Porto wrap-up (assuming I find the bus)

So: no prospect of getting to Barcelos today. (I was going specifically to see the huge weekly market tomorrow morning.) I should give an honourable mention to the Hotel Bagoiera in Barcelos with whom I had just made a non-refundable booking and who agreed to cancel free of charge as I couldn’t travel through strike action.

I returned to the Oca Oriental, to find that the ‘walk-up’ price was €10 lower than last night, which is good. I’ve actually done a full day’s Camino within a 2km square today; mostly hopping from one foot to the other in front of railway departures boards.

I’ve booked the bus for tomorrow straight to Valença and - out of an abundance of caution - booked the bus as well as the train back from Santiago to Porto for the 11th.

Having a spare evening I’m off to a short Fado performance back in the centre of town. I need the exercise to counter the calories from lunch.

The visit to the packed Ideal Clube de Fado was time well spent. Young talented performers passionate about traditional fado.

Nice people in Porto, also the beers cheap and the food portions approximate to your body-weight

And so to bed, still digesting lunch.Read more