Happy birthday to Bob!
As I explained in the prior blog we were not in Porto. We were farther up river. Once on the ship we learned that the place that the Tauck riverboats berth are close to the river’s mouth and the Atlantic Ocean. There was severe weather forecast and the captain decided that it was not safe to bring the ship there.
So, in order to get to Porto for our tour we had to take a bus to another pier where a local boat was waiting for us. True to our not so great weather, it did not rain while we were on the bus but poured as we walked to the boat and poured for the whole 20 minute ride. It was interesting to arrive by boat to the main area of the town.
Our guide started our walking tour with lots of information about Porto and the area. The name for the Douro River comes from the Roman times and means “heart” and difficult to navigate. We actually only move during the daytime because of the difficulty in navigating even in these times.
The city center was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1996. There are strict rules about renovations and keeping the exteriors historic. Porto has a population of approximately 220,000. Directly across the river is the town of Gaia which has a population of 350,000. It is in Gaia that all the port companies have there storerooms, tasting rooms and commercial facilities. The reason is because Gaia faces south and is better for aging the port wines.
Portugal is one of the major cork producers in the world. Portugal became a kingdom in 1143.
There are currently 6 bridges connecting Porto and Gaia, with a 7th under construction. As we started on the Porto side of the river, we crossed one of the bridges to continue our tour on Gaia side. In case you were wondering, it was raining on and off for this part of the walk.
Once on the Gaia side we saw the different buildings for the various port companies. Then we walked to the gondola to take us up to the top of the cliffs. While on the gondola it rained hard. Then we got to walk across the top of the steel bridge. As we started over it began to rain, then hail, then lightning and thunder. Scary to be on this bridge in this crazy weather.
Our next stop was a local shop to sample, mackerel and sardines and of course some sparkling wine.
Our next stop was the local market. There were all kinds of kiosks. You could even order prepared foods to eat at tables. It was very colorful and busy as people were shopping for the Easter holiday.
Our final stop was the train station to see the tiled murals. It was originally a convent. We had to duck into a subway station on the way to again avoid being hit with hail.
We did not get many photos of the streets and surroundings because of all the rain.
Bette and Bob See the World 
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