After morning coffee on the hotel rooftop and a room change, a small group of us set out for the Bolhao Market, first established in 1837.
Over the past almost 200 years the Market has continued evolving. Today when we visited it, it was filled to capacity with shoppers and people watchers. I expected something similar to many of the South American and Asian markets I have visited over the years, so was taken aback when we turned the corner and entered through the market gates. Modern stalls selling all types of produce and some meals were located in the central rows of a metal roofed area, pottery, meat, cheese and Tapas stalls were along one side, coffee and wine stalls were along the other. Many shoppers were strolling with a glass of wine in one hand – something that took a little getting used to. However – when in Rome…….
Photo ops were everywhere. The stuffed squid and octopus tapas were excellent, as was the Portuguese white.
Our wanderings took us out of the market after lunch on a circuitous route back to the hotel, stopping often to explore small shops and for photo ops. A lovely morning and early afternoon.
The photo on the right was taken by my fellow traveller Jo Carryer and is used with her permission. Thanks Jo!
The final afternoon of our tour was spent on the water on a lovely 6 bridges tour of the Douro River through Porto. The Duoro originates in Spain, flowing 900 km before entering the Atlantic Ocean at Porto. It has long been used to transport wine from the Duoro Valley, although today tanker trucks do that job. The Duoro River is now a tourist destination and water source for several regions. We reached the Douro via the Funicular or mountain cable car running down the steep hillside of Porto to the River. Two cars generally run simultaneously, so timing has to be exact to ensure safe passing in mid route. An almost vertical drop at the end finished the ride and deposited us next to the bridge crossing the river; our boat located on the far bank.
The crowds were building as we crossed the bridge and turned towards the waiting boats. It is a beautiful evening, temperatures in low 70’s with a nice breeze.
The trip along the river passing under bridges and watching the setting sun turn the city and river to pink and gold was stunning. A fitting finale to a trip that has been rich in beauty and history. We said our goodbyes to our travel mates of the past week. Some are headed home, some on to Spain. I have another two days here in the area. Spending tomorrow in the city at sunrise with a professional photographer and then travelling to the Douro Valley the next day on another photographic expedition. Stay tuned!
