Geoff Brock & Bruce Gamble
         
     
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A guided walk around Porto,
then an afternoon cruise to Entre-os-Rios
Tuesday 14th November 2023
We opted to join the guided walking tour of Porto rather than being driven around in a coach. The most interesting sights aren't too spread out and for us, it was quite manageable despite the steep climb up to the cathedral, which was necessary because the cable car had been taken out of service for maintenance.
 
Although It was only a short walk from where the ship was docked to our first place of interest, the Palácio da Bolsa, we had timed entry tickets and everybody needed to be there at exactly 9:00am, so we were taken by coach. The building is the headquarters of the Commercial Association of Porto.
 
We had visited here several years previously, but it was good to see it again. The interior is amazing.
 
The Hall of Nations
 
 
 
 
The Noble Staircase
 
 
 
A few more views of the Hall of Nations, taken from upstairs.
 
 
 
 
Ceiling of the Commercial Court Room
 
Ceiling of the Golden Room
 
The floor in the Golden Room. Our guide told us that it was original and had never undegone restoration, which surprised us.
 
The President's Room
 
General Assembly Room. It is not all made of wood, but plaster!
 
 
The floor in the Portrait Room
 
The extraordinary Arabian Room was left to last.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Leaving Palácio da Bolsa, we stayed with the group and set off on foot.
 
The impressive monument to Prince Henry the Navigator (Monument Infante Dom Henrique). Our cruise director, Filipe, who was leading the walking tour, recommended that we use it as a landmark in case we got lost, because it is pointing to the docking location of our ship!
 
Parish Church of St. Nicholas
 
We walked down to the river, from where we took a water taxi to the other side.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dom Luís I Bridge
 
On this side of the river, we were supposed to take the cable car up to a point where we could walk across the Dom Luís I Bridge at the high level. Unfortunately, the cable car was undergoing routine maintenance, so "Plan B" was to walk along the river bank and cross the bridge at the lower level.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Walking across the bridge at the lower level instead of the higher level meant that we would have to climb quite a long way up in order to continue the planned tour. It didn't bother us. We were glad of the exercise.
 
 
 
 
At the top we arrived at the Porto Cathedral. Filipe suggested that if we wished to go inside we should do so indivually, because groups are not welcomed. We had been inside on a previous visit so we decided not to go in this time.
 
 
 
 
The narrow alleys around the cathedral are really nice.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Filipe explained that this is an example of a building designed for multiple occupancy, but retaining the facade of a single dwelling.
 
Porto's beautiful railway station...
 
...with its even more beautiful interior.
 
 
 
 
At this point we decided to go it alone and walk back to the ship. Our map came in useful.
 
 
 
We walked back via the Palácio da Bolsa...
 
...remembering to follow Henry the Navigator's helpfully pointing hand back to our ship.
 
Close to the ship, we paused to look at the tram...
 
 
...but made sure that we were back on the ship in good time for lunch.
 
 
 
After lunch, we were on the top deck as the lines were released and the ship slowly began the voyage upstream.
 
This is the full map of the Douro Valley...
 
...and here is the segment that we would be sailing today.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Just under two hours after leaving Porto, we arrived at the Crestuma Dam lock.
 
 
 
 
 
 
After rising approximately 25 metres, we sailed out of the Crestuma lock and into the dam. About an hour later we docked in the village of Entre-os-Rios, by which time it was dark.
 
In the evening, we were invited to join the cruise director and the hotel manager for dinner, after being introduced to the ship's crew.
 
We both ordered the octopus, a local speciality, for our main course.
 
 
 
©Geoff Brock and Bruce Gamble