I hadn't been back to Portugal since I finished my contract there in June 2011. As it was easy to get from Madrid to Porto I figured that then was as good a time as any to go back. Finding a flight for €41 rtn (£32.50/US$52.50) was the icing on the cake. Sure, it was with Europe's "favourite" airline (can't you hear the sarcasm?) and the return flight was at stupid o'clock in the morning, but cheap is cheap and so I booked it.
Four weeks later, and safe in the knowledge that I'd passed my LSA (yay!), I landed in Aeroporto do Porto (also known as Aeroporto Francisco Sá Carneiro). It was 09:40 and waaaaaay too early to check in at my hotel, so I got the metro into town. It was as easy as it had ever been, and just as cheap too!
I changed at Trindade for São Bento, from where it was a nice walk downhill towards the Ribeira. I wandered along the riverfront, drinking in the views and taking pictures, before grabbing a table at one of the cafés and treating myself to an Earl Grey tea and a tosta mista (ham and cheese toastie).
 |
| No place I'd rather be |
Refreshed, I crossed the iconic Ponte Dom Luís I and focussed on getting some shots of the Ribeira. I could have stood there all day trying to capture what I was seeing...
 |
| The Ribeira in the sun |
 |
| Boats on the Douro |
 |
| The view from the bridge |
I reluctantly pulled myself away from the view, crossed back over the bridge, walked uphill and headed for Avenida dos Aliados, which was where my hotel was. The Câmara Municipal (Town Hall) is still one of my favourite buildings. And it looked as gorgeous as ever against a backdrop of blue sky.
 |
| Still one of my favourite views |
Having checked in and dumped my bag, which was growing increasingly heavy, I took one last look at the Town Hall, and then went to check out Torre dos Clérigos. But I got distracted by Casa Oriental, the most-photographed shop in Porto.
 |
| Trying to photograph the city's most-photographed shop |
 |
| Close-up of the produce |
 |
| Salt cod in bags |
A stone's throw from Casa Oriental, sandwiched between Igreja dos Carmelitas and Igreja do Carmo is the narrowest house in Portugal. En-route, I caught sight of one of the trams, which was perfectly coordinated with the autumn leaves. I would later discover that this was one of the few trams not to have been defaced by modern-day advertising.
 |
| Old-fashioned tram and autumn colours |
 |
| The narrowest house in Portugal between Igreja dos Carmelitas (left) and Igreja do Carmo |
With the main sights checked off, I decided to head for Campanhã, the regional train station, and jump on a train to Braga, my old home. An hour later, I had arrived. I walked slowly through the streets, taking in the changes, smiling at the sameness. And then I swung a left and headed purposefully for my school...
 |
| Familiar platform at Porto Campanhã |
I had almost reached the school when I realised I was walking alongside a former colleague. She turned and saw me at the exactly the same moment, screamed and hugged me, and then insisted on walking me into the school to 'show me off'. I spent a couple of hours catching up with my former colleagues. It was almost as though I'd never left. When they went to class, I headed home.
By the time I got back to Porto, darkness had fallen. Hungry now, I headed for the Ribeira, determined to have one riverside dinner. But I soon got distracted photographing the bridge and Vila Nova de Gaia, all lit up and casting light onto the river.
 |
| Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar all lit up |
 |
| Lights reflected onto the Douro |
Several hundred photos later, and I was ready for dinner. I chose one of the riverfront restaurants, ordered robalo grelhado (grilled rockbass, a former favourite) and ate overlooking the river.
 |
| Iconic view |
The next day, the sun had been replaced by heavy rain. Despite this, the autumn colours shone through. And I realised that I haven't noticed autumn in Madrid. One day, the leaves are green, the next, they are brown. There's no change, and I miss that.
 |
| Autumn on Aliados |
 |
| Cute shopfront |
Having walked up to Rua Santa Catarina (one of the main shopping streets), I made my way back downhill, and then uphill to the cathedral. I mostly wanted to see the views, but once there, I couldn't resist going inside. And when I saw a sign for the cloisters, I handed over my €3 (£2.40/US$3.75) without hesitation. What can I say? I'm a sucker for cloisters!
 |
| View from the cathedral |
 |
| The cathedral cloisters |
 |
| Another view |
 |
| Artistic arches |
Keen to take a ride on one of the trams, just for old time's sake, I decided to go to Foz do Douro. By the time I reached the beach, the wind had risen and the skies had turned black. Nonetheless, I walked along the front taking in the stormy seas and the smelling the ocean air...
 |
| The lighthouse |
 |
| Wild seas |
 |
| Dark sands |
 |
| Looking back towards the lighthouse |
I walked along the seafront admiring the views. It was rainy and blustery, but I didn't want to go back, so I just kept on walking. Despite the greyness, the views were awesome. An hour or so later and I was done. I made my way back to the tram, stopping en-route to pet a friendly cat. Then it was back to the city for one last wander. Breaking with tradition, I walked down a street I'd never walked down before, and came across some scrappily but brightly-painted doors.
 |
| Doors to make you smile |
Back in the centre and I decided to head out to the airport and find my hotel. It was too cold and wet to hang around, and I had an early flight the next morning. The weekend may have been brief, but I loved going back. Perhaps one day I'll go back permanently...
No comments:
Post a Comment