Day 9: Porto

We woke up in our little paradise- a bit late! We were supposed to be picked up by Matt at a prearranged point, collected by our friends and dropped to Coimbra to catch a train to Porto so we had to rush a bit to pack our things and get on rowing! And let me tell you something, it is not fun to paddle when you're rushing, the sun is approaching its peak in the sky and the bridge (the meeting point) turns out to be much further away then we thought initially. The meeting point 'at the bridge' was in fact half a mile away, but we found Matt and we reunited safely with Harry & Seana. It was an amazing adventure, I love being close to nature, but you get to learn your limitations, both physical and due to the challenges of nature. Highly recommended to anyone that wants a little bit of a challenge in the heart in Portugal😉  

We got to Porto Campanha train station. Searching for a taxi, we used the wrong exit, far at the back, had to drag our suitcases up the hill to the main road, but we managed to flag one. The driver had no clue where our hotel was and took us on a scenic route, which showed up on the receipt... Not a good start to the trip! But the hotel turned out to be lovely, very centrally located, and after checking in and a lovely and much needed shower I managed to resurrect my phone🙌🏻 

Porto's architecture is even more picturesque than Lisbon- tall and azulejos- lined houses resembled colorful dancers. 

We walked to the Ponte de Luis I, a bridge designed by a student of Mr Eiffel, the same architect that is behind the Parisian Eiffel Tower. The resemblance is uncanny- the tall, see-thru metal construction gives an impression of something very flimsy. The view on the river was something else! Not for anyone with fear of heights though😉

Then we stroll down to the river bank, a very busy yet charming walk full of cafes, wine (Porto!) places and street artists. We had to join the crowd and sit down, try Portos and enjoy the view and the atmosphere...

We went for dinner to Pizza Pronto, a great pizzeria; we had to wait a bit for a table, but it was worth it! I think I left a piece of my heart in Porto...❤️