Saying goodbye to Portugal

 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning I checked out ot our hotel in Porto and my high school classmate, Donna, and I got a taxi to the the train station in Porto. We took a high sped train to Lisbon which took about 2 hours and 45 min. It was a very comfortable trip. We had reserved a hotel in Lisbon that was a 6 min. walk from the train station. The train station in Lisbon was not an accessible one. The elevators didn't work and on some levels there were no escalators. We made it slowly down the steps to street level and managed not to drop any luggage. We ate dinner at one of the many restaurants in the food court at a nearby mall. The upper level had nice views.

 

A taxi is scheduled to take us to the airport at 7:45 am to start a very long travel day. Our flight is from Lisbon to Philadelphia. After a 4+ hour layover I fly to Portland to hopefully arrive at 11:05 pm. This trip has been very enjoyable and the weather has been ideal. The 21 travelers in our group were all interesting people. I realized that at some point that I was a bit weary of seeing more historic buildings so the days when we were in the countryside and outside were a welcome break for me. 

A short boat ride on the Douro River

Our walking tour ended at the wharf where we boarded a boat to see the sites of Porto from the Douro River. 
 

This is what our boat looked like. We went to where we could see the mouth of the river as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

On our walk back to the bus we saw this modern statue of John the Baptist. In my opinion it seemed very out of place on the historic building. 

 

Last full day in Porto

Unbeknownst to me and other members of our travel group the time changed last night from daylight savings to standard time. That meant I arrived at the breakfast buffet an hour early. This morning we had a walking tour of the main downtown area. The Portuguese Army Day was being celebrated today so there was lots of activity in the central square in front o City Hall. The Center of Porto is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That means that the facades of buildings can't be changed but the interior can bu gutted. Notice the interior this building. (There is none!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some sites we saw- a cathedral, tiled walls of the train station, and street scenes. 

A walk around Porto to end the day

 

After we arrived back at our hotel in Porto a fellow traveler and I decided take a walk. We stopped by a small bookstore and peaked into a famous cafe and saw several churches.

 

Livraria Lello book store was established in 1906. It has stood in the heart of Porto as a place where literature, art and architecture come together to celebrate the power of ideas. Recognized worldwide as the World’s Most Beautiful Bookshop, It is one of Portugal’s most iconic cultural landmarks and a symbol of the city’s creative spirit. It costs 18 Euros just to enter and there are timed tickets. We were able to sneak a peak and take a quick photo from the entryway.

We passed by a protest on our way back to our hotel. There have been protests about the high cost of housing in several cities in Portugal duing our time here.

The hotel where we are staying has a rooftop lounge. This was the view of Porto from 17 stories up. 
 

Quinta da Pacheca Winery - second stop

 

 

 

 

 

 

After driving through the Douro wine region and crossing the Douro River we arrived at the Quinta da Pacheca Winery for a tour and lunch. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think of Newberg and Dundee as wine county but the Douro Valley has all the hillsides filled with vineyards. Some o the vines were planted on such steep hillsides it looked like any worker could easily fall off the hillside. 

Our lunch had four courses and we were served 3 different types of wine. It was a lovely visit and it was so nice to be outside in wonderful weather.

 

A Wonderful Day in the Douro Valley - First stop Quinta da Aveleda

Today was my favorite day of the trip. We drove out of Porto and our first stop was first at Quinta da Aveleda to explore the lovely gardens and have a wine tasting. In the heart of the Vinho Verde region, Quinta da Aveleda offers a magical experience across 8 hectares of historic gardens, where flora and fauna live in perfect harmony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were resident goats who had their own goat tower and peacocks.

Leaving Figueira do Foz and arriving in Porto

 

 

 

 

 

 

We checked out of our hotel this morning but spent more in around Figueira do Foz. Our first stop was the farmers' market. The fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers made me wish I was not traveling and could buy some to enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next we stopped at a small grade 1-4 elementary school. Road Scholar provides some support for this school. It is a public school and we had time observe one class that was having an online sign language class. We were also able to meet with the teachers and learn a little about the public education system in Portugal. 

Our final tourist stop before lunch was at Castelo de Montemor-O-Velho. The first record of a settlement here was in 1095. It as at times controlled by Muslims and then by Catholics. It had great views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After checking into our hotel in Porto we took a short walk around the area closest to our hotel. One building had beautiful tiles on the facade.

 

 

A Day in Figueira do Foz

We visited the Universidad do Coimbra that was founded in 1290 and offficially chartered by King Denis on 1 March 1290 It was recognized by Pope Nicholas IV on 9 August 1290. It is the oldest university in Portugal and one of the world's oldest in continuous operations, having begun operations in Lisbon before moving permanently to Coimbra in 1537. The building were impressive both outside and inside.

Inside of the chapel.  The original library that can still be used for research.

 

Central Square of the university. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We attended another Fado music performance. After visiting the University was had a walking tour of Coimbra.

 

It was another beautiful blue sky day in Portugal. 

Alcobaca, Portugal

We spent the afternoon in the town of Alcobaca. The city grew along the valleys of the rivers Alcoa and Baça, from which it derives its name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The city of Alcobaça became notable after the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, decided to build a church to commemorate the Conquest of Santarém from the Moors in 1147. The church later evolved into the Monastery of Alcobaça, one of the most magnificent Gothic monuments in the country.  

The inside of the church was quite simple.

 

We arrived at Fiqueid da Foz and checked into hotel. My room has a balcony which looks over the harbor.