Xmas in Portugal - Day 10: Walking and Shopping

 

Our last day is Porto is, basically, our last day of 2017, as we will be in the air tomorrow (New Year's Eve). We start with a quick walk down Boavista to grab a very nice breakfast at Casinha – they actually have "big" cups of coffee (and apple pie!), which is a good reminder of home. Then we walk on Boavista, past the Casa da Musica, to Rua Migeul Bombarda, a narrow little road full of funky galleries.

 

 

 

 

Then we turn toward the river, and catch a flea market near the Igreja dos Clerigos. Not quite as extensive as the Feira da Ladra, but still a lot of fun.

 

 

Once we reach the church, we get back into tourist mode. We head down the Rua dos Clerigos, and toward City Hall Plaza, the Praca da Liberdade, where they are clearly setting up for some kind of New Year's festa. 

 

 

At the top of Avenida Dom Alfonso Henriques, there is a small church covered in azulejos, but I cannot seem to find its name on any of our maps (I find out later it's the Igreja de Santo Antonio dos Congregados). It's quite pretty, but evidently not a real attraction.

 

We continue towards the river and up the next hill toward the Se do Porto, and we start to get some views over the historic center and the Ribeira. But we take the scenic route, up the little, steep street, down the next steep street, and through some windy alleys, and then up the big stairs.

 

 

The interior is much as I remembered, but there did seem to be some more interesting details

 

 

Back outside, we continue on towards the Ponte de Dom Luis I, which is also, as I remember, only better. The air is cool now and the light faded.

 

 

 

 

We finish the day by taking a shuttle to the El Corte Ingles, a big (big!) department store in Gaia to buy some gifts – it feels like a department store in Tokyo, with bright lights, lots of stores within stores, and gourmet foods on the lower levels. We catch the sunset from the bridge coming back over the river.

We save our last dinner venue: Cafeina, our favorite from last summer. And again, the dinner is just as good: chevre in pastry with pickled vegetables, squid stuffed with rice and sausage, and an abade de priscos ("bacon pudding", but really more of a heavy flan). Outstanding.

Feliz Ano Novo!

Xmas in Portugal - Day 9: Kicking Around Massarelos and the Foz

 

A mellow day hanging out. We meet our friend Ruy, and we get to know the neighborhood of Massarelos – it's the area that's kinda between the Ribeira and the Foz. Great views of the Douro and the Atlantic.

 

 

 

Tonight's dinner is at Platinum, inside the Palacio do Freixo, another building designed by Nicolau Nasoni, that was transformed into a luxury hotel. Dinner started with an octopus salad (super tender), with a lobster and gyoza appetizer, and sucking pig (nice, crispy skin). We had some local ice cream for dessert. A another stellar meal.

I did try to take pictures of the building, but it is not well lit. Of course the drizzle and mist did not help things. Our tables were mirror glass, and the ceiling above contain a partial mural. The other rooms were renovated after fires and previous architectural interventions; I don't think much of Nasoni's interior remains.