Wednesday, 2 June 2010

The End

I don't like to think about how long (or short) a time it is since we returned from Portugal (missing the volcano ash by about an hour, dammit, I wanted to stay). Our good intention of posting the last blog entry from the airport went the way of most good intentions. In my case, I was losing myself in a fantasy novel and in a state of denial about going back.

We'd like to summarise by listing our top 5 things to do in Porto. It's such an underrated city - while I don't want to have to share it with the whole world, I don't understand why more people don't go there. We had a bit of disagreement over what should go in the top 5, but here's the democratic list (email me if you want the real list).

1. Get the Metro across the Dom Luis 1 bridge to Jardim do Morro and walk back across, drinking in the view.

Looking down from the bridge at the port barges

2. Go azulejo hunting - i.e. the painted tiles all over the city. Start with Sao Bento station. Capella das Almas also worth seeing.


3. Eat a custard tart for breakfast (but probably only once - you'll feel sick after it for sure).


4. Get the funicular down to Ribeira - and back again - in fact, get the funicular as often as you can fit it in.

Buy some souvenirs while you're down there
5. Have a day away from the city, we recommend the beach. But anywhere smaller, quieter, friendlier will help you appreciate the city more when you get back.
Aveiro

Finally, always supposing one of us gets round to downloading photos, we may add pics to the blog retrospectively (done as of April one year on!)


Next hol for me (K): end of July, a week in Wales. Hopefully not entitled a wet and windy week in Wales.