I was up before the others so thought I would take a walk down to see if the cathedral was lit up in the dark. I was hopeful to see the west rose window illuminated. Easy to find (only 10 minute from our apartment) but, sadly, it was all in darkness at 7am. So back to the apartment to wait for the others to wake.
A hearty breakfast and off we went to explore. We strolled downhill toward the river, arriving first at the cathedral… I was so excited to see it. Sadly, the cathedral is under floor renovations at this time and visitors are only allowed in the vestibule. I did not get to see the beautiful west rose window. Never mind, we carried on downhill through enchanting narrow streets dotted with terracotta clay pots stuffed with succulents. I did step momentarily into St. Nicholas church to photo the large north window. Nice!
We strolled along the waterfront pausing to shop the vendor tables for souvenirs. The view across the river to Vila Nova de Guia and all the port houses is spectacular. We decided to walk across the lower level of Pont (bridge) Luis I and strolled along the river front. Every photo across the river to Porto is a great one. What a beautiful city! We stopped for a quick lunch (needed something in our tummies before tasting port) and then we climbed the streets to visit Taylor Fladgate. Dating to 1692, Joseph Taylor was from Porto and this is one of the oldest port companies. We toured the barrel rooms with audio guides in hand. This is a working port house but feels more like a museum. After the tour we tasted the port…. oh yes!
We walked back across the river on the upper level of Pont Luis I bridge. The views of the city from up here are stunning. 360 degrees of incredible! A quick stop at the neighborhood grocery store to buy food for a home cooked meal of chicken and tossed salad. And of course, great wine and port for dessert.
Here are the photo highlights of Day 14 – Port tasting.
nellyglass studio 