The traveling manatees by Nancy French: Porto, Portugal

View from Santa Catarina

Overview

Arriving in Porto, we returned our rental vehicle and took a taxi to the Crowne Plaza where we had secured a suite for 2 nights using points. The skies of the city were not only overcast but the air was heavy with smoke from the fires further inland. It seemed we would probably be spending most of our day indoors instead of out exploring. Within an hour of checking into our hotel, though, the sun appeared and strong winds off the ocean cleared the skies. Since we had a tour of the historic center scheduled for the following morning, we left our hotel to check out this non-historical vicinity. Heading toward the Douro River, we scouted out restaurants for dinner and wandered through the free Botanical Gardens which we happened upon along our route. Since we didn't have a specific destination in mind, we walked until we finally reached the Chapel of Santa Catarina. This spot provided a wonderful overview of the Douro and part of the city as well. On our return, a small plate of pastéis de nata and a bottle of tawny port had been delivered to our room, gratis. Loved that!

Porto City Hall

Clérigos Tower

The following morning, we hopped on a city bus and headed to the Clérigos Church
with its 250-foot tower. Upon arrival for the 3-hour tour, it appeared that only a handful of tourists had signed up. Perfect, we thought. However, within a few minutes of the 10 AM start, more than a couple dozen people had shown up. We knew this was not going to work well for us, so decided to take advantage of the nearby Yellow Bus off/on tour instead. Offering 2 routes, the ticket we purchased covered both. Starting with the historical Porto/orange bus departing from Liberdade Square, we spent the next 2 hours winding through the narrow, busy streets of Porto. Using earphones providing an English narrative turned out to be a great way to experience Porto. Alan was ecstatic that someone else was driving through the chaos of the city.

Stopping for a lunch break near the Square, Alan wanted to try the sandwich Porto is famous for, the francesinha. It is made with thickly sliced bread filled with a combination of ham, smoked sausage, and fresh Portuguese sausage. It is then covered with melted cheese and a spicy tomato/beer sauce. It is frequently topped with a fried egg and served with french fries, but he decided to forgo that part of the tradition.

Returning to the pickup spot, we boarded the Porto Castles/purple bus for another 2-hour run. This time we headed out toward the beaches. Having walked extensively during our Portuguese visit, it felt a bit like cheating to use a tour bus. But since this is a large and very hilly city, similar to Lisbon, it worked out well. Using the bus allowed us to visit areas we otherwise would have been unable to see in our short time frame.

We have been traveling for several weeks now and are returning home for a bit. Flying back home using air miles entailed, as usual, a rather convoluted flight plan. But the price is right! The itinerary gave us an overnight stop in Madrid. Before departing the USA, we had learned that the Prado Museum is open free to the public every night from 6-8 PM on Mondays thru Saturdays and 5-7 on Sundays. The museum was a 20-minute walk from our hotel and the timing worked out perfectly. The entry line was quite long but moved surprisingly fast. Once inside, we prioritized the artists we wanted to see. Moving along quickly, we were able to view all the exhibits we had selected. Meandering the wide pedestrian walkways back to our hotel, we stopped for a couple of sangrias and yet another seafood dinner. Flying the next day to Dallas and then to Orlando, we arrived home around 2 AM. This trip has been fantastic, but a bit exhausting too!