Porto Day 18
Our last day in Porto. What to Do? We still have our tickets for the Six Bridges Tour on the Douro that we’ve been putting off. Decided to do this right off (earliest launch 10:00) to avoid the crowds and then attend the stunning “Legends” performance at the old Porto Customs House as long as we’re on the river.
Ate a light breakfast and struck out walking about three quarters of a mile to the river. Most of the trek took us downhill. Soooo many steps. I mean, SO MANY STEPS! This did not bode well for the return trip. We walked across Ponte Louis I, the bridge I described earlier, the primary walking bridge between the city of Porto and Gaia.
The bridge has two levels allowing pedestrians traffic on both the upper and lower level. Most use the lower level to reach Gaia. The upper level has occasional Metro traffic while the lower level would normally allow auto traffic if it wasn’t being refurbished. Currently the center lanes are closed. Dust netting is draped everywhere and city workers swarm over everything. Pedestrians like us are relegated to two very narrow paths on either side of the bridge. One side allows traffic flow to Gaia, one side to Porto.
This early, the crowds were thin, buskers had not yet appeared and most of the riverside booths had yet to open. Arrived at our ship’s dock early and twiddled our thumbs watching the river traffic until allowed to tramp on down the gangway and take our seats on board. We unknowingly booked a low budget cruise. The downside was that it was a plain looking vessel with a gruff crew and there were no amenities. The upside was that we were only two of five passengers while all the fancy tour boats we saw were packed with people. We rode up in the front row – as it should be. 😊
Just before our launch, Jenny downloaded the talking tour using the website provided to us. Unfortunately, it took 30 minutes of the 45 minute tour to finish the download - even then it commenced in Russian. The physical tour took us upriver past five of the bridges connecting the two cities and downriver for the final one . One of the bridges (I’m sure we’ll be able to identify it) was designed and built by the Frenchman, Eiffel. Another was built by one of his students.
The cruise took us past rows of modern and ancient structures. During the Reconquista ( that period when Christian armies retook the regions occupied by the Moors) Gaia had been occupied by the Moors. Porto by the Christians. Uneasy peace existed until the Christians overran and pushed the Moors out. Sprinkled among these buildings were ruins that had probably been ruins for centuries. Most of buildings, ruined or not, supported the major industries in the area, Cod processing, Wine packaging, silk and sugar to name a few, and of course, shipbuilding. Porto has always been a major port and as such, a provider of shipping. Porto is also Portugal’s second largest city. Portugal owes its name to Porto.
Following our brief river tour, we visited several shops on the way back to the bridge. The largest and most elaborate of these was dedicated to canned fish (sardines, tuna, you name it). Two large two-story adjoining halls, open to the street, one was fitted out as a huge library the other an elaborate carnival. To sell fish … truly bizarre – I’m not making it up. See the FB pictures.
Considering the amount of hoofing we still had to do, we stopped to fortify ourselves with a glass of Port. Considering the quality of the beverage the cost was quite reasonable - 3 Euros apiece.
Walked over three kilometers back to and across the bridge then up the opposite bank. to the Old Porto Customs House, a huge, elegant building that hosted multiple theaters and cultural displays. We purchased tickets to the “Porto Underground Legends” and wandered inside. The building is huge and seemingly goes on forever. Three stories of spacious rooms, many on the lower level are laced with rails used by small cargo vehicles that once ferried goods from the ships to the storerooms. We found a café where we purchased pastries and wine while we waited for the show to begin. I’ll let Jenny describe the performance.
“It was a unique presentation of ten legends relating to Porto that help put it in historical and cultural perspective. In a series of three arched galleries in the basement of the old customs house, a phalanx of holo-projectors paint the walls, floors and ceilings with images (including scurrying rats) that envelop the audience in the presentation. Between several arches, white screens were fixed to add more surfaces for projection.
The audience is dispersed throughout the space, wherever they wish to be, some perched on stools scattered in the space, Others simply walked from room to room throughout the show. There was something projected no matter where you looked. The images were varied and repeated in different places, so that viewers could easily see everything from any vantage point. The audio, provided via headphones and a personal receiver tuned to the language of choice, was crisp, clear, and descriptive. This was a carefully and imaginatively conceived and beautifully executed experience. We highly recommend it.”
Following “Legends,” we began the long trip back to the hotel. All of it UP! In short order we were worn out and dragging. Earlier, Jenny had taken a tumble in Gaia and her knee was hurting. Miraculously, we turned a corner and there it was, like the mirage of water in a desert … an outdoor escalator. Not just one but three unconnected escalators that easily accounted for 150 to 175 steps. Wherever you live, you probably heard our victory cry when we found them! The joy of traveling in a foreign country is forging ahead, regardless of one’s trepidations. Hope for the best and expect to make startling discoveries.
We rested the rest of the afternoon. Rested and packed for our trip to Lisbon tomorrow. I told Jen I craved a burger and she found a gourmet burger restaurant in a part of the city we had yet to explore. Got cold along the way so I invested in a Portugal sweatshirt … do you know how hard it is to get a sweatshirt without a hoody these days? Nigh on impossible. The burger place was impressive. The burgers themselves were tasty but pricey – 14 Euros a burger? Ordered beer and consider it the worst I had on the entire trip. You’d think a beer called Munich would live up to its name.
On the way back to our hotel we stopped at a place billing itself a bierhaus to make up for the previous beverage. Had a decent milk stout which made up for the foul stuff I drank earlier. Also watched much of the world cup match between Portugal and Spain. Cheered Portugal on. Unfortunately… We learned the next day that Spain won.
Little more to say. Boa Noite.
I am posting a selection of the thousands of pictures we took on Facebook. Look me up there and see what we saw!