Porto, Revisited (Dec 23, 2024)

We stayed in Porto for three or four days in 2022 and took a day trip to Braga then.  This time it's reversed and today we took a day trip to Porto.  We saw a lot of things on the first trip, so this was more of a catch-up on things we missed--and to see the Christmas lights.

First thing--lunch.  We did the touristy thing and went to Time Out Market-Porto, but I have to admit the lunch was very good.

Francesinha, at least Time Out's take on it.

Instagrammable Fe

São Bento Station

The area around São Bento Station.  The signs on the building say, "Dress well and cheaply only here," but the building only contains an information center that I could see.

Clérigos Church

Clérigos Tower

We went to the other side of the river (to Gaia) to see the sunset.

Looking towards Porto

Looking up the Douro River

Gaia Christmas

Serra do Pilar Monastery

Porto Cathedral at night

View from Porto Cathedral courtyard

Lastly, we walked around to see some Christmas lights.

Near São Bento

Street view

Angels on the street to Clérigos Church

Street View

Christmas tree in front of Porto City Hall

Intercontinental Hotel

We did eat dinner at Hard Rock Cafe and then it was back by train to Braga.  Christmas is coming!

Portugal's Venice (Dec 21, 2024)

The day after visiting Portugal's birthplace we went to Portugal's Venice, Aveiro.  It was given this moniker due to the channels that run through the town and the boats (moliceiros) that run up and down them.

We took a bus from Baraga--with a transfer in Porto--to the town, but our first sight was the old train station:

It's an information center now (which we used).

Close-up of the tiles

Since it was a bit of a way out of town, we went to Praia da Costa first.  This area is known for the brightly-painted fishermen's homes.

Most of these are rentals or restaurants now.

Decorated for Christmas

Fe and her dream house

Christmas tree

Praia da Barra Lighthouse (from the return bus)

We spent a bit more time in Praia da Costa than we planned.  We were busy looking at the sights and getting pictures and missed the bus back to Aveiro (it's not a walkable return), so we spent the time having some lunch and coffee at a beachside place until the next bus arrived.  

Back in Aveiro we just walked around a bit.

Boats on the water

Building facade

Building facade

Fe on a bridge over the canal.  The ribbons are meant to replace the "love locks" that can eventually damage bridges with the excess weight.

Every town in Portugal has it's own pastry/dessert specialty, and Aveiro's is ovos moles (soft eggs).  My borderline diabetes aside, I am a big fan of sweets but this one was not a favorite.  The egg yolk inside is sweet, but the outside tastes like a communion wafer.  Which makes sense since they were invented by nuns.

A cut-away view

World War I memorial.  Portugal was neutral in the war until 1916, but entered hostilities after Germany declared war on the country that year.

Christmas lights on Av. Dr. Lourenço Peixinho, the main street from the train station to the town center.

We finally made it back to our apartment in Braga about 10 pm--it was a long day.  I'm glad we visited this place, but I must admit that all the videos and photos we've seen had me thinking it would be more impressive.  That's probably unfair since we only spent about a half-day here, so if you decide to visit try to spend more time here than that.

Portugal's Birthplace (Dec 20, 2024)

Guimarães is a town about 26 km (16 mi) from Braga and since we had seen some interesting videos about it online, we wanted to do a day trip here.  It is considered the birthplace of Portugal for two reasons--their first King, Afonso Henriques, was born here and the pivotal battle establishing the nation was fought nearby.  It's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the well-preserved Old Town.

King Afonso Henriques statue by João Cutileiro

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira

Church Altar

The Padrão do Solado (erected in 1340) with the church in the background

Fe trying to pick some oranges

Fe on the city walls with the Ducal Palace in the background

Front of the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança

Fe and I in front of Guimarães Castle

Another view of the castle

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Consolação e Santos Passos.  This is the photo I see the most when I look up Guimarães.  We didn't go in though.

As usual, we stayed in town until they turned the Christmas lights on.  Some sights:

Lights in Largo do Toural

"Aqui Nasceu Portugal" - Portugal was Born Here.  The heart is the Guimarães city logo.

We did a lot of walking today so it was nice to get back to the apartment, but I think if we had more time here there were still things to discover.  Next time.