Exploring Porto

For our first day in Porto we decided to take a Hop On/Hop Off bus tour.  There are several companies here, like in many cities.  We bought a ticket (25 Euros) that would be good for 48 hours and included a tour of a winery and a boat ride on the Douro.  We set out around 10:30 before the day became too hot.  The high predicted was 32'.  

The stop for the "Blue" bus was almost right outside our hotel door.  First, the tour headed through some of the more modern sections of the city and then out to the sea front.  On the way, we could see a thick layer of smoke lying up near the hills and we wondered if it was from the forest fires that covered the country this summer.  The tour continued from the sea to the mouth of the Douro where we saw the breakwater which protects the river from of the storms in the ocean.  We drove up the river along the bank past the fishing boats and quays where the fishermen were selling their catch – some so fresh they were still alive!  

From there and on the other side of the town, we crossed over a bridge to the Gaia district which gave us some amazing views across to the old town which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  

When we came back across the bridge, drove west along the river and then up a hill where we reached the old town centre.  We got off at the main square there. 

We walked down the hill back to the river front where we stopped for a light lunch and something to drink.  It was very warm – more than 30’ – and we were both thirsty.  Our lunch stop was La Taverna, a very casual place where we got a front table which was great for people watching and for getting "rehydrated" - three cans of iced tea for me!  

After that, we wandered further east along the quay toward the bridge going over to Gaia.  We had planned to walk over to that side and pick up the Blue Bus again as its route would take us back to the hotel.  However, at the start of the bridge, there was a Tuk Tuk driver – turned out he was a Sicilian studying international law here – and we negotiated a ride for €20 to take us back to the hotel.  Given the heat, it seemed to be the perfect solution to getting back.  Besides, the bus only comes every 1/2 hour or so and we didn't want to stand in the sun that long.  The heat had sapped our energy and it was just too hot to do much more of anything!  It was a fun ride as we took some narrow alleys and backstreets which the bus could certainly not have driven on. 

For dinner we went to a fabulous seafood restaurant where Nawal had eaten when she was here on her way to Madeira.  The grouper I had was so fresh it was amazing.  We chatted with a German couple sitting on one side of us who live in Munich and, on the other side were an interesting English couple who live in Frankfurt.  Once again, it occurred to me how great it is when you travel to get out and chat with locals or other travellers.  It enriches the experience and gives you an opportunity to learn a lot!