Portuguese style holiday

Portugal has always been this far off country where the Oporto chicken burger came from (thanks previous high-school place of employment!), a country that I knew very little about. So with this in mind, it was off to explore once again!

We arrived bright and early in Porto and after eventually finding our hostel- up the top of a fantastically steep hill (which in hindsight wasn't really that steep, it was just that we were carrying all our luggage with us on very little sleep) we found our way down to the Duoro River and hopped on one of the 6 bridges boat tours. They take you up and down the river and underneath the bridges that allows crossings from one side of the river to the other- from Porto to Vila Nova di Gaia, the port-making part of Porto, crossing under a variety of road, pedestrian and railway bridges. Although the Duoro splits the town in two, the Porto side which holds the town centre is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so exploring the alleys, staircases and buildings showed a beautifully well-protected side to Europe. Many of the buildings in Porto have these beautiful mosaic-type facades, made up of blue and white tiles. It was quite a contrast to some of the darker and dirtier buildings to see these, but something that I have not yet seen in many places throughout Europe. 

 

Not really knowing what port actually tastes like, and keen to give it a try, we signed up for a free (or significantly cheaper, we weren't really sure) port-tasting session. Needless to say, after one drink I was quickly put off. Being a student travelling on a budget normally I won't turn down a drink, but this is one liquid I will be staying away from! 

Nothing quite like an afternoon at the beach playing chess

No more thanks!

Final stop on our travels together was to Lisbon. While I do enjoy travelling by myself, it was fun to once again be travelling with a friend. It's always great when there is someone else with you willing to take stupid photos and laugh at random jokes. Thanks Jo! After a traditional Romi-style injury- you will all be glad to know I haven't lost my clumsiness while I have been away, and tasting custard tarts from the original custard tart bakery, it was time to say goodbye to summer and head across the Channel (diagonally) to England. Farewell to my gorgeous summer tan and lack of layered clothing, hello once again to jeans and jackets! 

Mmmm custard tarts!