Camino Portugués

Arrived in Lisbon way too early after the long jaunt from JFK NYC. Not much time to waste, needing to catch my train to Porto. Grabbed a ride to the train station. Marveled at the city sights, while my head was still groggy. Lisbon is the largest city in Portugal with lots to do but I have little time.
I caught my train...barely. Passed out on the ride up to Porto. All I remember are the beautiful lush hills and white washed houses with orange Terracotta roofing. The scenery flashed by and I awoke just as we arrived at the station in Portugal.
Porto, bright and sunny. Headed up with my backpack, trying to get a bearings for the room Terry had arranged. Had to jump thru a few hoops, paid a muni tax, got the key, struggled with the door lock, even with the aid of a fellow resident. Ugh.
Took another needed nap (double siesta!) and then hit the streets. Porto is flush with outdoor cafes, mini mercardos and tiendas. I got into the rhythm of the city, sitting in a cafe overlooking the Douro River and Dom Luis Bridge.
Terry caught a later flight than I and arrived in Porto along about 9pm. We met at an outdoor cafe and shared our first Port. We conversed with a couple from Shanghai for a spell. We were both pretty excited to kick off the journey so we dashed back to our room, cleaned up and crashed.Read more