Why Do they call it Port ??

Even though it was still wild and windy I couldn’t resist popping down to the beach again on Friday evening, watching the waves crashing in on the rocks, and a lone fisherman vainly casting his line out to sea ! – there may have been no sunset to see, but I saw it anyway !!

Saturday morning the rain was  hammering down on Wally, so it was back to the books, do some reading hoping for it to clear, which it did mid morning … I’d decided to have a wander around the locality, and finish at a specialist fish restaurant for lunch… So, umbrella in hand I was off exploring, up and down streets, dead ends, and through some housing estates, eventually finding my way to Mindelo, where the metro station is for Porto ( that was to be handy to know !) I then wandered back down to the Ocean, and along to Vila Cha, and Salitre restaurant, right on the front ! I managed to get a table in the ‘outside area’ – a glass front conservatory, so was able to see the waves crashing in on the rocks, as I had the speciality dish of the menu – Grilled Sea Bass, in olive oil and …bits !, clams, and vegetables… it was superb, greatly helped by a bottle of white cool Douro wine… what more could one wish for on a Saturday lunch… Oh yes, a lovely lemony dessert !

I walked out, straight into thundery rain, blasting in off the Ocean…oh well, at least I had my brolly, so a quick walk back to the campsite, and …nothing much more for the day, watching the rain !

Sunday morning I was up bright and early, showered,changed and ready for my day in Porto… in fact I was so early, the taxi driver couldn’t come for another hour, and so I walked the 5 kms to the Metro station in Mindelo, arriving there before the taxi would have got to the campsite ! With the help of a chap at the station, I figured out how to get a ticket, and was soon on my way in to Porto, quite a few stops, through the suburbs.. I was off the train and into Porto centre before 9-45 a.m., and with map in hand, I could almost know where I was ! – it was obviously going to be a day of churches, fine buildings and …walking ! I wandered down the main street, in front of the town hall … just as the clocks struck 10, I found myself in front of a church, and so in I went, to be treated to a long, but nice, sung mass- not normally my ‘cup of tea’, but I enjoyed it today, in a very fine,elaborately decorated church, maybe St Benedict's ? Then it was back out into the city again, finding my way past the old cathedral (with a much smaller congregation), and in and out of small squares, and monuments in every direction… and overlooking the River Douro below.. I continued wandering down to the river, and along its bank, with all the traders alongside, selling all the ‘tat’ ! spotting one of the old tramcars as I went…having walked along one of the banks, I then crossed over on a great old iron bridge, passing over the busy tourist boats below..and onto the other side, where all the Port houses were located.. including the British one – Sandeman’s, I was even going to pay for the guided tour…to find them closing for lunch… and I never went back !!

Just as I was looking for some lunch, the heavens opened, and everyone scattered in all directions…I could have sat under a parasol whilst eating…but decided a burger would do me just as well ( I had splurged yesterday!) The rain did ease for a time, so I  finished my sightseeing, and beat a hasty retreat back to the Metro, and home again…walking along the front in Vila Cha in hot sunshine !

Whether I’ll get much of a sunset tonight remains to be seen ..!

I’ve seen everything around here now, the weather still seems unsettled, so tomorrow I’ll head South again, to …?

Answer…. because it’s shipped through here , easy eh ??