Day 6 (4th Sept) (12.41km): We rose as planned at 4:00 am in time to eat something, check packing, and catch a 5:08 bus to Stansted from a bus stop 7 minutes walk away from where we were staying.
Problem No 1: Google Maps took us to a wrong bus stop. When we got to where it directed us, it told us to go back in the direction we'd come from. When we got there, again no indication that our bus left from there. Fortunately a passerby, seeing us looking befuddled, asked us if we were okay then let us know that the National Express bus stop had changed recently. He kindly directed us to the correct stop and the bus arrived about 30 seconds after us.
A one-hour bus ride allowed us to doze for a bit, giving us a bit of strength for the airport. It was quite strange just checking your own bags in, then going to security. The security line was long but reasonably quick moving. Not worth coming 3 hours early!! No passport control - you do that online during check-in.
Then the long 2.5 hour wait (that became 3.5 hours) in a very busy airport lounge. We found a quiet area but it stank and had no departure board so we gave that a miss.
Problem No 2. The plane was delayed by at least an hour. We had a taxi waiting for us at Porto airport and I was meant to contact them if there was a problem. I had no ability to call with my travel sim so had to activate my Aus number and call. Twice I got through, twice a digitised message told me, after I'd been waiting on the phone for ages, that there was an error and then hung up. Not just Australian companies that have lousy customer support! Grrrr. Finally just before boarding, a message came through via WhatsApp from the driver and I was able to let him know what had happened. Phew - they will only wait 45mins.
It was lovely to have the luxury of being dropped off at our accommodation - this time a 2- star guest house. Yep and it was about that good. Actually the lady on reception was lovely. I told her that it was my first time speaking Portuguese and she was delighted and then very helpful, speaking slowly and clearly for me. She had no English.
We stayed in our 'delightful' room for about a minute before heading off to find lunch and explore.
As we were heading to lunch I suddenly remembered that I had booked a walking tour for 3:30. It was already 2:20 so we had to hope lunch service would be quick. Our first lunch here in Portugal was a prosciutto and cheese board with bread. Good value and delicious.
After lunch we had to navigate to the start of the tour, about 20 minutes walk away. So many things to see on the way, but we ignored them.
The walking tour was well worth doing, giving us a good overview of Porto and places to go and things to do. We were introduced to the beautiful 'azulejos' or blue (or sometimes not) painted tiles, that are used to decorate a number of churches and public buildings in Porto, most notably the São Bento railway station.
The tiles are made in a unique way and are polished before being put up. They don't fade. Currently, new metro stations are being built around Porto so many azulejos are covered with a stick-on gauze-like material to prevent damage caused by lateral movement of the ground during construction.
We learned that Porto was dying until the early 2000s and with the rise in the economic fortunes of Portugal, Porto too has risen and tourism has become a big thing here. Old houses and other buildings are very gradually being restored. So many wonderful places.
The tour ended on the other side of the Douro River, at a place called Vila da Nova Gaia. The two places are joined by many bridges but the one we crossed, The Dom Luis I Bridge, completed in 1887, is perhaps the most famous. It has two levels, one to connect the upper parts of the two towns and the other the lower parts. Ingenious. Besides pedestrians, trams also use the top level and cars the bottom. With people cross-crossing the bridge this must be a tram driver's nightmare.
We walked back to our accommodation via a riverside dining place where we shared a pizza.
Day 7 (5th Sept) (18.3 km): With only the morning in Porto we decided to meander along the river to the mouth or thereabouts. It is a very easy walk and interesting to see the newer parts of the area, the river with its fishermen, boats and seabirds, and the massively high Porto Bridge.
Very close to the entrance is a castle. We didn't quite make it to the mouth but we saw Porto's main beach, a little uninspiring).
We then caught a very old tram back to the centre of town. It is one of only two tram lines operating at the moment because of the metro construction.
We had quite a walk to pick up our bags, then we headed off by bus to a bus station where we could catch a coach to Ponte de Lima, the official start of our self-guided walking tour in the Peneda-Geres National Park. We found an interesting modern house on our way.
Ponte de Lima literally means the Bridge of Lima, Lima in this case being the river Lima. It is famous for its ancient Roman bridge, originally built in Augustus's era. Maybe because the river widened, in the 1300's it was lengthened and it had undergone some changes since then. Still, it retains the charm of years gone by.
At the other end of the bridge was a small church, again with azulejos decorating the front.
There were also some rather lovely bronze sculptures along the river.
Someone must have told the town we were coming because just outside our hotel was the start of a huge festival. We later learned that it wasn't for us but that it has been held on the second weekend of September every year since 1826. It is called Fiestas Novas and celebrates the end of summer. There is also some Catholic symbolism to the event, particularly is final parade. While we weren’t there for the big day on Saturday, there was plenty going on. These two figures seem to be the festival mascots.
Stalls of every kind, side-show alley and typical festival food fare (mainly trashy fast foods) provided us with hours of entertainment for the afternoon.
Some food stalls were interesting. Who would have thought to combine traditional Potuguese shawls with pastries and sausages?
We sat and people-watched for quite a while over a beer and trémolos, or Lupini beans if that is any clearer.
The the lights came on. Many more people arrived and we were entertained by two pipe bands and two brass bands.
We sighted two bits of Australiana.
We ended the evening a Portuguese version of a doner kebab for dinner. Actually rather yummy.
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