Final Thoughts--The End? (October 31, 2022)

I'm actually writing this on Nov 1--catching up again.

Our flight home was scheduled at 6:55 pm from Porto, so I had some time to walk around quick and snap some pics.

I think now this is a cat's tail from behind, but I am still not sure.  Saw it on our first day here,

Mural

Trindade Church--just behind the Porto town hall.

Around 11 (or maybe noon), we checked out of our hotel and Uber-ed to Porto Airport (OPO).  The weather had cleared up by now--sunny bit a bit chilly--so there would be no local weather delays, at least.  The airport was smaller than Lisbon's but it was very clean and spacious inside.  One thing I noticed was that while prices were higher (as in most airports), they weren't astronomical like I'm used to.  We stopped at the airport cafe and had a nice lunch of two grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, apple pastries, and bottled waters for $14--or about $7 apiece.  I'm used to seeing $9 for one crappy sandwich elsewhere.  We even came back later for two coffees.

Our plane was an Airbus A330 neo, bigger than our plane on the way in, but not as comfortable this time.  Fe and I were in the middle two seats on a row of four and the plane was full, so no stretching out this time.  The flight was smooth and we did manage to get some sleep.

Arrived in Newark around 11:00 pm (EDT) and finally got to our hotel about an hour later.  Our room had a comfortable king-size bed and we fell aslpeep quickly.  In the morining I noticed that they had a pumpkin-decorating contest for Halloween.  This one got fourth or fif th place.  I felt it should have gotten first, of course.

BB-8

Left the hotel around 7:00 am and it was a straight shot out of Newark on I-78 and I-81 to Carlisle.  We made it home (including our traditional stop at Starlight Diner) about 10:30.

So, I always end these blogs with final thoughts about all the great things we saw and did and how I'd go back.  All that is true for Portugal, but at this stage in our lives we are seriously thinking of moving there for retirement.  Portugal has one of the lowest costs of living in western Europe, the easiest residency visa program in the EU, great healthcare, and lots of connections to the rest of the continenet by bus, train, and plane.  It would be a big step--and we are only investigating for now--but it's a goal.

Até já!

Rain, Rain Go Away (October 29, 2022)

Our luck finally ran out with the rain today.  That storm that hit us in Braga yesterday continued all through the night and we woke to a heavy rain with a forecast of more all day.  We decided not to go to Aveiro--since it is more of a beach town, it would've been a waste--and instead explored some of the places in our hotel's neighborhood.

We had a breakfast of coffee and croissants (brioche croissants to be precise) at a little place that has become a regular stop for us, Deu la Deu.  Then we walked down the street to Bolhão Market, a historic market that was recently renovated.

The Market Building

Produce

Fresh Fish

Fruits and Nuts

The sidewalk outside the market.

We spent a good bit of time here and soon we were hungry.  Back up the street to Deu la Deu for a Portuguese lunch staple--the francesinha.  

The francesinha--we split it.  It was invented in Porto.

Again, I'll talk about cost.  Shocking, I know.  For this lunch, we had the sandwich (shared), two drinks, two cappuccinos, and one desert (shared) for about $18.  Splitting a meal saves money of course (and no place has batted an eye at us for asking), but I still think that for $9 apiece it was an excellent value.  Plus, the dollar is at record highs against the euro.  Thank God we have the world's reserve currency.

Next we walked around the block to visit a mall, Via Caterina.  Now I'm not a big fan of malls, but Fe wanted a Portuguese charm from Pandora and this place had one of those stores.  It also had a pretty cool-looking food court where we had some gelato.  You can't let building facades fool you.  This place would've been easy to miss from the street--it was a smallish entrance--but was pretty big inside.  My American eyes are used to seeing huge buildings surrounded by parking lots.

The Food Court

The place also had a grocery store (Continente) on the bottom floor.  We never pass up a foreign grocery store and we did some price comparisons on things we would buy at home and what it would cost here to "set up house".  

Lastly, we went to Fábrica da Nata which had--you guessed it--cream custard tarts.  To me, this was the second-best one I had after Belém, but Fe thought these were better.  You will have to visit and decide.

Making the Tarts

We ate on the top floor.

Everything we saw and did today was within a five- or six-minute walk from our hotel.  Much of it was near the first thing we saw in Porto, the blue-tiled church.  I'm not eating the best, but I really think all the walking we've done in general has helped.

Sadly, this was our last full day in Portugal.  We headed back to the hotel to pack for the flight home on Sunday.  I'll post a final update as soon as I can.

Portuguese grocery tip: Suppose you want just one bottle of water but all you can find on the shelf are wrapped six-packs.  What to do?  Just break it open and take one!  I did this, but I'll admit it was a struggle to overcome a lifetime of cultural taboos about it.  

Braga Day Trip (October 28, 2022)

When planning this trip, I had set aside time for two daytrips.  The first one was today to Braga, a town about 42 km (26 miles) north of Porto.  We took a train--not an express--so it had a lot of stops and took about 1.5 hours from São Bento Station.  And it was just about $4 apiece!

The old Braga station.

The Braga was somewhat smaller, but they had a nice little cafe where we had some coffee and pastry.  Fe's was sweet, mine savory.

Braga Station

We caught a bus (with some local help) to the first place which was a bit out of town, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte.  The church was built in 1784 and you can climb a stairway with 17 landings to reach it.

View from the foot of the stairs.

Do you think we took the stairs?  Think again.  We took the funicular (incline) which gets you to the top in three minutes.  It was opened on March 25, 1882 and is the oldest funicular to use a water counterbalancing system.

At the top

Front view of the sanctuary

Cloudy, rainy view

A better view a bit later from another point

The altar.  Unusual to see Roman soldiers on one.

Ceiling with chandelier

It wouldn't be a Portuguese church without blue tiles.

Grotto (man-made)

As you may have noticed, it was pretty rainy.  We left here and went to lunch in the old town.  Portuguese (Europeans in general, really) don't rush lunch.  With it really pouring down we didn't either.

Menagem Tower.  This was right beside the restaurant.

We made it to the tourist information center to get our bearings a bit better.  Nice place and great staff.  The guy we talked to highlighted the Braga Cathedral, so we headed there next.

Braga Cathedral

Painting on the wooden ceiling.  Pictures don't do it justice.

The huge pipe organ (one side).

View of the ceiling with the organ pipes from both sides.  Didn't get to hear it play.

View of the nave

Arco da Porta Nova (Arch of the New Gate)

Campo das Hortas (Garden Fields Square)

It was really coming down now as we hurried back to the station to get back to Porto.  It was late afternoon so the train was much more crowded.  I had to stand a bit but eventually got a seat for the rest.  

We really liked Braga--small town vibes with easy access to Porto, good public transportation network, great little restaurants, and not too hilly!  We could live here.

Costs in Portugal:  you've read my comments about the low cost of public transport and Portugal does have one of the lowest costs of living in western Europe, but it's not like living cheaply in Mexico or the Philippines.  Gas is about $8/gal and you can spend a lot on food if you're not careful.  What we have found however, is that the food quality and portion size is somewhat better than the US.  At least for where we've gone to eat.  Produce seems lower, but household items are about the same.  It's all relative, I guess.

Porto--Day Two (October 27, 2022)

Started sightseeing early today starting on the Porto side of the Douro River.  

View of the Monastery Serra do Pilar

Looking down the Douro River (on the Luis I Bridge)

I had actually woken up before Fe--it was early-- to take these first few shots.  Walked across the bridge to the Gaia side of the river.  Unlike Pittsburgh which spans three rivers, Gaia is a separate municipality in the Porto District.

View of Luis I Bridge from the Gaia side.

View of Porto over the rooftops of Gaia

Display Boats in the river.  They are advertising brands of port wine.

Some street sculpture with a tiled chapel in the background.

Gaia was originally the Roman city of Cale and in the 8th Century was the de facto border between Christian and Islamic territory.  Most of the port wine cellars are on this side of the river since the winemakers were trying to avoid the taxes levied on the Porto side.  

I was pushing it exploring so much by myself, so I hurried back to the hotel.  Just in time, too--Fe was just finishing getting ready to go.  She knows I always get up earlier on vacations to get good photos, so she wasn't surprised.  Ha ha.

We then headed out together to see the Porto Cathedral (Se de Porto).  This impressive structure is a mixture of Romanesque and Baroque styles.  There has been a religious presence at this site since the 5th and 6th Centuries.

View of the courtyard.  The Baroque pillory symbolizing justice is in the foreground.

Tiles

Tiles

View of Porto from the top of the bell tower.

Ceiling Detail

The Altar

Next was Fe's first time to see Gaia and I could play the tour guide--ha ha.  We did ride the cable car which was closed when I visited earlier.

The Gaia Instagram sign

If you look closely, you'll see this rabbit is made of trash.

This is the inside of Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau.  Bacalhau is the Portuguese word for cod and it's everywhere.  These pastels are very good.

This is what we had.  Some port and a couple of codfish croquettes which have some goat cheese inside.  

A Citröen Ami

Finally, we went to see Bolsa Palace, which is not actually a royal palace but was a (very ornate) stock exchange built in the 19th Century.  We were pressed for time so we took the very next tour--in Spanish.  ¡Ay coramba!

Bolsa Palace

Atrium

Hallway Ceiling

Moorish Revival Room

Whew!  I'm glad I had five espressos and a cappuccino today.  Tomorrow is a day trip for us.

Portugal travel hints/tips:  

    1. Not every bathroom has toilet paper.  Be prepared!

    2. Your credit card will be honored at most places but it's not universal--especially in market stalls or for small purchases.

    3. Wear comfortable shoes with good soles.  All sidewalks we've seen are made of cobblestones which can be hard on your feet and also slippery if it rains. 

    4. Traveling in October means the crowds are a bit thinner, but it also means the weather is more unpredictable.  Bring a raincoat and an umbrella.