We have arrived in Porto!
Seeing my name on a sign as we came out of the Porto Airport was such a relief. It was an evening flight and I didn’t want to “find” our hotel. The driver was very friendly and told us to try the Franceshina Sandwich, local to Porto, and Bacalhao, typical in Portugal. He also mentioned a few sights to see and said one of the bridges was built by Mr. Eiffel. I realized that on this trip I had seen the Eiffel Tower in Paris, The Petrin Tower in Prague (from afar) and now the Maria Pia Bridge all made by Gustave Eiffel. It’s an Eiffel Tour! We soon arrived at Ribeiredge Guest House and welcomed sleep after a long travel day.
The morning was interrupted by my alarm, but I definitely wanted to check out the hotel’s free breakfast. Absolutely glad we did. There were breads, cheeses and meats, fruits and yogurt. Delish! However, the café con leite was incredible. I asked for a refill and never once even considered adding anything to the contents of my cup. I even asked for the brand so I can buy it at home: Sical, Tradicao, Cafe Torrado e Moido, Intensidade 11…You are Welcome :)
We decided to go to Praia Lavadores, which is the beach on the other side of the port. When we pulled up, Fierce and I were pointing and exclaiming, “Look at that!” The waves were walls of water crashing down on huge boulders and then white washing their way to shore. There were several little staircases down to the system of beaches so we took one and climbed all the rocks we dared. Then we walked the beach for a while getting close and then running from the fallout of the waves. The weather was warm, so at one point, I put my feet in the cool water for a bit. The sand is like sea salt sized crystals of rocks. It feels smooth, like walking on tiny pebbles or micro beads.
We spent all day exploring and eventually stopped for dinner. I tried the Franceshina Sandwich and Fierce got a safer chicken sandwich. Mine was a layered steak, thin ham slices and chorizo all covered in cheese and served with gravy. It was so good, I sent my mom a copy-cat recipe because she loves to try new dishes.
Our first day in Porto was relaxing and fun at the same time. Fierce requested we go to the beach again tomorrow. That’s a win.
