John Edward Cooper’s Notes

Day 5
This morning we will have a guided tour of the lovely city of Oporto, which is set on the Douro River. After time for lunch we will visit Taylor’s Port Lodge on the south bank of the river, with a beautiful view over the river. Our visit will include the tasting of three different ports. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to explore, or go back to the hotel for a snooze!

A misty, murky morning was dawning when Janet got up a little before 7am. She went to breakfast, because today was her “eating” day. I got up after her, showered, etc., and got the lift down to the basement level to join her, ca.7.30am. She was at a table for four, with another couple. He — one of the two wheelchair users on this trip — was at Hull University when I was, doing electrical engineering.[i] Janet wrote: “We set off from the hotel at 8.45am. I’d brought my denim jacket. It was a bit cool, overcast and misty. Just like Cleethorpes! We had a local guide on the bus and as we drove around she pointed out buildings, etc., of interest and told us local history.” The Porto Palácio is on the long, straight Avenida da Boavista; and we initially went eastwards along this for a mile till we went around a large roundabout enclosing a garden, Praça de Mouzinho de Albuquerque, and returned the way we’d come. I missed photographing the column in the centre of the roundabout, commemorating the Portuguese victory over the French invaders during the Peninsular War (1807–1814), but I did manage to capture the ultra-modern, irregular heptagon-shaped Casa da Música as we passed.

[i] Janet’s version of this is: “I got up ca.6.30am. Could have slept on! [I had] around 6 hours sleep — [perhaps] more? Anyway, I woke [John] ca.7am then I went for breakfast. I was joined by a couple, then [John] came around 7.45am.”

Thursday 20 September 2018 — 08:56:54
Views from the coach: Casa da Música, seen from Praça de Mouzinho


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 08:57:22
Views from the coach: Casa da Música, seen from Avenida da Boavista


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 08:57:28
Views from the coach: Casa da Música, seen from Avenida da Boavista


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:11:06
Views from the coach: interesting house on Avenida da Boavista

Some time after I took the photo at 09:11:06 (above), we turned right and went around Porto City Park (Parque da Cidade do Porto); and the photo at 09:22:00 (below) was taken while we were travelling southwards along Via do Castelo do Queijo. (Why is it called “Castle of Cheese”?)


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:22:00
Views from the coach: Parque da Cidade do Porto, seen from Via do Castelo do Queijo


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:24:40
Views from the coach: Fort of São Francisco Xavier do Queijo, seen from Praça de Gonçalves Zarco


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:24:40 (detail)
Views from the coach: Fort of São Francisco Xavier do Queijo, seen from Praça de Gonçalves Zarco


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:25:32
Views from the coach: equestrian statue of Dom João VI in the centre of Praça de Gonçalves Zarco

We continued southwards with the North Atlantic Ocean to our right,—


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:27:02
Views from the coach: North Atlantic Ocean


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:30:26
Views from the coach: lighthouses on moles to the north of the Douro estuary — (near:) Felgueiras Lighthouse; (far:) its more modern replacement

—turning left when we got to the mouth of the Douro River, and stopping for ca.10 minutes by the Jardim do Passeio Alegre (Garden of the Joyful Stroll). Here I relieved myself in a toilet, which reminded me of the one in the movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:36:06
Public toilet in Jardim do Passeio Alegre


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:37:28
Public toilet in Jardim do Passeio Alegre


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:39:32
Views of the Douro River: lighthouses on northern (right) and southern (left) moles at the estuary of the Douro River


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:40:32
Views of the Douro River


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:40:50
Views of the Douro River

We continued eastwards beside the Douro River for a little over two miles, passing under the Arrábida Bridge (the bridge by which we entered Porto yesterday),—


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:48:58
Views from the coach: Arrábida Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:49:48
Views from the coach: Arrábida Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:50:12
Views from the coach: Arrábida Bridge

—then turned left and went along Rua da Restauração for just over ¾-mile to its end.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:54:14
Views from the coach: Gaia Castle Hill across the Douro River in Vila Nova de Gaia, seen from Rua da Restauração


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:56:16
Views from the coach: looking south from Rua da Restauração over Rua de Azevedo de Albuquerque; (left:) Palace of Justice

There (just after I took the photo at 09:56:16), we turned right into Rua Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, which 220 yards farther on, took a sharp left turn. We carried on in that easterly direction some 650 yards,—


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:57:42
Views from the coach: former Palace of Justice on Largo Amor de Perdição, seen from Rua Campo dos Mártires da Pátria


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 09:58:28
Views from the coach: 248-foot high bell tower of the Igreja dos Clérigos (Church of the Clergymen)

—then turned right and were deposited ca.250 yards along there, outside the Cathedral.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:06:10
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): baroque loggia on the north side

It was in an elevated position, affording views over the city. Janet wrote: “The buildings, etc., we’d seen earlier were somewhat run down and depressing (and the weather didn’t help), but the sun had emerged and everything looked better. Lots of beautiful buildings, too. We went to ‘the Cathedral up the Hill’ with good views over the city. There was a man playing a trumpet very loudly and very badly! We had a tour around the inside of the Cathedral, then walked down the hill to the railway station.”


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:06:52
Views from Porto Cathedral: north-west


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:07:02
Views from Porto Cathedral: (north-west:) Clérigos Tower


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:07:22
Views from Porto Cathedral: north


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:07:42
Views from Porto Cathedral: (north:) Town Hall


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:08:22
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): northern tower on the north-west corner


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:08:34
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): north transept


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:10:02
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): Bishop’s Palace


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:10:36
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): Pillory


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:10:58
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): west façade and building of the cloister


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:11:50
Views from Porto Cathedral: southerly views across the Douro River


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:12:04
Views from Porto Cathedral: southerly views across the Douro River


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:13:06
Views from Porto Cathedral: southerly views across the Douro River
— detail, showing names of various port wine producers


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:15:36
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): west façade, with cupola’d towers, baroque porch, and Romanesque rose window under a crenellated arch


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:16:12
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): entering


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:17:46
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): font


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:17:46 (detail 1)
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): font


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:17:46 (detail 2)
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): bas relief of Christ’s baptism


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:18:38
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): nave, looking east


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:20:16
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): choir and main altar


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:22:42
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto)


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:23:02
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto)


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:23:18
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): south transept


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:23:34
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): south transept, window


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:23:44
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): north transept


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:24:00
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): north transept, window


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:24:22
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): nave, looking west


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:27:16
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): rose window


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:27:42
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): altar in the south transept, just to the right of the choir and main altar


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:28:18
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): altar in the north transept, just to the left of the choir and main altar


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:29:10
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): chapel in the north transept

In the above photo (10:29:10) what appears to be a Riviera sign can be seen. As I took further photos, though, I became aware that I could no longer see either the others from our party or the guide. But we were using Whisper radios, and I became aware that the guide had gone outside when I heard the — very useful as it turned out! — “man playing a trumpet very loudly and very badly”.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:30:10
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): chapel in the north transept


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:30:24
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): chapel in the north transept


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:31:02
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): end of the north transept


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:31:10
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): end of the north transept


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:31:20
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): end of the north transept


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:31:28
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): end of the north transept


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:32:40
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): choir


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:32:52
Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto): window and fresco above the choir

From there we walked back down the aforementioned “250 yards” to look at the São Bento Railway Station, with its elaborate early 20th-century azulejo tile-work depicting Portugal’s past — royalty, wars, culture, transportation history, etc.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:36:52
Equestrian statue of Vímara Peres (ca.820–873), who reclaimed territories in the Douro valley from the Moors


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:38:06
On the way to São Bento Railway Station


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:41:56
On the way to São Bento Railway Station


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:42:48
São Bento Railway Station


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:43:30
On the way to São Bento Railway Station


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:44:28
São Bento Railway Station


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:45:08
São Bento Railway Station


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:45:28
São Bento Railway Station


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:46:02
São Bento Railway Station


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:47:18
São Bento Railway Station


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:47:36
São Bento Railway Station: lines served by the station


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:48:24
São Bento Railway Station

Leaving the station, initially in the same northward direction, we bore left across Rua dos Clérigos (with the tall-towered church at its end) into Praça da Liberdade (Liberty Square), where we had 20 minutes’ free time for refreshments.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:55:00
Igreja dos Clérigos


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:55:48
Equestrian statue of Dom Pedro IV in Praça da Liberdade


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 10:56:48
The art deco former Imperial Café on Praça da Liberdade

“We found a café,” Janet wrote — it was just off to the right of the north end of the square — “and [John] had an americano and I had a yummy Portuguese tart with a hot chocolate.”


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:03:34
Refreshments at Café Embaixador, Rua de Sampaio Bruno 11, Porto

We all met up in the square, and walked north along Avenida dos Aliados, a continuation of the square and indistinguishable from it (what made one an “avenue”, and the other a “square”, when they both looked alike?) — to where the coach was parked.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:18:48
Praça da Liberdade


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:23:14
Fountain of Youth / “Naked Girl” in Avenida dos Aliados

We were taken to outside the Palácio da Bolsa (Palace of the Stock Exchange) ca.1km south-southwest of there.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:36:40
Palácio da Bolsa in Rua de Ferreira Borges

There was now free time till 2.15pm, when the coach would pick us up again from this same location for a visit to the Taylor’s Port Lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia. Some 30 of us, though, had opted for a boat cruise that Paul had mentioned and subsequently arranged. So he led the way from there down to the Douro River: south to the end of Rua de Ferreira Borges, right into Rua do Infante Dom Henrique, as far as the corner.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:37:14
Igreja de São Nicolau, facing us at the end of Rua Ferreira Borges


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:39:54
Igreja de São Francisco (right) and Igreja da Ordem Terceira de São Francisco (left), seen from the end of Rua do Infante Dom Henrique


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:40:06
Sandeman logo (“Don”, wearing a Portuguese student cape and a wide-brimmed Spanish hat), seen by looking left from the same location as “11:39:54”

This corner backed onto the Douro River, but we didn’t descend just there to the riverside, we proceeded eastwards along the narrow Rua da Reboleira.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:40:14
Rua da Reboleira


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:41:36
Rua da Reboleira

At the end of this, though, we went down a slope and continued along the riverside quay.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:42:34
Overlooking Cais da Estiva


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:44:04
Monastery of Saint Augustine of Serra do Pilar in Vila Nova de Gaia


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:44:20
Double-deck Dom Luís I Bridge, designed by Théophile Seyrig, a disciple of Gustave Eiffel


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:44:32
Buildings bordering Cais da Estiva


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:45:32
Details of the Dom Luís I Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:46:44
Details of the Dom Luís I Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:47:46
Praça da Ribeira


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:47:46 (detail)
Praça da Ribeira

Opposite Ribeira Square (Praça da Ribeira), we boarded the farther of two gondola-like rabelo boats moored to a floating jetty for the “Six Bridges Cruise”. We first went upriver (east), passing under four bridges (the Eiffel-influenced Luis I, the Infante Dom Henrique, the Eiffel-designed Dona Maria Pia, and the São João bridges) and seeing a fifth from a distance (Freixo Bridge), then returning downriver, going beyond our starting point and passing under a sixth bridge (Arrábida Bridge), before turning back again and disembarking at our starting point. Janet sat in the cabin, but I stood in front of the cabin on deck to take photos.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:52:16
About to embark on the “Six Bridges Cruise”


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:58:00
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Dom Luís I Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:58:12
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Dom Luís I Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:58:34
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Dom Luís I Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:58:54
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Dom Luís I Bridge, Walls of Dom Fernando, and the Guindais Funicular


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:59:22
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Infante Dom Henrique Bridge (named after Henry the Navigator)


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 11:59:42
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Infante Dom Henrique Bridge (named after Henry the Navigator)


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:01:56
“Six Bridges Cruise”: (in front:) Dona Maria Pia Bridge, designed by Gustave Eiffel; (behind:) São João Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:02:18
“Six Bridges Cruise”: (in front:) Dona Maria Pia Bridge, designed by Gustave Eiffel; (behind:) São João Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:03:32
“Six Bridges Cruise”: (in front:) Dona Maria Pia Bridge, designed by Gustave Eiffel; (behind:) São João Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:03:50
“Six Bridges Cruise”: São João (St. John) Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:04:16
“Six Bridges Cruise”: São João (St. John) Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:04:36
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Freixo Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:04:44
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Freixo Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:05:48
“Six Bridges Cruise”: São João, Dona Maria Pia and Infante Dom Henrique Bridges


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:06:32
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Dona Maria Pia and Infante Dom Henrique Bridges


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:06:48
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Dona Maria Pia Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:07:16
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Infante Dom Henrique Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:08:24
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Dom Luís I Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:10:44
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Dom Luís I Bridge and Walls of Dom Fernando


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:11:30
“Six Bridges Cruise”: north side of the Douro River, just past Dom Luís I Bridge; topmost building is the Bishop’s Palace (cf. 10:10:02)


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:11:52
“Six Bridges Cruise”: north side of the Douro River, showing the starting point of the cruise


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:12:26
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Teleférico de Gaia (Gaia Cable Car), running some 615 yards from the south end of Dom Luís I Bridge to Cais de Gaia


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:13:28
“Six Bridges Cruise”: north side of the Douro River; cf. 11:39:54 and 11:40:06

The view started to be hazy at times.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:15:04
“Six Bridges Cruise”: views of rabelo-style tourist boats while approaching the Arrábida Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:15:36
“Six Bridges Cruise”: views of rabelo-style tourist boats while approaching the Arrábida Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:17:08
“Six Bridges Cruise”: south side of the Douro River, former distillery of brandy for fortifying port wine now converted into luxury apartments


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:17:28
“Six Bridges Cruise”: north side of the Douro River, Cais das Pedras Viaduct


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:18:22
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Arrábida Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:19:14
“Six Bridges Cruise”: north side of the Douro River, Mother Church of Massarelos


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:19:48
“Six Bridges Cruise”: approaching the Arrábida Bridge from its east side


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:20:22
“Six Bridges Cruise”: approaching the Arrábida Bridge from its east side


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:21:44
“Six Bridges Cruise”: north side of the Douro River, passing under the Arrábida Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:23:58
“Six Bridges Cruise”: north side of the Douro River, looking towards the estuary


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:25:32
“Six Bridges Cruise”: approaching the Arrábida Bridge from its west side


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:26:22
“Six Bridges Cruise”: approaching the Arrábida Bridge from its west side


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:29:38
“Six Bridges Cruise”: north side of the Douro River, approaching the Cais das Pedras Viaduct


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:30:38
“Six Bridges Cruise”: north side of the Douro River, Mother Church of Massarelos


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:30:38 (detail)
“Six Bridges Cruise”: north side of the Douro River, Mother Church of Massarelos


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:31:46
“Six Bridges Cruise”: north side of the Douro River, tower in the Garden of the Crystal Palace


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:35:48
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Monastery of Saint Augustine of Serra do Pilar in Vila Nova de Gaia, and Dom Luís I Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:36:40
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Dom Luís I and Infante Dom Henrique Bridges


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:37:26
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Dom Luís I Bridge and Walls of Dom Fernando


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:38:18
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Cais da Estiva just east of Largo do Terreiro and (above:) Bishop’s Palace


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 12:38:44
“Six Bridges Cruise”: Muro dos Bacalhoeiros just west of Largo do Terreiro

How we got from Praça da Ribeira, where we landed, some 700 yards’ walk to where we had lunch, or why we walked so far, I cannot now remember (writing this some months later). Janet’s journal adds many details, but not that: “The cruise finished at 12.45pm, and we went to find somewhere for lunch. It was lovely and hot, and sunny, by then. We finally found Garota Da Baixa which had Portuguese (local) food. We had olives and bread, [John] had a ½-bottle of Mateus Rosé and I had a Fanta orange. Then we both had local pork sausage ([John] had declined the fried egg on top of the sausage) served with the traditional accompaniments of rice, potatoes (we had fries) and salad. Way too much really! (Too many olives also! Black. Unpitted. Quite mild. First olives I’d had on this trip.) I ate the sausage, egg, chips and a smidge of rice — and [John] ate the lot plus most of the bread and olives! Then I had some flan. Heavenly! It was a good meal. It was only €36, including the tip. So cheap.”


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 13:30:32
Lunch at Garota Da Baixa, Rua das Flores 302, Porto

We’d lost our bearings, and didn’t know where on the map we’d got to, so we asked the staff for directions back to the Bolsa Palace; and, to our surprise, Rua de Mouzinho da Silveira, the road at the back of the premises, by which we’d entered — it was a long narrow establishment with doors at each end on different streets: Rua das Flores and Rua de Mouzinho da Silveira — would lead us directly there with a walk of some 600 yards in a south-westerly direction.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:09:20
Infante Dom Henrique (Henry the Navigator) monument and Palácio da Bolsa, seen from Rua de Mouzinho da Silveira


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:10:22
Infante Dom Henrique monument and Ferreira Borges Market, seen from the corner of Rua de Mouzinho da Silveira and Rua do Infante Dom Henrique


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:11:08
Infante Dom Henrique monument and Ferreira Borges Market, seen from Rua do Infante Dom Henrique


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:11:42
Palácio da Bolsa, seen from Rua do Infante Dom Henrique


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:12:38
Infante Dom Henrique monument, seen from Rua de Ferreira Borges

The coach was waiting at the end of the Bolsa Palace, and we boarded.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:13:16
Boarding the coach, parked in Rua de Ferreira Borges

It took us over the Dom Luís I Bridge into Vila Nova de Gaia and up to the Taylor’s Port visitors’ centre.


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:23:56
Views from the coach: about to cross the Dom Luís I Bridge


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:25:34
Views from the coach: on Rua do General Torres, Vila Nova de Gaia, passing under the Teleférico de Gaia


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:26:00
Views from the coach: on Rua do General Torres, Vila Nova de Gaia, looking north-west, with the Arrábida Bridge partly obscured by a fog bank


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:32:44
Entrance of the Taylor’s visitors’ centre, Rua do Choupelo 250, Vila Nova de Gaia


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:33:16
Taylor’s visitors’ centre


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:34:46
Taylor’s visitors’ centre

Janet opted out of the tour of the warehouses and cellars, led by a young employee who told us the history of port wine, and of the types of ports produced and the ageing processes involved, followed by glasses of port on trays in the lounge to sample. There was one tray with glasses of sweet ruby port and another with sherry-like, dry white port. (If Janet had been with me, I could have drunk hers!) “I opted out once there,” she wrote, “found a comfy seat inside, and updated this journal. I rejoined our group outside just after the port sampling. I found [John] and we had a walk around, discovering a terrace with views over the bridge.”


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:41:50
Ageing tawny ports in seasoned oak barrels


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 14:44:36
Ageing tawny ports in seasoned oak barrels


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 15:02:38
Ageing ports in huge oak vats


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 15:03:10
Ageing ports in huge oak vats


Thursday 20 September 2018 — 15:09:32
Ageing ports in huge oak vats

“At 3.45pm,” Janet continued, “we set off back to the hotel, arriving at ca.4pm. We visited the Pingo Doce supermarket first, and bought a carton of tomato juice, a carton of mixed fruit juices and two chilled two-litre bottles of Coke Zero. Last night in the restaurant we paid €4 for [John]’s glass of red wine, and €4 for a [mere] 200ml bottle of Coke Zero. Outrageous! I decided I would not be ripped off again, and I’d buy my own and have a drink in our room before dinner. Thieving bastards! We went to our hotel room.… Twice I’ve asked for a spare loo roll and I still have not had this delivered.” The engineer visited, and fixed the sink that wouldn’t empty. He poked his indicator screwdriver into the shaver socket — and concluded that it wasn’t working! But he didn’t have the means to fix it. I poured myself a glass of the tomato juice, and ended up drinking the whole carton of it. Logged on to the hotel Wi-Fi (17:07), but didn’t do much other internet activity. Transferred 151 photos taken today from the camera to the WD Elements HDD (17:21–17:28). Janet packed one of the cases, intending that it remain shut, and that everything we’d need for the remaining days be found in the other case. Viewed today’s photos with Windows Photo Viewer and rotated 16 that needed it (17:33–17:37). Wrote on the two postcards bought earlier, to Mum and to Chris.… Janet wrote: “We went down to dinner at 7.20pm, but had to hang about for five minutes or so. We got chatting to a chap. I only just noticed him today on the coach on his own, and I asked him about the Porto map he had: where he’d obtained it. Paul said he would ask if we could have dinner at 7pm tomorrow night. Much better — for me, anyway! The gentleman sat at the big round table with us. To our left were a Scottish family: a husband, wife — and daughter? ‘He’ was very chatty (nice but very chatty): on and on and on, without getting to the point. I kept engaging ‘the gentleman’ in conversation so he wouldn’t be left out. The highlight of the meal was the crème brûlée. Yum! So today I’ve had Portuguese tarts, flan — and crème brûlée! We excused ourselves around 8.20pm. We’d been the first in, and were the first out. Back in our room I had a shower — a bloody hoo-ha. Fucking thing!”… Janet kept having problems with the shower. “I updated this [journal],” Janet continued. “Bed, ca.10.00pm. Both of us. Pick-up at 8.30am tomorrow, so I’ve set the alarm for 6.45am. Hope I sleep! It has been a good day…”

[Friday 21 September 2018]