Porto

October 22, 2021 to October 25, 2021

We are running out of superlatives to describe the places we’ve seen on this trip but Porto needs a whole raft of them.

Day 1 we walked and walked, taking in churches, tiled buildings, cobblestone streets busy with people and awesome views from bridges high and low and from cafes on both sides of the river. We finished with tasty hors d’œuvres and wine at a classy Ribera terrace and then retreated to our apartment for home cooked vegetables and comfort food and an early bed.

Day 2 we got on the bikes and rode across a part of town where people who are not tourists live to the Serralves, an art museum and park where the modern art in the gallery was way too avant-garde for us but the sculpture park was serene and accessible to our middlebrow tastes. We took cycle paths back to the riverside and then found a simple cafe almost at the foot of the Luis 1 Bridge for chips and wine before heading home for more comfort food. (We are back to hotels and restaurant meals for the coming week).

Porto is a definite on the list of places to come back to.

Funky buildings and busy cafes are everywhere in Porto.

Happy hour on the Ribera side looking at Gaia.

Lining up to get in the famous bookshop, Livraria Lello. We did not join in.

One wall of the history of Portugal depicted in tiles at the train station.

A version of that same spider we saw in Bilbao is also at the Parque Serralves Gallery.

The ride is smoothest between the tram tracks but you have to pay attention.

One last view of the Luis 1 Bridge from below. We will cross the top on our way out tomorrow morning.

Today's ride: 20 km (12 miles)
Total: 1,991 km (1,236 miles)

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Brent IrvineAre you heading along EV1 south to Lisbon?
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3 years ago

ann and steve maher-wearyHi Brent
We were but it is going to rain for a week starting tomorrow. So we are cycling to Coimbra today and will stay a few nights.
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3 years ago