William is our breakfast chef, making scrambled eggs with bacon, sausage and cheese using the basic kitchenette of our apartment. We relax after breakfast and then begin today's Porto exploration.
We walk by the beautiful Santo Iidefonso church then make our way to São Bento train station. Both have magnificent examples of the famous Portuguese blue Azulejo tiles. The church has 11,000 tiles with scenes from the life of Saint Ildefonso and bible scenes on it's facade. São Bento's 20,000+ tiles inside the station depict Portugal's history. They were completed between 1905 and 1916 and are in great shape.
Continuing on we walk to Praca da Liberdade to find the meeting spot for the tour we will take tomorrow. Then the search for a lunch spot begins. We find Cerevjaria Brasao and are lucky to get a table right away since we do not have a reservation. I want to try one of Porto's famous Franesinha's. I order the half size and I am happy that I do, what arrives is more than I can eat. It is a "sandwich" with bread, ham, sausage, and steak or roast meat, and covered with melted cheese and an egg then a hot thick tomato and beer sauce. OMG! William selects a steak, which he thoroughly enjoys.
Luckily we have a little walk back to the apartment to work off some of the food. A short nap is in order.
We have booked a 6 pm tour and Fado show at Cálem Port Cellar. We leave the apartment around 4:30 pm for our walk to Vila Nova de Gaia, the area across the Douro River which hosts the port houses. We wander downhill toward the river then walk across the upper deck of Ponte Luis I, the 1886 bridge that was designed by the Eiffel Group (of Eiffel Tower fame).
We have booked a 6 pm tour and Fado show at Cálem Port Cellar. We leave the apartment around 4:30 pm for our walk to Vila Nova de Gaia, the area across the Douro River which hosts the port houses. We wander downhill toward the river then walk across the upper deck of Ponte Luis I, the 1886 bridge that was designed by the Eiffel Group (of Eiffel Tower fame).
We enjoy the tour of the cellar then settle into our seats for the Fado show. Glasses of white port and 10 Year Tawny are in front of us, needless to say the tawny is much better. The 45 minute show involves two guitarists and two singers. It is very enjoyable, though I think that the selection is of more upbeat songs, not the heart-renching variety.
It is 8:30 pm when we arrive back near the apartment and we're a little hungry. We sit down at the restaurant across the street only to find out that they are out of beer and the kitchen is closing down. The waiter suggests a nearby place called Big Bad Bank. When we sit down at The Big Bad Bank we realize that their appetizers are a little unusual, not what we have in mind, but we just want to have a little something to eat. We plunge in, ordering the Pigtails, Almond Mole and Cauliflower and the "Al Pastor" Seabass Toquito. The toquitos's are ok, but loaded with onions. We learn that pigtails are a delicacy in Porto. Let's just say that William avoids the dish and I can only down half of it. Oh well, I tried. Thank goodness the beer and wine are good!
It is 8:30 pm when we arrive back near the apartment and we're a little hungry. We sit down at the restaurant across the street only to find out that they are out of beer and the kitchen is closing down. The waiter suggests a nearby place called Big Bad Bank. When we sit down at The Big Bad Bank we realize that their appetizers are a little unusual, not what we have in mind, but we just want to have a little something to eat. We plunge in, ordering the Pigtails, Almond Mole and Cauliflower and the "Al Pastor" Seabass Toquito. The toquitos's are ok, but loaded with onions. We learn that pigtails are a delicacy in Porto. Let's just say that William avoids the dish and I can only down half of it. Oh well, I tried. Thank goodness the beer and wine are good!
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