One More Step

After the storms on our day in Barcelos we were meant to have a follow up day (really a week!) of more rain.  However, we were very fortunate that, apart from a few short showers it was fine for our entire day of walking,  and allowed us to stop for a leisurely lunch in an old mill.   It was an interesting day, meeting, really for the first time, the trail of pilgrims heading for Santiago de Compostela, negotiating roadworks, and stopping regularly (for me) to take photos.  We arrived early at our lodgings, well before check-in time, and so we went a few hundred metres down the road to a restaurant which had once been an old mill, the river roaring past, and under, the building, and much of the old machinery incorporated into the decoration. Walls and cobbles continue  When I was here in January I was unable to cross this bridge because the river had flooded several hundred metres before I reached and I had to detour out to the road....

I left Julie, still recovering from jetlag, and began a short walk out of Porto.  The plan was that I would walk about 15 kms out of Porto and then catch the metro back to Porto.  We had planned to have a bag transported,  but that, in this instance,  proved to be easier said than done.  We (I) had selected Tui Trans, only to discover that all arrangements have to be made by 5.00pm Spanish time which means 4.00pm Portuguese time, which is very early.  After several days of fluffing around, and one VERY long taxi ride for Julie, we eventually got it sorted.  However,  today we have switched to TopSantiago.  Not only are they several Eueos cheaper but their time limit is 8.00pm for registering or making changes.  This takes a considerable amount of pressure off us. The guides all recommend that pilgrims catch the metro out of Porto, but I chose to walk it.  I didn't find it tedious, and, indeed, I found it quite interesting.  Yes...

Porto is a fascinating city, very pretty in parts, and very different to anything one would see in Australia. The Clérigos Tower  view of Porto from the river Many steps! It is situated on the River Douro,  and apart from the river side areas, tends to tumble down the very steep river banks.  The churches, and many other buildings, show the beautiful blue and white Portuguese tiles, often telling a story.  Not only are the tiles decorating the inside walls, but also often decorate the outside too. Tiles on the inside....... ...and on the outside It was lovely to meet Julie, and together we did our best to explore the city.  We bought a 48 hr hop on, hop off, bus tour which also included a boat trip looking at the bridges crossing the Douro.  The traffic in the city is pretty heavy, and each bus trip we did took in excess of 2 hours - less traffic on the river so that was a pretty s...