As the people in the flat above me were tromping around like a herd of elephants last night, I consequently didn’t get to sleep until 11pm….The upside of this was I slept in until 7am!!
Tried to book a river cruise and winners day for when my brother arrive to join me but wouldn’t accept my cc! So my mission this morning was to walk to their office and book!
I was nearly there, when Kevin (my brother) messaged to say he had booked… so I carried on to my next destination- the Porto pilgrims office to check out the Portuguese way for next year.,,
I stumbled on the Porto city hall which is a Neoclassical granite building with a prominent clock tower and it serves as the administrative centre of Porto, built in the early 1900s
Interesting wall art here…kind of scary!
And no city is complete without a resident McDonald’s! No I did not go in!
Wanderings took me past this Monument to Dom Pedro IV, which is located in the vibrant Praça da Liberdade in Porto, Portugal, and evidently is a significant historical landmark. Standing at an elevation of approximately 136 metres, this impressive equestrian bronze statue honors Dom Pedro IV, a pivotal figure in Portuguese history known for establishing the constitutional monarchy.
I then neared the pilgrims office…down this alleyway…
They were most unhelpful and not forthcoming with any information or maps on the Portuguese way….. they just told me to look on the internet! So..I left…and climbed up again to…
The Porto Cathedral (Se Do Porto) – this in where all the routes of the Camino Portuguese start in Porto – there are several starting from here…so will have to explore the web as I want the coastal route!
Statues around the Porto cathedral…this one looking north from the cathedral..
This one on the main square in front of the church…
And bringing the old and new together, like any large city these days, cranes also regularly feature on the architectural landscape!
View looking west from the high square over the city..,
And back to the Sé do Porto Cathedral, one of the oldest monuments in the city, dating back to the 12th century, when Porto was one of the main bulwarks of the reconquest and the reorganization of Portuguese territory. It features characteristics of Romanesque Art of French influence…..then it was down to the river Douro…
About 500 narrow cobbled steps… and needing a bathroom after my morning coffees (no option for a bush wee – NO bush)
A feature of Portuguese home is the tiled exteriors of their buildings, not so easy to capture from the narrow streets below..
Upon reaching the river – I dived into the first cafe I found, to use the toilet, and ordered the most expensive latte to date €4.50! (NZ$9.00)
Sitting at my cafe viewpoint looking at the Dom Luis Bridge (one of six crossing the River in Porto) it is the largest (double decker) bridge that spans the river Duoro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia (the south side) At its construction, its 172 metres (564 ft) span was the longest of its type in the world. Not sure if that means it still is?
After my coffee, I decided to keep walking… for some reason 10000 steps is just not enough these days! Along the river towards the Atlantic Ocean!
There is a big festival this weekend up to the 23rd celebrations and a lot of the roads and waterfront were closed off …walking ok… but police everywhere stopping traffic…
A clear view to the Southside and a great walking day … only up to 26 degrees (Celsius)
The Ponte de Arriba (bridge) completed in 1963, is the last one before the ocean, and spans 890 metres… evidently there is a bridge climb on this one you can do, I think I will give it a miss due to my vertigo in high places! I would have to climb with my eyes shut and that probably wouldn’t be a safe option!
Tour boats..motoring up and down the river…that’s something I could do!
Around about now, I needed another bathroom stop..,it was a vicious circle, but a drink, use the loo…then an hour later you need to do the same thing!!! I must say in these parts of Europe, public toilets are very noticeable by their absence!!
That done..,I carried on west…go west they said towards the ocean!
Local fishing boat replaced commercial tourist boats and seagulls replaced pigeons! Nice feeling as the breeze off the ocean was cooling as well!
Less people, less vehicles, a few pilgrims…I was on the Camino trail again..felt like home!
Through a carnival opening up for the day…I really wanted to have a go! If I had my gran babies with me no one would have blinked an eyelid… but an older lady.. hmmm .. one of the police may have checked to see if all was well!
Statues…this one is “The Messenger Angel” standing proudly looking out to the breakwater…that opens up to the ocean … she is said to bring good hope to the city of Porto.
And just as I needed another loo stop (the cycle continued) a cafe appeared looking out to the ocean! Very nice friendly people here in Portugal.. so I had my Portuguese tart this time, with a very small coffee…as I was a fair way from my flat, it was time to be cautious!!!
But wait stopping right in front of me was a historic tram, heading back up the river (nit going as far as it normally does due to road closures but getting me closer to home!
So, here I was sitting in the tram…resting my feet before being dropped at the bottom of a good climb back up!
The view from the tram, not riverside…but very air conditioned with all widows wide open to let the sea breeze circulate!
I then had a 30 minute walk back…having only travelled 12 kms on foot…. A mere stroll … it’s Saturday night here and the city roads were jammed with police patrols on every corner, as all the residents head towards the river for the afternoon/evening festivities! Whatever they may be.. still struggling with crowds…after my wilderness days over the last month!
Just hanging out with the locals in my gated Portuguese community house!!!
All who wander are not Lost girls 