Photos are at https://photos.app.goo.gl/vr4AgTfiPepE2czH7
Monday 10th February
Superbowl was a bust! I went to sleep about the middle of the third quarter with Kansas sity down around 30pts to nil. Guess there was some hope at the end as they did get 22pts. Anyway it was past 2am and I needed to be up at 6am. Which I was and it was too early, so I went back into the bedroom and now I am worried as to whether I turned the heater off.
Sophia Gardens Coach Station is a bus shelter. Got to Bristol Airport and had breakfast at Burger King at a cost of £15. Flight was closing as I looked at 11.50 - the gate was only announced at 11.40! Still it meant no queue and I was able to sleep for most of the flight. Porto Arport had the metro right next to it. Had to change trains at Trindade, which was quite stressful but the Hotel was close to Campanha, and OK. Wandered into town and got some nice pictures of the bridges. Also found Sao Bento Station and McD's (apparently the most beautiful McD in the world - it used to be the Cafe Imperial). Menu difference includes soup as well as the usual absence of large coffee. Evening spent editing Team Racing photos.
Tuesday 11th
Up at 6.30 and down for breakfast at 7am. Bread was nice but getting the hang of coffee was difficult. The forecast was for rain today with weather getting better as the week goes on so this was time to do the trip I came here to do. Downloaded the portugese rail app and purchased tickets. Unfortunately, the first one was at full price and wrong time, seniors get half price. Walked to the station and tried customer services but they just kept saying OK. Luckily, after struggling to register I managed to get a refund online.
Caught the 9.20 train was pretty boring for the first hour and a quarter, but the track curved a lot to make up for it! After American trains the whistle is pathetic. Once alongside the river it was definitely good two and a quarter hours there and back two and a quarter hours before the boring bit again. Back at 4.45 after a change of train at Campanha. Tourist office not a lot of use, wandered up hill and bought fridge magnets before dinner at McD. Soup, burgers, sundae and coffee for 11.60 Euro or under £10! Pretty heavy rain so the forecast was correct!
Wednesday 12th
Lay in till 07.30 but was out before 9am. This was early enough to get some mist on the river and sun from a low angle as I walked towards the sea along the north bank of the Duoro.
Cruises were 2 Euro more expensive if purchased on the quayside. Called in at the Transport Museum, which is in the old customs building. The building was more interesting than the exhibits, I suspect I failed to find the right room. Also called in at the Tram Museum which was slightly more interesting, aided by an app which explained each vehicle. However, it lacked historical context.
Continued to follow the tram line towards the sea, including a supermarket lunch. Then I made the mistake, instead of returning the way I had come by tram, I decided to walk a further 5km to the Metro. The sea was nice at first but the promenade was very long and I regretted it, end of day 10.5 miles 23k steps walked. Still the tram ran above ground for most of the way and I was back by 4pm
Thursday 13th
To the station and after a wait I got tickets, mention of "Senior" halved the price, after a view of my passport. Two receipts, it seems we are charged for the card and then the trips, so I guess that all of them are rechargable. Will have to work on that.
About an hour to Aleiro, old station building with tiles was nice, a busy line. Got my fridge magnet for 1euro, lots of chinese shops. Took the canal tour which was OK but must get a boat with an english comentary next time. The town guide is good. Began walking, long and boring at first, between
the bypass and a modern railway viaduct, eventually got to the boardwalk which is part of a longer path. The old salt ponds were extensive and interesting, if muddy. Egrets and water birds take flight if you are within 50m of them, guess they have been shot at a lot. Near the end came across a tree full of stork nests, they make a funny sound. On to Cacia station arriving 3pm, 25min wait and train was going to Sao Bento so I stayed on. Trying to sort out RYA safeguarding. Just for a change I walked down to riverside McD, changed to chicken but soup was sold out.
Walk back to hotel. Quayside was rocking lots of performance and stalls. It also involved climbing up to the top, pretty exhausting, but I did beat the electric bus, as traffic was jammed. 25,993 steps - I used to do that every day.
Friday 14th
I really didn't want to get up and have promised myself a larger breakfast tomorrow.
Anyway decided that today was Porto, although I think there are some nice walks in the area - particularly Espinho to Grenja on the boardwalk visible from the train. There's also some komoot walks up the Douro which should be accessible by train, but Porto today.
The Military Museum appeared not to be open and what I thought was a park turned out to be a cemetary, but it did get me down to the position for the train photo I wanted. On towards the bridge I stumbled across the Se do Porto Church and the museum. Crossed the bridge, accompanied by various trams and went up to the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar. Great views. Morro Gardens next and then the cablecar down to the quay.
My fear of heights gets worse every time I do something stupid like this 7 Euro. Quayside was a tourist trap, restaurants, port warehouses and souvenir stalls and shops. The phone was out of power, I think I must have burnt out the battery linking it to the powerbank so that it would be near the bed. Back across the bridge and decided the funicular would take me back to where I had been, so I climbered up the steps and ended up where I had been. Sao Bentos was close so McD for an orange juice and sundae. Nearly gave up there but went up the hill and discovered more great buildings, a park and the Porto sign. Took a different route back to hotel past the town hall and Bonfim. Got a couple of large oranges and stopped in the next door cafe for a couple of hot rolls @ 3 Euro. Checked in for flight to Bristol.
In at 3pm 1,8416 Steps or 8.12mls according to Samsung 8.3mls 13.5km according to Komoot
Saturday 15th
Not much of a lie in but a leisurely breakfast. Over to metro and attempted to recharge the metro card. First machine declined both cards, but success at the crowded terminal, only problem was there were about half a dozen receipts in the tray, so no proof. Long wait on change of trams, but now in airport with 2hr wait. Small panic as Cancelled was against the Bristol flight, but that referred to the previous column and a TAP flight to Lisbon. Scissors checked yet again!
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