High View from the Yellow Bus

July 26, 2014 SINTRA to PORTO
10:11 am Train /metro to Lisbon Oriente Station
12:39 am Train to Porto (3 hours)
Residential Santa Clara Do Porto (34€/$44) double ensuite without breakfast


Running for the Train

By 10 am we were at the Sintra train station where we bought our Lisbon to Porto train tickets. But first, we used our zap pass to get on the commuter train to Lisbon's Oriente Station for the transfer to the Porto IC train departing at 12:39. Our timing was perfect. Our train departed Sintra a few minutes later.

We commented how smooth and simple the connections were. Not until we got to "the end of the line" at Rossio, nowhere near Oriente Station, did we realize that we should have made another transfer earlier. Paper tickets usually have the transfer station written on them. But since we used our zap passes, we did not have paper tickets. And the lady who sold us the Porto ticket did not bother to mention it. We could have doubled back to the connection station but then we'd miss our connecting train to Porto for sure. A student who overheard our dilemma suggested we'd take the metro at Rossio then transfer to the redline at Alameda. It was cutting it real close but we had a chance of making it.

The next 30 minutes went by in a blur. We ran through the crowds, ran up escalators, stairs and platforms hopped on metros anxiously awaiting our stops. The fact that we had been at Oriente Station before helped us and we did not need to stop to reorient. We hustled onward. Low and behold, we made it to our train platform with minutes to spare. Then the train did not arrive on time, giving us an extra 10 minutes to recuperate on the platform.

It was a 3 hour ride to Porto. Our first view of Porto was when we crossed the high bridge over Rio Douro. Porto is an attractive city with its red tiled roofs and gothic cathedrals and churches protruding. We got off at Campanhã, the main station for Porto. We picked up some information and maps at the well stocked and helpful tourist information desk.


Yellow Bus Tour of Porto

On our way to the metro, a thoughtful lady. stopped us and asked if we'd be interested in her yellow bus tour tickets, good through tonight. She was on her way out of town. We were delighted.


 
.............
We took the subway a few stops to Trindade metro station, as recommend on our hotel's website, and walked from there. Along the way, we passed the much more convenient Bolhao Station, much closer to our hotel. Santa Clara hotel was a bit dated. Our room was spacious with heavy furniture and heavy drapes. It was clean and front desk staff not too swift. We only booked one night so will be looking for alternative. We dropped our stuff off and made our way to a stop for the Yellow Bus tour.

It was 4:30 pm and we hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. So on the fly, we picked up sandwich to go and got on the 2-hour orange loop (historical tour) on the Yellow Bus. It gave us a good overview of the city and ideas of places to visit for closer looks during our stay.


July 27-August 5 - PORTO (9 nights)
Decanting House Porto Hotel €44.50

A More Pleasant Place to Stay

Porto and Douro region famous for its Port and vineyards. We liked Porto from the start and decided to stay at least four more days. The Santa Clara is a great value but just doesn't do it for us. It's clean and functional but too dated and staff a bit too indifferent. We can do better. So, our first morning in Porto, Dave decided to check out his second choice hotel. A good hour later he returned exclaiming "We're moving. I found a great place down the street!" He had checked out several hotels and even found a Lidl Supermarket (in the opposite direction) which is great for fresh bread, sandwich fixings, salad and wine. He covered a lot of ground.

Dave selected well. "Decanting House Porto" is a new hotel, again with "less is more" decor we favor. Manuel on the front desk speaks English very well and is very accommodating. We knew we could enjoy hanging around our room and the common areas on the ground floor. Manuel served us a welcome glass of Port and we soon settled in.

Porto weather varied between 25°C/77°F - 33°C/91°FC and did get a bit humid. We enjoyed the many facets of Porto's Old Town.


My Birthday (July 29) Lunch at O' Comercial

My birthday started out without much a do. In fact, if it wasn't for subtle hint I dropped at noon, I think Dave would have forgotten about it. I have pretty much accepted that little shortcoming of his.

Chapel of Almas, Porto

We decided to do an Azulejo walking route. Porto has a wealth of stunning churches and buildings covered inside or outside with the gorgeous hand-painted tiles. A hundred meters from our hotel along the pedestrian shopping street, Rua Santa Catarina, stands Capela das Almas covered in stunning azulejo tiles with scenes from the lives of various saints.

Igreja de Santo Il defonso on Praca da Batalha was next. We checked it out from all sides and continued on to São Bento Train Station where we spent a good hour admiring the front hall covered floor to ceiling in the most striking Azulejo scenes of harvest and battle. We eventually pulled ourselves away and walked down Rua des Flores and past Nicolau Nasoni's baroque masterpiece the Igreja da Misericórdia.

...At Palacio da Bolsa, Dave spotted a sign for restaurant "O Comercial" inside, that would be special. The restaurant had special occasion written all over it. The soft piano music playing in the back ground the attentive waiters attending to our needs. Turns out they have a fantastic lunch menu of the day. We started out with wine, a lovely spring salad with brie, croutons and balsamic vinaigrette. Against better judgment, I decided to give the traditional cod dish another try while Dave opted for pork medallions with potatoes. I'm done with that fish in Portugal. Apple crumble a la mode for dessert rounded off the lovely meal. But no more doubt, I'm done with that fish.

And when the waiter overheard me telling Dave that it had been a very special birthday meal, he came out with 2 glasses of Port for dessert. Afterwards we checked out several opulent halls in the Palacio da Bolsa, a glittery and bright part of the same commercial building.

We then made our way to the riverfront, the Ribeira area crossed the Eiffel inspired Ponte de Dom Luis I to VILA nova de Gaia. We saved the Port tour for next time.


From Ruby to LBV (Late Bottle vintage)

A few days later we went back for another lunch at Palacio da Bolsa's O'Comercial restaurant. The waiter suggested a different variation on the cod and insisted it was not 'strong tasting'. He was wrong and when I mentioned it, he quickly replaced the dish with the other menu of the day option. Great service but not all the menu plates are not winners.


Taylor's Port Cellar

Ribeira district is the northern riverfront area. Vila Nova de Gaia, on the southern river front area, is where most of the Port cellars are located.

We made it over the bridge to the Port Cellars. We picked the Taylor's Port Cellar tour. It is high above the waterline with the oldest cellars, the prime location of avoid the rising river during times of flood. The woman who guided our tour in English was great. She kept it clear and concise and left us more educated and intrigued with the variety of Ports. At the end, we enjoyed a tasting of two more ports just before closing time.


Our Porto Routine

We discovered the large and well stocked Pingo Doce supermarket just a five minute walk from our hotel and much closer than the Lidl. We usually had our coffee, yogurt and muesli for breakfast, something from Pingo Doce deli for another meal, and went out to a restaurant for one meal. We even stopped at McDonald's which is at the food-court floor of the shopping mall which we can see out our hotel room window.

Located next to Palácio da Bolsa is Igreja de Sâo Francisco, with its walls covered in extravagant baroque woodcarvings dripping in 100 kg of gold-leaf. The catacombs included on the same ticket were not impressive. The Mercado do Bolhão, near our hotel, is a great place for fresh vegetables and fresh fish too. We had a tasty lunch there in one of the simple restaurants.
 
Porto has a lot to offer tourists. We just scratched is surface. It seems like a great place to live too. We could have stayed longer.