lynnemurchie – Explore Some More

Italian Adventures – 7 day walk on the Via Francigena

As a follow up to my walking vacation in Portugal last year (completing a section of the Portuguese Camino), I set off to walk a portion of the Via Francegina in Italy, which is shown in the map above.

The Via Francigena is a path from Canterbury, England to Rome. Since medieval times people have made this pilgrimage from various points in Europe to visit the Holy See and the tombs of Peter and Paul. The full path is over 2000 kms. My journey of seven days of hiking about 121 kms through the rolling hills of Tuscany…plus additional mileage of getting lost and wandering the small towns where I stayed overnight!

September 20th: Train from Florence to San Miniato

The train system in Italy is quite easy to navigate. I had one change, then hopped on a bus that dropped me off close to the hotel where I was staying…about 1/2 Km walk…all uphill! While I was waiting at reception to get a question answered, four women had arrived and were checking in. I asked if they were walking the Via Francigena…and that was the start of new friendships and walking buddies for part of the next 7 days! Kathy (from Portland), her sister Pat from Alaska, Dagmar and Robyn both from Seattle (Bainbridge Island) and me became the West Coast Women on the Via! They were walking all the way to Rome.

We went together to investigate this lovely hilltop town. First stop was a glass of wine at a local restaurant on a piazza. Perfect for people watching and enjoying a glass of local wine while we got to know each other. Afterwards we wandered the streets, enjoyed the views and even browsed through a local art gallery. Dinner was at a small but busy restaurant…fresh tigliattina pasta with olive oil and black truffles. It was so good! After dinner we visited the local gelateria for dessert, then stopped by a deli to pick up lunch food for the next couple of days. Finally…back to the hotel for a glass of wine on the patio. Time to turn in for the night to get a good rest for the first day on the path.

The via Francigena leading to San Miniato

VF – Day 1: San Miniato – Gambassi Terme

Total distance walked: 26.4 kms

I met the WCW for breakfast on the patio in the morning. They were getting a ride to a spot “down the path” to avoid some of the road walking. I started out from the hotel. It took me a few tries to find the Via Francigena markers, but finally I was on my way. There was a stunning view of San Miniato, just a little bit down the hill.

The path along the road wasn’t too busy and the views were nice. After an uphill climb the path left the road and followed the ridgeline along olive groves and vineyards. There were some remnants of previous rainy days.

Signs of previous days’ rainfall
Selfie fail!

About 14 kms into the day, I started to get a little tired. Slowed my pace, stopped for lunch (and discovered I had left my deli purchases in the fridge in my hotel room). I took lots of breaks during the remainder of the day. The afternoon was hot and there wasn’t much shade. I rejoiced when the sun went behind a cloud for a few minutes!

would love to know the story of abandoned buildings

Along the fields, I noticed a large yellow bench at the top of a hill. “What’s one more hill,” I thought to myself. Managed the short but steep walk and enjoyed the views. It is a local monument to honour the pilgrims walking the Via Francigena in this area.

Hard to see in this photo but my destination is at the top of the hill in the distance

The last leg of the day wasn’t quite as tough as I though it would be, not really steep but a constant uphill. I arrived at my accommodation, Ostello Sigerico at about 4:15. I almost walked by it as I was expecting it to be in the town of Gambassi Terme. It is located behind the Church of Santa Maria Assunta of Chianni on the hill leading up to the town.

The hostel was basic, but pleasant. It had a lovely courtyard where I enjoyed a cold beer after I had settled in and shared a table with a young man from Germany. He’s an automotive engineer with Porche who is on a multi-month sabatical, solo walking the Via Francegina to Rome. At dinner, I was seated with Max and a retired couple (Cane and Elena) from Holland. We enjoyed a good conversation.

Retired early to my room as it was a long and hot walking day. The WCW were staying at different accommodation in the town of Gambassi Terme, so we agreed to connect in the morning to walk the next leg together.

Via – Day 2: Gambassi Terme – San Gimignano

Total Distance Walked: 14.7 KM

Breakfast was provided at the hostel, but it was pretty meager…and the coffee was cold (staff prepare everything the night before and apparently the thermos didn’t function well!). With everything packed up I walked up the hill to the town – about 15 minutes away. I had some time before meeting the WCW and I found a lovely bar (that’s what coffee shops are called in Italy) and practiced my very limited Italian…”Vorrei un cappuccino e un cornetto al pistacchio, per favore.” I sat at a table in the piazza with a lovely view of the country-side. A few minutes later, I hear someone shouting “aiuto” (help) and several people went running down the path by the ravine. From what I could gather, a man had fallen and was having difficulty getting up…but he was OK.

After coffee, I wandered some of the streets of the town waiting to meet Kathy, Pat, Dagmar and Robyn to start our hike for the day.

Street views of Gambassi Terme

We started our journey down the hill, along a roadway for a short bit, then on to gravel paths that led us through vineyards, olive groves and wineries.

This was a day of getting to know the group a little more and enjoying the beautiful Tuscan landscape. Although it was a shorter distance day, it felt a little long. Several rolling hills through vineyards and farms, but nothing too difficult. We stopped for lunch along side a vineyard and the group shared some cheese, meat and delicious Italian cookies since I hadn’t replenished my lunch supplies. Such a generous group!

I discovered that the tall skinny trees we see are cypress trees, while the ones that look like stalks of broccoli are pruned Monterrey pines.

Soon we could see our destination in the distance.

After checking into the hotel (Hotel La Cisterna) and having a shower, I met Dagmar for a walk around this interesting town, enjoying the views of the surrounding country side and exploring many tunnels and walkways. I was surprised to see Max (from the hostel) and we had a brief chat. Dagmar and I decided to pause for refreshments and enjoyed an aperol spritz on a patio. We met up with the rest of the group for further exploration and later settled on a small local restaurant for dinner…fresh pici (like thick spaghetti) with wild boar sauce accompanied by a tasty Vernazza wine, selected by Robyn. After dinner, it was time for gelato at a shop that claims they have the best gelato in the world. While it was tasty (Raspberry Rosemary and Cremma for me), I am not convinced it is the best. The search will continue throughout my stops in Italy!

Another amazing day on the Via Francigena!

Via – Day 3: San Gimignano to Colle Val D’Elsa

Total distance walked – 16.6 Km

Breakfast in our hotel in San Gimignano was delicious and we had an amazing view, too! Indulged in an extra cappuccino this morning! We had a final exploration of some of the shops and side streets on our way out. As we exited the walls of the town, the day-trippers were exiting their buses and walking in large groups with their tour leaders.

Again, we had a beautiful look back to San Gimignano as we descended on a quiet road. Soon we were again on trails through vineyards, forests and small streams to cross. We came across a property that offered refreshments for those walking the Via Francigena. We stopped to support this kind, friendly man by purchasing drinks (my 3rd cappuccino of the day). He spoke little English but we conversed the best we could with Dagmar’s knowledge of German and French and lots of hand gestures and smiles. A group of young German women stopped by. They were camping and carrying full backpacks and equipment. And there were two young men sitting at a table. A few minutes after they left, we discovered a pair of walking poles they had forgotten, but decided it was best to leave them rather than chance that we would not see them on the path. We bid a fond farewell to our host and continued on our way. About 10 minutes along the path, one of the young men was running toward us. We confirmed that his poles were where he left them. He passed us again a while later…still running, poles in hand.

The path continued through the trees, across another stream, past a local cemetery, then through a residential area where a school bus passed us and all the children waved! Arriving in Colle Val d’Elsa we walked through the gates of the walled old town which dates back to the 4th century BC. Too early to check in to our accommodation, we explored the town and sat in an area overlooking the Elsa River to eat some lunch. After a little more exploring of the town we were able to check in.

I was staying in a small guest house with a lovely view. The others were just a couple blocks away. I made myself a cup of tea in the kitchen next to my room (each floor had one) and put my feet up for a while. About an hour later, the rain started….and the thunder and lightning…and it lasted most of the night.

We agreed to meet for dinner, but not much was open on a Monday night. I borrowed an umbrella to run down the street to their hotel. Torrential rains and more lightning. I put the umbrella down and just used the hood on my coat! Luckily there was a pizza restaurant next to their hotel, so that’s where we went for dinner…and it was very good! After, I ran back to the guest house and settled in for the night with the storm raging outside. Honestly, I have never experienced so much thunder and lightning in one night!

Via – Day 4: Colle Val d’Elsa to Monteriggioni

Total Distance Walked: 20.9 km

The morning showed remnants of the storm on the horizon, and a beautiful sunrise. I enjoyed a great breakfast at the guest house then walked down the street to meet the WCW.

Our plan was to walk along the Elsa River – we had read that it is a beautiful walk with turquoise waters and small waterfalls. We exited the walled hamlet and three of us walked down the stairs to the new town area. Dagmar’s ankle was giving her some grief (from a recent injury) so she and Pat took the elevator down and we were to meet them in the town below. It took a little while, but we eventually found each other!

We got a little turned around trying to find the river path and a local tried to explain it to us (in Italian). Eventually, we found it and started walking along the river. From the torrential rains from last night, the river was flowing fast, and high. When we got to the first river crossing, we watched the young women that we met the day before going across. Normally there are big flat rocks that you walk across, but they were submerged in the flowing, muddy river. The “youngsters” had taken their shoes off and were gingerly stepping across. Considering they were probably 35 or 40 years younger that our group and there were 1 or 2 more river crossings after this one, we made a team decision to backtrack to the alternate route that would take us through the city of Colle. I am convinced that was the right choice. We had another view of the river from a bridge as we exited the city. There were no turquoise waters on this day!

After leaving the town of Colle, we passed by a site of ancient thermal baths from Etruscan-Roman times. Although someone had taken a dip, we passed on that experience. It was a serene area. Not sure what the critter was, but he was enjoying the warm water!

The hike today took us through hills, woods and meadows and through the small town of Strove (pop. 84) where we stopped for a rest. Soon we could see the hilltop town of Monteriggionni (and yes another hill to get to the town!).

Of course, climbing the steep hill to Monteriggioni meant having a gelato before my walking partners were driven to Siena where they would take a rest day. After checking in to the lovely B&B (called Rooms and Wine), I had some lunch, explored the town and then had the complimentary glass of wine at the organic wine store owned by the B&B.

This was a treat after the small bathrooms in previous accom.

Later I bought a ticket to walk the walls and enjoy a lovely sunset. Like other towns, by 6 pm most of the visitors had left which made it very pleasant to enjoy the views. Another wander around the streets, then I settled in for a restful sleep.

Via – Day 5: Monteriggioni to Siena

Total Distance Walked: 24.7 km

After a restful sleep, I found my breakfast box on a hook outside my room (named La Piazza). I enjoyed the pastry and coffee and packed up the rest for my lunch!

The exit from the town was beautiful and quiet at 7:15 am. Down the road, then on to a variety of paths.

Along the trail through some fields and forests, I came across a man, sitting in a chair by the path . He had a rifle in his lap (I didn’t take a picture!). After I passed him, I heard dogs barking and men shouting from an area I had passed by a few minutes before. I believe they were hunting wild boar (’tis the season). My guess is the man along the path was there to deal with any boars that came his way. At least that is the story I am telling! And I saw boar prints along the path.

Further along the path, an abandoned farm house stood near a castle tower called Castello della Chiocciola built in the 14th c.

I stopped at an eclectic “local” cafe set up for pilgrims in La Villa. Everything was “by donation”. I enjoyed a cappuccino and made use of their washroom, which was very well stocked. It is so great to see some locals supporting the people on the trail. There were picnic tables next door and an electric vehicle charging station! The sign on the chair in the photo below translates to: “At the important crossroads of the Via, there are no signs.”

I walked along a rocky paths, and quiet country roads past herds of goats that moved in unison, with their bells clanging and a little later a deer crossed the road not far in front of me. It was a peaceful walk. I met three equestrians along the section that took me past an obelisk that marks an 18th c. tunneling project to drain a large marsh that was believed to be responsible for malaria outbreaks. The project built 2 meter diameter tunnel of hand-cut bricks that goes for 2.2 kms!

There were sections of very muddy paths, a remnant of the recent rains in the area. I followed the ridges along more farmland and a small community. I was getting close to Siena.

The last 1.5 kilometers to Sienna was steep uphill, had to stop to giggle at the house that had a Route 66 drive through sign on their patio – and a longer stop for a rest at the top to enjoy the view of old town Siena on the horizon! On the way to my accommodation, I passed the hotel where the WCW were staying and entered the Old Town through the large gate, Porta Camollia. I checked into my hotel and had a bit of a rest before meeting up with Kathy, Pat and Dagmar for a quick glass of wine before they went on to their reserved time to tour the Duomo.

I was quite tired, so I opted to pick up some groceries to make a little picnic dinner in my hotel room, knowing that I would be back in Siena in two days.

Via – Day 6: Siena to Luciagno

Total distance travelled: 24.8 km

Starting out on my own today, but I hoped to catch up to the WCW down the trail. It was a quiet walk out of Siena, once I found my way to the Porta Roma, the main gate on the south side of the old town.

The country roads I followed provided views of farmlands, olive groves and vineyards. At this time of the year, most of the crops had been harvested so the change of the soil from the rich red dirt to Crete Senesi, gray clay-like soil was noticable.

After about 7 kms, the path went past an auto-wrecking yard, then it followed beside a busy highway and through and industrial area…mostly car dealerships. I found a small cafe and stopped for a mid-morning cappuccino.

After following the road for a short time, the path veered off to a quieter environment of fields. I was on the look-out for my walking buddies, knowing that they would likely be joining the path around this area. Soon, I could see four walkers ahead of me…and I hurried to catch up!

I could see them in the distance

We stopped by a small village, La Grancia di Cuna, built in the 12th c. One of the buildings was formerly a pilgrim hospital and the villiage itself is an fortified farm where which once held the reserves of wheat destined to the Republic of Siena. There was a lovely cafe, where we stopped for cold drinks and snacks. It turns out that it had only opened the day before. We hope they get lots of traffic. Their pastries looked amazing (and tasted great). Some of the local cats came by to say hi.

We continued along the path, among the harvested fields up and down the rolling hills. There was some confusion on how to get to our accommodation in Lucignano d’Ariba, but we figured it out! Our accommodation: Hotel Borgo Antico.

After a short rest, we convened on the upper patio for some cold beers and to watch the sunset. Dinner was served in the dining room which boasted an amazing curved brick ceiling. This night we celebrated the arrival of Dagmar’s new grandson.

A great day…time for rest.

Via Day 7: Lucignano to Buonconvento

Total distance walked: 14.3 km

After a great breakfast at our hotel, the group hit the trail for our final day of walking together. We were advised to take a short cut through the vineyard and field to get back to the Via Francigena.

We walked along the path past farms and beside railroad tracks, then stopped for coffee at Ponte D’Ariba.

Leaving the coffee shop, we were going to cross the Ariba River on the new pedestrian bridge, but repair work was underway. We had to walk across the Via Cassia automobile bridge instead. Thankfully it wasn’t too busy.

Next stop of interest was Centro Cresti which has had an interesting history. It has been a nursery school, housing for refugees and since 1983, a pilgrim hostel.

The path to Buonconvento headed uphill among the fields and towards the top the wind became quite strong. so we were often walking with our heads down…and holding on to our hats. Found some interesting sculptures along the way.

Finally, we headed downhill, out of the wind, and into the small town of Buonconvento. It was very quiet, perhaps at the end of their season.

The group noted that their accommodation is another 2+ kms away and uphill most of the way. They were able to arrange for a ride while we enjoyed one last Aperol Spritz together on the patio of a local bar.

I walked to a local hotel where my luggage was delivered. It is close to the train station, thankfully. We bid farewell to each other, and I wished them well on their continuing journey to Rome. What a pleasure to meet these four kind and accomplished women and have then include me in their plans for a few days. I will miss them.

This has been a sometimes challenging, but mostly enjoyable week. I’m tired, but in a good way. And so grateful to have experienced the Tuscan landscapes, interesting towns and interesting people along the way – incredible.

Total kms walked in 7 days: 142.3 Km

My Italian experiences continue as I hop the train to Siena. Watch for future posts of my experiences in Florence, Siena, Pisa, Lucca, Cinque Terre and Bologna. Thanks for reading!

Exploring Porto (May 2023)

The Camino Walk was definitely the highlight of the two weeks I spent in Portugal. But I also loved my time in Porto. I spent nearly a week in the city, one day before my Camino and 6 days after. Two of those days I did full day-tours, one to the Paiva Walkways and Arouca 516 Suspension Bridge and one to the Douro Valley. I also walked to Matosinhos, a beach town north of Porto. Details on these three adventures are in different posts.

My first full day in Porto was May 16th, 2023. I planned to get an overview of the city so I had a better idea of what I would like to do when I returned after my Camino walk.

I signed up for a 2 hour free (but paid by donation at the end) walking tour provided by Guru Walks. The guides are local and very entertaining with many stories about the city and it’s history. I should have recorded it because there are so many things I don’t remember now! Our guide was Ana, born and raised in Porto. The group was fairly small, about 15 people and it turns out most were Canadian! When I returned to the city a week later, the tours were much bigger.

Highlights of the walk included Sao Bento Train Station, an Art Deco McDonalds, the main Cathedral (Se) from which many pilgrims start their Camino, Igreja dos Clerigos, Miradouro. And a surprise highlight – our guide sang us a Fado song. She has a beautiful voice! She also gave us a list of good traditional Portuguese restaurants and places to see in Porto. Below are a few photos…and some of the landmarks will be highlighted later in the blog. The weather was warm and sunny, a great day for walking!

Porto is a lovely city, very easy to walk around although you need to be prepared to walk up and down hills and steep stairs! I walked pretty much everywhere during the days after I returned from my Camino walk. Even though I did two full-day tours out of the 6 days in Porto, I still managed to register over 95 kms. I always felt safe anywhere I walked.

Rather than give a day-to-day of my Porto adventures, I have highlighted sections of my time in this lovely city.

Food and Drinks

Let’s start with some of my favourite food and drinks! Every morning started with a cafe con leite and a pastry. And on hot days, I certainly enjoyed a cold beer and some wine with dinner. Many restaurants don’t open for dinner until 8 pm, so I often had a late lunch instead. So many patios to choose from. One of my favourite restaurants was Honest Greens on the busy Santa Catarina shopping district street. Many Portuguese restaurants are very meat focused, with not too many veggies. Honest Greens had excellent, fresh food and lots of “greens”! They had a very interesting order procedure. You got a menu, then lined up to place your order. They gave you a disc, which I am guessing had a GPS in it. You found a seat (and encouraged to join others if seating was limited). Then a server brought you meal to you. Very efficient!

And sometimes, I used the garden patio at my hotel to enjoy a glass of wine and some snacks while I worked on Facebook posts and messages to my family!

Just a few of my favourites

And Portugal is famous for its pastel de nata, a rich egg custard tart in a flaky crust. We had a few of them when we visited Lisbon 4 years ago. Lisbon is best known for this treat, but Porto has their own take on them as well. But the best one for me was at Mateigaria Porto, near the Bolhao Market. Freshly baked and warm.

Bolhao Market

I can’t mention food and not highlight the Bolhao (pronouced bol-yao) Market. This was once a fish market, and my Portuguese friend Joao thinks it now doesn’t have as much charm.

The market houses over 80 merchants, mostly family run businesses. It is very organized and clean with stalls that sell meat, fish, fresh produce, olive oils, sweets, flowers and much more. And you can have a glass of wine while you browse, or do a tasting. Lots of traditional Portuguese foods to eat as well. There are also several restaurants on the upper floors.

McDonalds on Ave dos Aliados

This is described as the most beautiful McDonalds in the world, and I would have to agree. It was opened in 1995, after a restoration of the 1930’s Imperial Cafe. To create a similar ambience, there are crystal chandeliers and art deco stained glass. A majestic eagle overlooks the entrance. It is truly beautiful.

We visited during the walking tour on my first day in Porto. Outside the restaurant there was a woman with a hawk on her arm. I learned that she brings the raptor at various times to scare away the pigeons from the outdoor seating. I wasn’t fast enough to get a photo of her.

Sao Bento Train Station

My first view of the station was on the walking tour. Then a week later, I arrived back in Porto from Vigo, Spain at the station! It is stunning. Built in the early 1900’s (over 13 years), it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Monument of Portugal. The views of the outside of the building are currently obscured by the massive upgrading of the metro; however the inside is on full view. During the tour, it was very busy, so I went back early one evening to get a better look.

There are approximately 20,000 hand painted azulejo tiles depicting several historical scenes, and life in Portugal, along with representation of various forms of transportation. The yellow and plaster ceiling with Minho and Douro represent the two districts served by the station. I’ve heard that there are a few “mistakes” in assembling the tiles. I’m sure that would take quite a bit of time to discover!

Ponte Luis I

This is the famous bridge in Porto, connecting the old town to Vila Nova de Gaia across the Douro River. It has an upper and lower deck with the upper facilitating the metro and pedestrians and the lower facilitating cars and pedestrians. The Guru Walks guide, Ana, told us that young men used to hang out on the lower deck and dive off, if someone paid them a Euro. I didn’t see any evidence of that.

The bridge was completed in 1886, designed by German architect, Téophile Seyrig, a disciple and business partner of French engineer, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame). It was built beside the towers of an earlier railway suspension bridge, the Ponte Pênsil, which was disassembled. Two towers of the suspension bridge on the east side of the Douro still remain.

I must have walked over and back on this bridge three times during my stay. The views were amazing.

Upper Deck
View from Gaia side
Lower Deck heading back to Porto
View of upper deck from Porto
Lower Deck from Gaia
The two pillars – all that is left of the original suspension bridge
Colourful vegetation on the Porto side

Vila Nova de Gaia

This is the city across the Douro River from Porto. Although I didn’t foray too far into the city, I did wander along the waterfront. Many restaurants, and market booths selling souvenirs. There were a few modes of travel on this side including a Sky Cab that reminded me of Expo 86!

Gaia is where people do tours and tastings of the famous Douro valley ports and explore the port caves of various wine makers. The biggest is the World of Wine building. I’m not a big fan of port, so I didn’t do a tasting here.

The Fantastic World of Portuguese Can was an interesting display. The shop is dedicated to quality canned fish…a very big industry in Portugal. It is a multi-sensory display with music, colour, light and movement. Here’s a link to more about this and other displays in Portugal https://www.comur.com/from-comur-to-the-world/?lang=en

On my last night in Porto, I walked over to Gaia for some last views of Porto from this side of the river. I noticed two young girls on a restaurant patio (upper level) who were dancing. I am guessing there was a family event happening. They saw me and waved, so I waved back and they rewarded me with hearts! The photo is, unfortunately, a little blurry.

Ribeira

Ribeira is an historical area closest to the Douro river on the Porto side. It is a busy area for tourists with lots of restaurants and shops. The waterfront is lively. On my first day in Porto, there was a tall ship docked here. I don’t know the story, and it was gone when I returned to Porto.

Street Views

Oh so many street views. I loved wandering the streets and seeing what I can find in what we might consider an alley but is actually access to stores and apartments.

Then there were the main shopping and tourist streets! The Ribeira area had many historical buildings now used for hotels, museums, apartments. As mentioned earlier, the crowds had grown substantially from my first visit on May 16 to the time spent after the Camino (May 25 – 31). Santa Catarina Street is a very popular shopping street, just a 5 minute walk from my hotel.

And so many interesting store fronts . I wish I had seen the sign for tile painting workshops before my last day. I would have loved to have participated.

Store front on Santa Catarina depicting Fado music

And some interesting restaurant views, too!

Some more sights from the streets of Porto. I think the swan was left over for a festival of some kind. I watched people training on segways, then saw them on the hilly streets later. The view of the bolo trailer was after I saw two men pulling it uphill to attach to the vehicle.

Porto Landmarks

Many, many landmarks in Porto including all the bridges! Here we go….

Se do Porto

A Roman Catholic Church located in the historical centre of Porto and is a starting point for many pilgrims undertaking a Camino. This site is where the city of Porto was born and was built in the late 1100’s. It is surrounded by a medieval stone wall and although much of the wall was replaced over time, some of the original wall remains. The spiral column on the plaza served as a place for hangings during the dictatorship years, meant to be a deterrent to others. As the church is situated at a high point of the city overlooking the Douro River, the views are outstanding.

Views from the Church plaza and the street below it. The picture with the blue tiled building is called Rua Escura meaning Dark Street. There is not much sun exposure here and it was one of the first streets to be built outside city walls (the black cat is sitting on the wall). People have been scared to go on this street as they thought it was unsafe; however, recent tourism has improved the area. I saw this woman sitting in a sunny spot and asked if I could take her picture. She nodded.

Rua Escura

Other Churches

I believe there are at least 40 churches in the City of Porto. Here’s photos of some of them. Just outside the front door of my hotel is Igreja do Santa Ildefonso covered by approx. 11,000 azulejo tiles depicting imagery from the gospels. There was a daily market in the plaza here.

Another tiled church was just a few blocks up the street on Santa Catarina, Capela das Almas – Chapel of Souls. The tiled panels represent scenes from the lives of S. Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine. 16,000 tiles on this church.

Igreja do Carmo and Igreja dos Carmelitas stand side by side separated by a 1 meter wide house. Although legend says this was to separate the monks from the nuns, the structure housed chaplains and artists who worked on the decoration of the churches as well as doctors serving the church hospital.

Another church easily seen on Porto’s skyline is Igreja e Torre dos Clerigos with its 75 meter tower, the tallest structure in the historic centre. One can climb the 240 steps to the top of the tower for stunning panoramas…this visitor do not do that. The lines were too long and I had other streets to visit!

City Hall and Ave dos Aliados

This was the first landmark that I visited in Porto. It was just down the street from the first hotel I stayed at and it is a central meeting place for tours. At the end of Ave do Alidos is the Praca da Liberdade with a monument to King Peter IV. This is also an area of major construction as Porto expands its metro system (which is already very good). In fact, there is lots of construction in Porto. You can see the sky cranes in many of my pictures.

Miscellaneous Landmarks

Other buildings of note include the Museum of Photography which is housed in an 18th Century former prison which was in use until the uprising and end of the dictatorship in 1974. The bottom floor of this prison was for the poor and was dark and dank. The top floors were aristocrats and others who were well off. If a prisoner could pay, they had access to two of the upper halls (with wooden floors) where the doors weren’t locked until night time.

University of Porto, downtown campus is located in the historical district with a lovely fountain in the plaza

Funicular dos Guindais that travels up the hill from the Douro river to the edge of the historical district (Batalha). Passengers kindly waved to me as I took a photo. I found this view as I walked down mulitple flights of stone stairs.

Colourized photos

On my last evening in Porto, I captured a few “artistic” photos of Ribeira and Gaia, and will likely have one printed for my office!

Final Thoughts

I love Portugal and Porto. Now that I am looking back, I realize that there are many other places I could have visited in the city, and close to the city. The transportation network is amazing and it is so easy to visit other communities close by like Aveiro and Costa Nova to the south and Braga to the north. But I think its always good to come home knowing there is much more to see and do. Perhaps another trip in the future!

Thanks for reading my long blog. If you are planning to go to Porto and would like to chat, let me know.

~Lynne

Porto Day Trip – Douro Valley

The Douro Valley was a top priority for a day trip from Porto. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – extending over 600 kms. The hillside vineyards and wineries are very picturesque! Here’s a description that I found online which describes it perfectly:

The Douro Wine Region Valley, up to Barca de Alva, is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. First, the river carved the deep valleys out of the land and then Man transformed the schist mountains into soil and walls and planted the vines, green in summer, flame-coloured in autumn. With knowledge handed down from generation to generation, he inclined the terraces to expose the vines to the rays of the sun which give the grapes the warmth that the wine craves. It was from the fruits of the land and Man’s labour that this unique wine and landscape were made.

I should have booked the tour before heading out on my Camino. Many of the tours were already booked by the time I came back to Porto, but I was able to grab a spot in a small group tour for May 27th. We met near Porto City Hall. The group consisted of two couples from Dublin and a group of three consultants working for Accenture in Amsterdam. All young professionals.

It takes about 1.5 hours to drive to the Douro Valley from Porto. One impressive part of the journey is the Marao Tunnel built in 2016. It is 5.7kms long and reduces travel time substantially. The journey to our first stop took a little over an hour.

We stopped in the town of Pinhao for a short break. I took in some views of the rive, hillsides and crossed over a pedestrian bridge with beautiful views of the arched Ponte do Pinhao over the Douro.

The next stop was over a winding road to the Quinta de Siexa, producer of Sandeman ports and Mateus wine. I was amazed that some large buses travelled up this road! Beautiful views from this Quinta and we enjoyed an informative tour with a tasting of a white and tawny port on a picturesque patio. I’m not a big port fan, but these were nice to taste.

This is a view of the winding road to the Quinta de Siexa

We wound our way up the valley to our destination for lunch at a lovely restaurant with a nice view. It was a typical Portuguese lunch of roasted lamb and a fish stew. Of course, it included bread and local olive oil. The service was excellent and the wine was good.

After lunch, we were dropped off along the Douro River to enjoy an hour-long boat cruise through the valley. I met an Irish woman who had done a walking tour through the vineyards earlier in the day. I would have loved to have done that! It was a pleasant boat ride, although quite a few people on board so it was hard to get the photos that I wanted without being in someone’s way. The views from the river really highlighted the vertical landscape of the vineyards and gave us views of various Quintas. Most vineyards grow olive trees alongside the grapes, and often various citrus trees as well. I can’t imagine picking grapes in these vineyards!

Then the final stop of the tour at D’Origem Winery and Olive Oil Museum. We had a tour of the museum showing the ways of extracting olive oil in the old days. Now it is all done by machinery. The tasting was done on a patio overlooking the valley. We enjoyed a glass of white and a glass of red, along with local honey and almonds and bread to dip in the local olive oil. The views from the winery were also beautiful.

Now it was time to hop in the van and make the 1.5 hour trip back to Porto. Although we had threatening-looking clouds, there was no rain during our tour. However, my walk back to the hotel was quite soggy!

Although it was a pleasant day, I didn’t care for our guide. I didn’t feel he was knowledgeable about the area. I would do things differently if I return:

Instead of booking a Viator tour, I would spend the extra money for a personal tour guide and book this at least a week in advance. This would provide a much better experience like visiting smaller family-run wineries, accessing different view points and learning more historical/cultural background.
Another option would be to take the train to the area and stay a couple of nights. Some wineries are within walking distance, but I am sure there would be options to find a guide if needed. And it would be easy to access hiking trails!
Renting a car and driving would be my last of different options. It definitely gives one more freedom for stops, etc. but you would miss out on the “secrets” of the area you would get with a local guide.

Douro Valley is beautiful and not to be missed if you are in the area of Porto.