12-13 October 2022 - COVID-19 really threw us a curveball when it limited our ability to travel. Nearly 3 years after our last trip abroad, we felt comfortable enough to take another trip to Europe. The kids (now 13 and 10) are still too immature to take on a trip like this, so we found a window in Nick's schedule and made Porto, Portugal, our destination.
Nick and I both dropped off Felix at school on the morning of Wednesday, October 12. We came home and finished all our to-do items. We said bye to Iris before she got on the bus, then headed to Chicago. Cloudy, dreary day. We stopped in Madison to charge and get a snack. We got to the O'Hare airport area around 12:45, dodging rain most of the way. We learned the hard way that we should have brought our own charging cable after entering tour reserved lot. Charging and returning took about 45 minutes, but finally, we were in the shuttle on the way to the airport. More rain. We got to O'Hare Terminal 5 about 2 hours before take-off. Interminable security line... (honestly, why do people travel??) Once through, we walked a lot only to get two bar seats at a concourse restaurant where we could each get a beer and loaded nachos for "lunch." We headed back to the gate after that much-needed respite to wait to board. Did Duolingo (827 straight days, now on Portuguese). The plane wasn't full. Nick and I sat across from each other on the aisle. Took off on our KLM flight for Amsterdam on time (4 pm). They served dinner (Nick got chicken parmesan, I got eggplant pasta), then I tried to sleep. 6 hours and 50 minutes and turbulence resulted in very little sleep. (Oh, and the man behind me crumpled plastic for.ev.er.) Melatonin didn't help. I just rested after a while.
13 Oct - We arrived in Amsterdam and made our way to our connecting flight. It was rainy and cloudy and dark, so our first experience in the Netherlands was anticlimactic. There were two mince running around near our gate, so that was a thing. We got euros and beverages. Our Porto flight ended up 15 minutes behind after boarding. We both thought it was a shorter flight (ended up being 2.5 hours) and tried to sleep, but had "light" turbulence again. We landed safely, got our bag and made our way to the metro in Porto. I love metro systems. In due course, with the fog burning off, we were on our way. We got off at Bolhão. Our first experience in Porto was the bustle of Rua de Santa Catarina and the smell of roasted chestnuts. I bought a bag. We walked to our Airbnb at Rua da Firmeza 105. Our host met us and showed us inside. (It was so nice that they were able to let us in at noon instead of 3 pm!) After she left, we took a much-needed nap after a shower. It was a beautiful day, so I didn't want to waste it. We were out exploring the city by 3:30. We made our way towards the river, stopping for some gelato. Eventually, we got to Ponte Luís I and made a hair-raising journey across the top deck. We took a few pictures, then walked our way down the medieval twisty alleys to the Ribeira. We scouted out a place for a late lunch/early dinner. We each tried a local specialty (bacalhau for me, francesinha for Nick) and got a bottle of "green wine" that was red. We enjoyed our dinner, the weather, and the people-watching. It was truly lovely. Once we finished, we thought about taking the funicular to save our tired feet/calves, but the long line and reduced capacity put us off. We climbed the stairs and headed back towards our apartment, in search of beer. We found just such a place and over a while, tried 12 of the unique beers they had on tap over two flights. Had a nice time in the courtyard just enjoying being here. Got back to the apartment, I caught up on this account, and we waited for the kids to get home. Had a nice, brief call with Felix, Iris and Mom before we said goodbye and went to bed.
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| 13 October sights |
14 Oct - We let ourselves sleep in until 9. Surprisingly, neither of us ached as much as we thought we would. We got ready, then headed to the café on the corner for breakfast. We had teensy coffees, split a "sandwich" and a pastel de nata. From there, we took a leisurely walk to Torre dos Clérigos for our 11 am tickets. (We stopped at the Hard Rock Cafe for a pin for Mom). It took us a while to climb the 225-stair tower (being allowed up in waves), but we were rewarded with only partly hazy views. My legs were jelly on the (much quicker) way down. We stopped at a little wine shop down the street called Linha22 for a rest. Got a glass of green wine each and shared a smoked ham and cheese plate. Lovely, since it was about noon. From there, we made our way to the metro and took it across the river via the Ponte Luís I bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia. There was hardly any line, so we took the cable car down (we had one all to ourselves :o). We rested on the riverfront, sharing a couple of beers and watching the fish and pigeons. After a while, we walked all the way over and up to the Graham's port lodge. There, we took a tour that went in depth about the history and production of port by the family. Nick and I got to try six ports - 3 rubies and 3 tawnies. All pretty different, all very good, especially the 10- and 20-year tawnies. We needed some real food at this point, so we walked back down to the main waterfront area. We found a good place (Tempêro d'Maria) after a false start and each enjoyed our dinner. Nick also got a "porto tonico" while I went for a non-alcoholic beer. Dinner took the perfect amount of time for our next stop, a Cálem tour and show. The tour here was more visual and contemporary, and much shorter. We were treated (though it was included in the price) to a white port, a 10-year tawny port and a fado show. I hadn't heard this style of music before, so it was interesting. I also enjoyed it more when the loud table of women behind us left halfway through the show. It was dark when it ended, but we walked back to the apartment, finally finding a little bodega at which to buy some snacks. Got back in for the night around 9. We called the kids again around 10.
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| 14 October sights |
15 Oct - We got up at 7 and got ready for the day. The café adjacent to us was still closed, so we found another place to grab a bite (including pasteis de nata, of course). We ate and walked to where our excursion was meeting, at the Praça da Liberdade. We got there early and got on the coach bus. Our bus was full and we headed out to the Douro Valley. It was very foggy on the way, so not much scenery until we got further into the mountains. We listened to Ivo, our tour guide, provide us with information about the region and port wine. We were on the bus for about an hour before we stopped for 20 minutes in Regua. There, we viewed the variety of bridges and got a snack. It was about a half hour after that when we arrived in Pinhão. It was pretty cloudy and everyone was pretty quiet with each other was we took a boat cruise around a couple of bends of the Douro River, with terraced hills rising on each side. The sun came out and warmed us, too, which was nice. We loaded back on the bus and headed to the Quinta da Roeda, one of Croft's farms. We got a brief winery tour, then tried rosé ("pink"), ruby and 10-year tawny ports. We enjoyed ours outdoors on a picnic table overlooking the vineyard. Lovely! We bought a 10-year tawny, an olive oil produced on the farm, and some canned porto tonicos for the road. After a bit of alcohol the bus was much chattier. The folks behind us were from Atlanta and visiting their daughter who was studying in Madrid. We drove on through the valley (gorgeous, now that the fog burned off), and stopped for a late lunch at Magellan's birthplace in Sabrosa. Once we were finally served, we had a nice lunch and got to know our French and Israeli tablemates. The wine certainly loosened our tongues. It was quite a nice experience, capped off by trying some 20-year tawny port. Mmm. Once back on the bus, we headed straight back to Porto. We made a quick bathroom stop on the way, but got back around 6. Nick and I walked back to the apartment. We stopped to eat near it at Elee's, but they didn't have a table yet. We called the kids for a bit before heading back to eat at 7:30. Table ready, we got burgers and enjoyed the company of the older couple next to us from Ontario. We headed back in the light rain once we finished and called the kids again. Iris is very sad to be without us and we tried to make her feel better.
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| 15 October (Douro Valley) |
16 Oct - We slept in and took it easy today, not really having a plan. We did a load of laundry in the apartment, and headed out after 10. We walked to São Bento station to view the azulejos and stop at a recommended café. We picked up a loaded lanche and two pasteis de natas to share. We ate the sandwich walked to the Infante tram stop. We rode the tram along the river to Foz do Douro. It was cloudy and windy (though not enough to tempt us to buy a fur coat at the Sunday market in the Jardim do Passaio Alegre). We watched the waves crash as we walked to the Farolim de Felgueiras (lighthouse). We took a few pictures, watched the angry waves and were walking back toward land as the police came to shut down the jetties. (Lucky us). We ate our pastries on the pebbly beach and attempted to clean off our hands in the sea foam. I found a couple interesting pebbles/sea glass I took with me. We wandered around Foz for a bit, but it was Sunday and not much was going on or open. We did see a few kitties, however. I spotted a beachside restaurant, which made for a great lunch stop (and WiFi connection). Nick got a sardine sandwich, I got a mushroom omelet, and we shared a pitcher of sangria. (Glad we could sit inside - the people on the deck looked cold.) After touching base with the kids, we headed back and caught the next tram to Porto. Once we got back to the stop, we walked back to the apartment, making a few stops (got some Porto socks, some dried fruit and a pair of leggings for me for Tuesday). It's not just before 5 and we've relaxed for a bit with espressos and this account of the day. We let our clothes dry a bit longer before we did some ironing and headed out for dinner. The restaurant Nick suggested (Restaurate Palmeira) had open doors but no lights on, so we left quickly. We went to nearby Clube 21 for a similar meal. Nick had chicken wrapped in bacon with whole prawns and grilled pineapple. I got fried hake filets and "clam rice". Both were very good with a bottle of green wine. (This restaurant definitely was more for locals than tourists. Score.) Sated, we walked back up Rua da Santa Catarina and got a little gelato for the walk back. Talked to Iris and Felix briefly as we settled in for the night.
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| 16 October sights |
17 Oct - The weather forecast said it was going to be a rainy day, so we planned accordingly, bringing umbrellas/coats and wearing warmer clothes. It was not. We woke a little after 8, got ready leisurely, and were out the door around 10. We toured the Bolhão market for a while, buying natas, coffee and some candy for the kids. From there, we made our way to Gaia. It was too early for drinking and for food. We looked in a few shops, wandered away from the waterfront (all the time not raining). We found a shop where we bought a 33€ (about the same in dollars) bottle of 2018 vintage port we can age for our anniversary. :o) We walked down to the mercado and sampled a flight of beers while sharing a pizza. We were warned the port tasting shop would be closed from 1-2 pm, so we killed time tasting, frankly, cheap port. Eh. We listened to a street musician singing questionable covers of well-known American songs, then we went back to Sogevinus for a port tasting. After we explained what we had tried thus far, Fernando hooked us up with an amazing 9 ports (white through a 1974 colheita (OMG)). The 20-year Cálem was our favorite (exactly in the middle, age-wise). We spent 175€ on "souvenirs" for ourselves at the shop plus the tastings. Unfortunately, the heat of the non-raining sun and the weight of our treasures made the walk back a bit of a slog. I left Nick in the apartment to see about getting a piercing or something, but the shop was closed. I rued that I couldn't easily take home an antique crystal decanter, either. Alas. We rested before deciding what to do with ourselves for the evening. I woke Nick around 6:30 and we headed out for dinner. We tried a new area and ate sandwiches at Casa Guedes. Nothing fancy, but a very popular place. We sat in one of the tables on the terrace near a heater, and it was lovely. We walked back to the apartment and spent a while blowing up the bottle protectors I brought for our souvenirs. Did a test run (under the weight limit - whew!) and tried the wine we bought for the rest of our stay. Waited up to talk to the kids when they got home from school.
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| 17 October sights |
18 Oct - We woke up at 7 for our second excursion, this one to the Peneda-Gerês National Park. We were picked up at our building around 8:20 by Miguel and Catarina in an 9-passenger Land Rover 4x4. Next, we picked up a mother and son (Anke and Jerome from Germany) and three women (Emily, Grace and Beatrice, mostly from the UK). We spent the next hour and a half driving before stopping in a little town for a coffee break. From there, on to Gerês (pronounced "jeresh"). The day was mostly cloudy that far, but not foggy. A bit hazy. The 4x4 was used to great advantage as Miguel constantly flirted with danger on a narrow, rutted, hair-raising track near Fafião. (I had to remind myself that he had two young sons to whom he probably wanted to get home...) At a barely recognizable parking spot, we got out and hiked down to the bottom of a gorgeous waterfall (Cascata de Fecha de Barjas). Miguel stripped down to his bathing suit and went in. I said what the heck and became the first on our tour to brave the crystal-clear, COLD water. Once I got used to it and stopped nearly hyperventilating, it was fun. I jumped off the rocks and Miguel took photos of me and the others who braved it. Nick did not. After a while in the water, I got out and attempted to dry off. The sun was out and there was a warm breeze, which helped. Nick and I wandered a bit, exploring the rocks and the other small waterfalls. Soon, it was time to move on. We hiked back up the hill (going slowly because Anke was struggling). Finally, we reached the 4x4. We took another terrifying ride back past Fafião to the restaurant at which we were to eat lunch. It had a great view over the Cávado River valley. We all had a table together inside, and we got to know each other while having a meal of pork, potatoes and salad. There was also vinho verde. It was a nice time that ended with espresso, dessert, and a taste of the local moonshine (which tasted like raisins, wood and fire). It started raining while we were inside, unfortunately. We drove back up to Fafião, where we got out to take a tour of the village on foot. We saw the "wolf trap" (fojo do lobo), the grain storage bins, visited a little farm where we each plated a tree seed (to help with conservation), and ate raw chestnuts. We saw the church, very old houses/barns, and the communal laundry tub. After that, we got back in the 4x4 to do another hike. This one was shorter. We saw the mill that the town still uses to press olive oil. We crossed a stream by making our way across boulders. A short trek later, we were at another swimming lagoon. It was pouring, so I stripped back down to my swimsuit because why not? Nick also braved the water this time. We spent less time in the, again, very cold water before getting out. We just threw our clothes on before heading back to the 4x4. I picked up a rock that was half granite, half quartz. We made a pit stop in Fafião, changing at a café, and splitting an espresso and a small beer. The ride back was quiet and rain clouds filled the valleys, so there wasn't much for me to see. It because a little exciting when Miguel was pulled over for making an illegal turn in a roundabout. Traffic took a while to get through once we reached Porto. Nick and I decided to hop out and walk the rest of the way (less than 5 minutes to our apartment). We walked instead to a nearby pizza restaurant, waited a few minutes for them to open just after 7, and had a no-frills dinner. After that comforting meal, we walked the few blocks back to our apartment in the rain. We spent the rest of the evening packing and tidying, calling it an early day.
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| 18 October (Gerês) |
19 Oct - I had a lot of trouble sleeping last night. :o( I hadn't been asleep long when the alarm went off at 5:20. We got ready, finished packing, and headed out of the apartment shortly after 6. We endured a deluge as we walked 10 minutes to the Trinidade station to catch the first metro train to the airport. We arrived at the airport at 7 and had to wait for the counters to open up, then had to wait in line about 45 minutes so we could check our bags. Ugh. No mice to entertain us here. Security was pretty quick. We got mistas and americanos for breakfast, then walked to our gate. I left Nick to spend down our euros. Our communication before the flight could have been improved, but eventually, we were on the plane. Our departure was delayed because there was someone being loaded by stretcher. I attempted to write this account on the way to Paris, but the turbulence was disruptive. We finally landed, a bit behind schedule. We made as much of a mad dash as possible on a crowded plan, going through passport control, waiting and catching a bus to the other terminal, and dashing up to our gate... just to wait in the boarding line. We were very relieved to make it. And once on, the flight was delayed because of baggage loading issues (hopefully, that meant our luggage would be coming with us...). Wonderful French lunch (pasta, salad, camembert wedge, roll, tarte, champagne, wine, pear brandy and coffee. *insert pleased sigh here*). I read a bit, watched Downton Abbey: A New Era and The Lady of the Manor (pass). After that, I put on Pitch Perfect. Still 1 hour 46 minutes to go. There's a kid or two in who is not happy to be cooped up for so long. I'm feeling dehydrated. Overall, it was a smooth flight and we landed safely at O'Hare. Passport control was a frustrating wait (where did the much-quicker scanners go?). Our clothes bag was waiting for us at the baggage claim. Our souvenir bag took many minutes to make its appearance, but finally it did. And without any bottles breaking. Hooray! A shuttle to the parking garage was waiting for us and we got back to our car. It's much colder here than we're used to. The nearby supercharger wasn't super-charging, so we decided to head for Rockford after a quick beverage stop. Traffic was flowing and the drive was uneventful. We charged for about 40 minutes there (putting us on the cusp of a comfortable amount of charge), then hit the road. Nick took it easy and drafted behind a car transporter for a while, eliminating the need to charge more in Madison. We arrive home very thankful at 9:20 pm. We were immediately greeted with big hugs from the kids. Mom and Dad were very glad we returned, so they could relinquish the kid-tending duties. We gave them some trip highlights, then they hit the road. And we hit the hay shortly thereafter.
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| Azulejos |
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| Meals |
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| Street Art |
Ports tasted: 19 to 23 (we didn't see the bottles at our Douro Valley lunch, so we don't know if they were different or repeats)
Total trip cost: $3,154.15
{Transcribed 10/24/2022}
