We had a relaxed morning, and locked up and left around 10am…just in time to catch a train to Aveiro…a seaside town just a little over an hours train ride away..,our last day in Portugal…so we might as well see the place while we are here (as Russ would say)…
The wanderers arriving at Aveiro station, and having made friends on the train with a Dutch couple, they insisted on taking our picture together… they didn’t realise how much Kevin hates being in pictures….
The old railway station from the town side with its ornate ceramic decoration…we are guessing one the most photographed stations in Portugal…
We wandered down the Main Street and had our mandatory coffee and Portuguese tart! I am now over these tarts, that is the last one I will have, having somewhat overdosed on them in the last week!!! We decided to head towards the seaside….
More ceramic tiled facades of buildings .. a real feature of these Portuguese towns…
Walking along the canals, with the riverboats…our guide from yesterday told us, this town is the Venice of Portugal…and the ribbons tied along the rails symbolize love, friendship, and personal wishes.
Out of the big cities and back to street art murals…
The Royal school of Languages building in Aveiro is a premier language institution that has been operating for over four decades. It is housed in a prominent, historic 19th-century building situated in the centre of the city, directly along the scenic waterfront of Aveiro’s city center canals.
Small plaster churches like this one are common in Portugal…and seem to appear when you least expect them… no fanfare or introduction….just there they are, on a street corner!
More Street art…
This building “Capitania fo Porto” was once a tide mill, then a drawing school, a cooperage, a storehouse, and the seat of Aveiro Port authorities and today it is the seat of the Municipal Council. In a privileged location on the banks of Cojo Channel, dating back to the 15th century.
We had been wandering for over an hour…still aiming for the seaside….Until we actually realised we were still 10kms away…a couple of hours walk…my partner in crime decided unless there was a bus, reaching the destination was out of the question!
So we looped around and came across a beautiful green area…
City Park….The Grotto in The City Park, this park is the largest green space in Aveiro…
Peaceful and cool…lakes, rivers , walkways and ancient trees…
Covered pergola walkways …. This actually leads to the public toilets …. Very convenient! A further half hour walk ahead back to the station… to head back towards Porto, with maybe a stop off at another town half way…
And yet more street art….
And more ceramics on outside of buildings…..passing by….
The Cathedral of Aveiro…. The city’s primary landmark which was the 15th century Monastery of Jesus – another remarkable piece of Aveiros Architecture and history! …. Crossing a bridge, getting warmer and closer to the train… we spied…
The Aveiro Congress Centre. This is a striking cultural and convention venue in another historic area of the city and was formerly a 20th-century ceramics factory, constructed in the early 1900’s
We caught our train around 2.30pm…and with a little over an hours ride back to our hood decided not to get off and look for a late lunch in our area!
After yesterday’s fiesta and football game madness, most of the cafes had decided to close for the day…leaving only the two Indian restaurants open. We had gad our fill (2 nights in a row) of Indian food…so jumped a bus to the centre of town, and found a great cafe for a nice early dinner (5.30pm), cocktail(for me), wine (for Kev) a great salad and full tummies!
Uber home was cheaper than two bus tickets…dinner done…feet up, ready to pack up and shift countries tomorrow!!
All who wander are not Lost girls 