Portugal
Jardim da Praça Rainha Dona Amélia

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    • Day 18

      Sid's Day Out in Porto!

      May 25, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

      After yesterday's disaster was averted, Sid decided to go the whole hog and have a mad day out in Porto.
      After a slow start, he enjoyed a bus trip into the centre of town. He revisited the first Porto Camino waymark then wandered through the backstreets, enjoying a mad half hour in the shops. A leisurely lunch was enjoyed (misbehaving with a sardine's head which looked a little like a Bishop's Mitre!) before taking a port tasting tour and choosing his favourite tawny port. He then collapsed in a heap🙄😉😅!
      Off home tomorrow to wash his socks...
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    • Day 1

      Tag 1, 23km, Ziel Porto

      June 16, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

      Der erste Tag liegt hinter uns. Was sollen wir sagen, ausser, dass alles einfach zu reibungslos verlief 😀 der Flug, das Gepäck, das Fahrräder zusammenschrauben, die Radtour, das Meer, der Sonnenbrand, der Portwein Tonic auf der Rooftop-Terrasse unseres Hotels.. es ist einfach alles perfekt.

      Auch wenn wir leider noch leicht angeschlagen sind vom Urlaubsfieber, konnten wir uns erholen und den Tag maximal genießen, Das Land und die Menschen sind toll. Porto ist eine schöne Stadt mit vielen Facetten, grösser und höher als erwartet.

      Ein Traum wird war - mal sehen was die nächsten Tage mit sich bringen,
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    • Day 19

      South to Porto

      October 6, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      Over a year ago, when I was planning this trip, there was always one important variable in my mind. It was the one element that we have very little control over. Most of our previous European adventures had been scheduled to start in late August or early September. No one wants to travel in Europe in the hottest and busiest months of July and August, if they can possibly avoid it. I was also aware that Spain and Portugal can be even hotter than the rest of Europe. For that reason I decided to start the trip a couple of weeks later than usual, knowing full well that the final result was still a lottery.

      You could imagine my relief when we were able to complete the entire Camino walk without any rain (apart from a gentle early drizzle on the very first day). In fact every day was almost a carbon copy of the previous day - cool in the morning and the warm and sunny every afternoon.

      Following our visit to Finisterre, our mission in Spain was done and it was time to move on to the next chapter. We began our final day in Spain by saying goodbye to the two Christines (aka C1 & C2). The remaining ten of us would be catching a bus down to Porto in Portugal.

      The taxi van we had ordered the previous evening turned up a few minutes ahead of time. We were a little apprehensive whether all of our luggage would be able to fit in, but we needn't have worried. It is really amazing just how many bags you can fit in a small space when you resort to sheer brute force. You have to just ignore the possible collateral damage that might be happening to your fragile contents.

      A few minutes later we had arrived at the big bus depot and struggled to find out exactly where to catch the bus. We were not alone. Dozens of other multinationals were also wandering around in a state of confusion trying to sort out the vague directions. The bus we were waiting for arrived promptly on time at 11.15 am (it was due at 11.00 am) and we climbed inside.

      To our initial relief there were many empty seats, suggesting that the 5 hour ride could be more bearable than we thought. It wasn't. After a few stops all the remaining seats were taken and I was reminded afresh why I would NEVER go on one of those terrible bus tours.

      If the bus ride was not bad enough it got even worse when we pulled into one of those huge roadside stops. You know the drill. The women all rush to the toilets, while the men line up for potato chips and drinks. The smokers make their way to form a guard of honour outside every doorway. It really is horrible. How some people put up with day after day of this torture I will never know.

      It was also worth noting that something strange was happening outside. Heavy rain was falling and the temperature had dropped a few degrees. What perfect timing.

      Somehow I endured the 5 hour trip, only sometimes losing all feeling in my left leg. It really was worse than the 14 hour plane trip from Melbourne to Dubai. It was a huge relief when the bus finally pulled into the depot in Porto and we were able to stagger out into the fresh air again.

      Our home for the next two nights is the Porto Domus Hotel, situated in one of the highest parts of the city. The hotel was surprisingly good, although I had some initial trouble getting the Internet to connect. I then took the opportunity to walk through the centre of town down to the waterfront.

      Porto certainly is a fascinating city and its buildings contain a riot of colour and patterns that reminded me a little of the famous La Boca district of Buenos Aires. It was easy enough to find my way down to the water as all I had to do was keep going downhill. Along the way I passed through a number of pedestrian shopping malls and numerous buskers. One of the more interesting ones was a colourful women playing a hand organ, complete with pet chicken. She seemed to be doing a good trade.

      At the waterfront I watched the jet ski riders intent on killing themselves and simultaneously deafening everyone within a 2 km radius. A number of larger tourist boats sailed back and forth, while overhead there was a cable car leading to a large Ferris wheel. It was obviously all happening on this Saturday afternoon in Porto. It was also an unusual feeling being in a country where I did not speak a single word of the language. Although my Spanish is not so good, at least I could usually muster enough vocabulary to make myself understood. Here I felt a little like an intruder into a foreign world and Spain quickly felt like a long way away.

      So what did I do ? I sat at an elevated restaurant and enjoyed a seafood pasta while I watched the action that was taking place on the water. It seemed like a perfect way to start a new adventure in a country that I had never visited before.
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    • Day 20

      Porto - the Party City of Portugal

      October 7, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

      It seems that every country has a city that offers the visitor about 50 different ways to kill themselves. I didn’t have to be in Porto for long before realising that Porto is obviously the thrill seekers' favourite Portuguese city. Whether it’s jet skiing, jet boating, motorcycling, Segway riding or a few dozen others, you are never far away from the roar of some kind of engine. In New Zealand the place for action is Queenstown, in Portugal it’s Porto.

      The city itself is certainly a fascinating mix of contrasts. From affluent shopping centres to derelict and abandoned houses, from well dressed young shoppers to filthy beggars sitting by the roadside asking for a handout. With its hilly location on both banks of the Douro River it really has geography working in its favour. The river itself is spanned by several towering bridges, the most impressive of which is the huge Dom Luis I Bridge.

      This huge metal structure was designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes the tower guy) and was completed around 1890. At the time its 172 m span was the greatest in the world. The upper path is now only for pedestrians and trams and, at 85 metres above the water, it offers an amazing view down to the city.

      You might have thought that the walking part of our trip would have been completed by now. If you though that you would have been wrong. According to my GPS I walked over 12 km before I sat down for lunch. I had also made life a little harder for myself by climbing the staircase to Mr Eiffel’s bridge, rather than ride in the funicular railway up the hillside.

      After wandering back and forth across the bridge I started to make my way back towards the hotel. I had not walked long before I was tapped on the shoulder. When I turned around there was a young gypsy girl with a clipboard in her hand. It was evident that the famous petition scam was alive and well in Porto. I told her that I was not interested (actually I might have told her to clear off if I am entirely honest).

      Since I had nothing better to do with my time I decided to follow her for a little while and watch her at work. To my dismay many tourists were not aware of how the sting works and bent down to sign the bogus bit of paper. I was even more alarmed when some handed over money when the inevitable sting kicked into action. At least she never got the opportunity to pick anyone’s pocket while I was watching.

      I was also greatly relieved that yesterday’s rain has now passed completely. The air is now clear and the temperature is now much milder. The low humidity also helps greatly when you are working hard exploring a city.

      Our hotel is not very far from the main shopping precinct. When I first walked down the main street yesterday, I was a little unsure of where all the smoke was coming from. I soon discovered it was from many vendors roasting chestnuts on the street corners. It is apparently a popular snack at this time of the year. There are also copious clouds of smoke billowing forth from the numerous smokers. As in most European countries, the anti smoking message has made little impact on the smoking habits of the population. Just as upsetting is the casual way that they blithely toss their used butts on the footpath, even when there is a bin within arm’s length.

      We have one more evening in this fascinating town before catching the Lisbon train tomorrow morning. I am so glad it is NOT another bus ride.
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    • Day 1

      Confeitaria do Porto

      December 3, 2017 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

      Portos Bäckerien bieten sehr viele Dinge für Naschkatzen wie mich an. Das berühmtste ist wohl das Pastel de Nata. "Ein Blätterteigtörtchen mit Pudding, das vermutlich bereits vor dem 18. Jahrhundert von den Mönchen des Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Belém, heute ein Stadtteil Lissabons, hergestellt wurde. 1834 wurde das Kloster geschlossen und die Mönche verkauften ihr Rezept an eine Zuckerraffinerie."
      Es ist nicht mein Favorit außer im Low-Cost café mit Schokoladenfüllung. Das Beste ist man bekommt sie schon ab 30 ct z.B. im Supermarkt.
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Jardim da Praça Rainha Dona Amélia, Jardim da Praca Rainha Dona Amelia

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