Distance: 0.0km (394.7km).
Weather: Clear blue sky.
Zero day. As always, I want to continue walking.
Ornamented staircases and bookshelves in Livraria Lello.
Together with Joan and Paige, I go for a place to eat breakfast, but not until we have visited the cathedral once again. To get our pilgrim passports stamped, buy a new one for me and send off some new pilgrims starting today. While we are having breakfast, we can see one pilgrim after another leave for Santiago, but the waymarking may be difficult. Most of them looks confused as to where the Camino goes.
Ornamented roof in Livraria Lello.
The famous staircase in Livraria Lello, with an artist playing on a lute.
I have in no way planned to rush around Porto, trying to see as much as I can in what time I have here. There are however some few places I do want to see. One of them is the Livraria Lello, one of the oldest bookstores in Portugal and considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world. The architecture is Neo-Manueline and its most famous design is the forked staircase in the middle of the store. That word is out in the world, so there is no surprise that a large percentage of the tourists in Porto are also here. No wonder of course, the bookstore is truly wonderful, but I would loved to have it for myself. Just to get some great pictures of it. It is decorated with a lot of wonderful details, and a lot of people. A woman is playing on a lute while we are there. A small tip, the entrance fee is 5€, but if you buy a book, you can deduct the price of the ticket from the price of the book (there is even a small book about the store that costs exactly 5€).
Igreja do Carmo.
Getting high up to look out over a place has always been something I look for, but waiting fourtyfive minutes for it is not. I leave it be with staring up at the Torre dos Clérigos and not out from it. I also leave it be with looking into Café Majestic from the outside and not waiting for a long time in the line to get a seating in the cafe.
Igreja Paroquial de Santo Ildefonso.
Even without any apparent plan, and just by walking at random, you get to see a lot. I unexpectedly pass by another beautiful tiled church, this time the Igreja Paroquial de Santo Ildefonso, earlier today it was the Igreja do Carmo. There is some fascination when the tiles seems to tell a story.
Lunch with Joan, Paige and Jaehee.
After taking the Funicular de Guindais down to the Douro river, I meet up with Joan, Paige and Jaehee for lunch. Joan flies aeroplanes, and not the small ones, she flies the big ones, that is so cool. I also share another common interest with Paige, back home she is a cross country skiing instructor. Joan and Paige are also cousins. Great company, great lunch (big sausage with chips and salad), same place as Joan and Paige had lunch at yesterday.
Narrow Porto streets.
Street art on a wash basin.
Other things I see is Sé de Porto, the natural starting point if you walk the Camino Portugués from Porto, which also offer a 14th century cloister adorned with tiles. Having returned to the viewpoint next to the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar, viewing Porto underneath a clear blue sky and taking the cablecar down to the south side of the Douro (Vila Nova de Gaia), it is time for doing another thing Porto is well-known for. I decide to go port wine tasting. It looks like almost every bar or café here offer this. For 5€ you get to taste 5 different types of port, Extra Dry White, Ruby, Rose, White and Tawny. It is good, but quite a handful of drinks.
Sé de Porto.
Leaving the empty port wine glasses, I walk next to the waterfront and over the Ponte D Luís I bridge on the lower section in the lovely afternoon sun. On the bridge boys tries to earn money by jumping off the bridge. They will do the jump if you pay them a small sum in €. I do not think I will give them any money for doing something they appear to enjoy, and I do not want to be held responsible if something goes wrong.
In the cloister of the Sé de Porto.
Sé de Porto cloister windows.
With Joan and Paige, I find a nice place for dinner. In the restaurant, a young woman has her first day at work and is a little bit stressed, we try as best we can to make her feel relaxed. Before I tune out for the night, I go for a beer at a bar, thinking about my journey so far.
Porto waterfront.
Porto.
It is beyond doubt that Porto is a wonderful and beautiful city, with a lot to see, but after the quiet days from Lisboa, I do feel a little bit overwhelmed being here. Lisboa, on the other hand, felt more relaxed. Here, I find the atmosphere more rushed. In some way, I think I prefer Lisboa.
Port wine tasting, from left extra dry white, ruby, rose, white and tawny.
Porto as seen from Vila Nova de Gaia.
Which is one of the things I find interesting regarding the various Caminos and the people walking them. Despite the fact that the Camino Portugués is the second most travelled Camino, it is only from Tui that the numbers really add up. As for walking a Camino in its full length, only the Camino Francés can boasts really large numbers. I was quite surprised of how few pilgrims that I actually met and saw on the way from Lisboa.
In Vila Nova de Gaia.
Having walked from Lisboa, my judgement of the Camino Portugués so far is that it is the places you get to that are the true gems of the Camino. In special, that is attributed to Tomar (the Knights Templar caste), Coimbra (university) and Águeda (street art). At least the two first cities are not to be missed. Scenery-wise, the walk is best described as pleasant. There are some really nice sections, but there were also some unexciting walking next to busy roads. It is then positive that the best day I had so far, was the walk between Alvaiázere and Rabaçal.
Reflection of Ponte D Luís I bridge.
Porto afternoon sun.
I have now made my final decision. From tomorrow, I will walk the Caminho Português da Costa. After walking for so many days in the inland, it will be fine walking alongside the coast and the ocean. Ciaran had just walked straight through Porto, I had hoped to meet him again here in Porto, but now I am unsure if we will meet again. He will start on the coastal route, but will turn inland on the central route. However, you never know, the Camino has worked wonders before. Tomorrow, I will continue walking again.
Igreja Monumento de São Francisco.
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