazy on this part of the trip. Luckily, my friends took lots of pretty pictures!
You can tell how good a wine will be by tapping on the barrels (not really)
What a life
Finally the wine tasting
After the winery, we stopped at another bridge built by that Eifel guy who apparently had a thing for northern Portugal.
And the Portuguese clearly have a thing for bridges.
But so do I...
A snoozy van ride back to Porto led to a relaxing evening hanging out in the Airbnb and ordering takeout. The girls found a great taco spot which elludes all of Germany. Matt and I watched some football.
11 October 2021
The next morning, Matt and Britt went exploring early as Jenn and I lazily made our way to our familiar cafe around the corner. After breakfast, we ambitiously marched over to the "Harry Potter" bookstore to see if the line was manageable. It most certainly wasn't so we meandered back to the Airbnb to scoop up Britt and Matt and head back across the river to Gaia for some Cod balls.
The establishment seemed overly luxorious for a place that simply makes cod balls and sells souvenir glasses of port wine. A simple food truck would have done the trick. Regardless, Jenn and I checked it out, ate the cod ball, drank the port wine, and listened to the talented pianist. After, we cross the Ponte Luis I and the Douro River one final time to snack on charcuterie and yet more wine at a tapas spot near our Airbnb. In a weekend filled with food and drink, we enjoyed all of it up to the last minute including at the airport.
Wandering the streets one last time
My attempts at reading on the return flight were futile, but I powered through on the train back home. Another great weekend in a beautiful place with old and new friends alike.
