April 22, 2022 - Porto Exploring - Return to Cycle-OPOLIS (Tour 22) - 2022 🇵🇹

April 22, 2022

April 22, 2022 - Porto Exploring

Hotel Peninsular, 42€

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Seeing as there has been a deluge of rain falling this morning, I don't feel so badly that it is almost noon and I have not even ventured outside yet. Mind you, it's not that I have been lazily dozing in my room and doing nothing.

Rather than doing nothing, I pulled everything out of the bike box and cut the box into easily-managed chiunks so the hotel staff won't be too miffed when they have to discard the pieces. Then I started to re-assemble the bike to make sure I had all of the parts. As a worst case scenario, if I had forgotten a key component, I could go find a bike shop and hopefully replace it. This was not necessary as I soon had everything bolted back together and on the bike - handlebars, racks, fenders, pedals, seat and the clamps for the GPS and the Bluetooth speaker. Then I organized all of my belongings into their various bags being sure to keep both panniers somewhat weight-blanced. As is usually the case, over the first few days I will re-arrange anything that I don't like until this trip's 'system' is in place after which I will pretty well know where every item can be found. In the meantime, until I get to that point, I will have to look through many bags to find any one thing.

Looking like chaos at the moment, once my system is sorted out I will know where pretty well everything can be found. -- Hotel Peninsular, Porto, Portugal

With things somewhat more organized than they had been, I decided to head out and about. I needed to get a bit pf pocket cash and I needed a SIM card for my tablet so I can have music en route and data if wifi is bad in my hotels.

Wouldn't you know, it was sunny out. It had been pouring earlier but it was beautiful out though it would eventually cloud over. I quickly picked up a MEO SIM card which was €30 for unlimited data. Then I just wandered around the old streets of the historic centre and gradually made my way to the hill overlooking the river. Then I headed down to the riverside for a few artsy photos. On my way I passed what looked liked a hole-in-the-wall restaurant and my spidey sense started to tingle. This looked like a typical local-style restaurant. Though I wasn't hungry, this place stuck in my mind until I finally decided to head back that way. On the way I climbed a staircase and passed by an accommodation where I stayed in 2003, though it does not look active now.

It was supposed to rain today but the sun was out when I finally got outside. -- Porto, Portugal

Dom Luis I bridge crossing the Douro River. Tomorrow I will cycle this bridge then follow the Douro to the Atlantic before turning south toward Ovar. -- Porto, Portugal

I must have climbed almost 200 steps to get up to this point with the beautiful view of the Douro. Bck in 2003 I stayed in a little guest house just behind me in this photo. The sign is still there but it does not look operational any more. -- Porto, Portugal

When I got back to the restaurant, there were some old Portuguese women chaatting in front of the entrance. I asked if they spoke english or french. No, they did not. Did they take credit card? No, they did not. This place was sounding better and better. One of them signalled me to follow and brought me to a large eating area toward the back where her friend translated for me, telling me this was a very typical Portuguese-style restaurant with typical foods. It was great. The squid was great, as were the sallad, rice and potatoes. What a find!

As I went up and down stairs, I also meandered a few old back streets where there no people at all. I passed a wee little place that was very unassuming. As I continued on my way I kept thinking about the place. So, when I was hungry I went back to find it and went to the doorway. Nobody spoke english or french but I did figure out they were open, they only took cash, and that the place was an old typical Portuguese restaurant. What more could I ask for? I ordered the mixed salad, squid, rice and potatoes. It was excellent and only €7. -- Porto, Portugal

Now happy and full, I continued down the street and stepped into the São Bento train station to admire the azulejos, or typical blue tiles, in the entrance foyer. Again, as with most of Porto to this point, there are people around but it is certainly not crowded at all and even along the river there are people but not the crowds I remember from last time here.

The São Bento train station is famously known for its murals done with azulejos, or traditional blue tiles. Now you can see why people go just to see the station! -- Porto, Portugal

To complete the afternoon's meander, I stopped into a small corner store where I picked up my typical Euro dessert - a Milka chocolate bar, this time 'Caramelo'. I chatted with the fellow in the store. He was excited to hear that I am Canadian and mentioned his dream is to move there. He is from Bangladesh and his first step is here but is working on coming to Canada.

A few drops of rain were falling, so I was fine to return to my room to sit back and rest my feet. I think I might go out after sunset if it is not raining but will decide then.

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