Destination Portugal: Porto

 I suppose one adventure of travel is making connecting flights at various airports. The ideal is to board a plane at your home airport and fly nonstop to your destination. That's highly unlikely if you're flying overseas in economy class. I like to think it adds to the adventure of seeing fresh places, even if it is an airport.

For my wife and I on our journey to Portugal, we flew out of Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky., to O'Hare International in Chicago, then a long flight to Zurich Airport in Switzerland (we can now say we've been to Switzerland), and then on to Porto Airport in Portugal. Enough about airports. 

As I've probably mentioned in previous posts, we take guided tours on our trips to Europe because we like someone holding our hands and leading us to various sundry places. Well, it's not quite that bad because we do like the free time to explore on our own, but a director gives us ideas and can point us in the right direction. And she is someone we can contact if we get totally lost! 

The Douro River at twilight

Porto, or Oporto to the Portuguese and probably a few others, is a picturesque city on the northwest coast. It's the second-largest city in Portugal, with a metro population of 1.7 million people. 

Porto is a historic city, much like most European places visited by Americans. We began with a walking tour of the Ribeira District, which borders the Douro riverfront. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Porto Cathedral 

Our first stop was the Porto Cathedral, overlooking the Douro River. Construction on the Romanesque structure began in 1110 and was completed in 1737, a mere 627 years. An impressive pillory stands on the grounds. A statue of Vimara Peres, a ninth-century nobleman, stands near the entrance.  

Vimara Peres

We took a short walk from the cathedral to the Sao Bento Railway Station, which is noted for its tiled mosaics depicting the history of Portugal in the main hall. The predominately blue-and-white tiles are an important part of the nation's history and culture that you'll see in other parts of the country. The display on the station's walls is captivating by the artistry and detail.

Without going on and on, here are a few other highlights from our tour of Porto that including bus stops along the Atlantic coastline and a leisurely boat ride on the Douro River.

Statue of Prince Henry the Navigator

A church with a blue-and-white tile facade

Restaurants in the historic Ribeira District 

Boats on the Douro River 

Barrel in a warehouse containing Porto wine 

We also visited the Stock Exchange or Bolsa Palace, viewed marvelous wood carvings in the Church of the Convent of St. Francis, and toured Ferreira wine cellars and took part in a tasting of its delightful product. 

There was so much to see and do in Porto but so little time as we had to move on to our next stops in Coimbra and Evora. If ever I return to Portugal, Porto is a city where I want to spend a lot of time.

Until the next time . . .

 

Destination Portugal: The Beginning

 It had been nearly three long years since my wife Mary and I traveled to Greece. In the next two years, we had planned trips to Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Life, as most travelers knew it, had come to a standstill. We were able to take several day trips to nearby state parks to take in the fall foliage or visit the Louisville, Cincinnati, and Columbus zoos. An overnight trip was to Gatlinburg, Tenn., for some Smoky Mountain scenery. Our big journey was a long and memorable weekend at Mackinac Island, Mich., to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. 

Portugal flag

But we still longed to return to Europe. When it appeared that travel to Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia wasn't going to happen, we changed our destination plans to Portugal. But we still weren't sure it would happen as strict protocols for international travel were in place because of the pandemic.

We counted down the days to departure in February, knowing that the tour could be canceled at any time. Then we were notified the trip was on, but with conditions. We had to have a negative Covid-19 test within three days of departure and we had to complete locator forms for Portugal.

Arriving in Porto

Our tests were negative, but we had difficulty submitting the required information to the host country. Because of that, our airline wouldn't let us board until it was completed. Without getting into the complicated details, we were fortunate to have a tech-savvy young man at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky., help complete the needed form. We were on our way -- to Chicago, Zurich, and Porto.

We were told the forms would be required at our final stop, but that wasn't the case as we retrieved our luggage and met our attentive guide inside the terminal. Then we were whisked to the hotel to officially begin our Portuguese adventure with fellow travelers and soon-to-be friends.

In the coming days, I'll share something about our various stops in Portugal. I hope you come along for the trip.

Until the next time . . .