Jack was keen to get to the river in Porto, I wasn’t really sure why but as I love rivers anyway I certainly wasn’t going to complain.
Almost as soon as we got there we saw a river boat full of singing people! We surmised that they had probably been on a portery crawl, the Portuguese equivalent of a distillery crawl. The porteries are all above the river and they were apparently very generous with free glasses of port. Names like Sandemans, Fonseca and Cockburn.
We opted for a bridges trip on the river instead, so there was no singing on the boat we were on – shame. The boat took us under five bridges of various sorts. It was a very hot day and I forgot my hat and sunscreen cream – yes I got a bit burnt.
And I forgot my sunglasses so my face is a bit more screwed up than usual!
The cliffs along the riverside are pretty high and steep.
Sadly when you go on holidays like this you don’t have time to make friends with any locals so there’s no way to see the inside of ordinary peoples’ homes. I would have loved to get a peek into these riverside houses.
Below is an old warehouse with boats outside in various states of decay, I think they were about to undergo refurbishment.
The dome just visible above the trees is the only part of an exhibition in the 1950s that is still standing.
And below we’re just getting back to the riverside to disembark. If you go to Porto you should definitely take a trip along the River Douro. We really enjoyed it although a young woman we spoke to in a shop said that there is an even better river trip, but it’s much longer and we wouldn’t have had time for that one. Maybe next time we’ll do that as Porto is a place we would definitely like to visit again.
Great pics of you guys! They sure do look crowded in like sardines in that last photo.
Peggy,
Yes it does look very built up but it doesn’t feel cramped when you are actually there.
Looks like fun! The colorful riverfront shot reminds me of Copenhagen.
We’ve been looking at a Viking river cruise in Portugal. They are slow and leisurely and at least one stop along the way includes a home visit, where you get a lovely home-cooked meal and a chance to meet the family and talk about their life. A little awkward for me, but interesting none-the-less.
Pearl,
It does look strangely Scandinavian, I think it’s the colours.
Yes I know I would feel a bit awkward too, maybe they smooth the way with booze to relax you! I’m sure you’ll enjoy Portugal when you get there.
Lovely shots. It looks beautiful. I suspect my B wold plump for the porteries tour… đŸ˜‰
Sandra,
Your B would be in his element then!
They are good photos. What a lovely place. When I was a bartender in Boston, I used to chat up any foreign tourists who came in. It’s always nice to meet friendly people when you’re travelling. One German couple came in several times during their stay. I invited them to dinner at our house and we had a fun evening. They visited us again after we moved to Marshfield and we’ve stayed in touch all these years.
Joan,
I think it makes all the difference when you can chat with ‘the natives’ then it feels like you’re really part of the place, not just an observer. I bet you made that German couple’s holiday! and then some.
Those houses along the river look so pretty and colorful! I wonder too what they look like inside. Too bad you forgot your sunglasses and sunscreen but the tour seems like it was worth it anyway!
Stefanie,
Porto was a surprise to me, very historic and the people were very friendly too.