Rick and Marie's Travels: Porto

(Remember, you can click on a picture to enlarge it.)

Day 5: We took it easy today. Marie has picked up a bug or is having some sort of allergic reaction to something. Feeling a bit congested and coughing and it's tiring so we walked to the post office to mail a few postcards and then over to Bolhao Market, the main square in front of city hall (which is torn up and barricaded for the Metro expansion) before heading back to our place. Later in the day we walked up to our Metro stop and purchased tickets to Companha train station, because Tuesday we're taking a train to Coimbra to visit our friend Susana.

In the evening we had dinner at Bom Successo, the cool food court just off Boa Vista round about and park.

The next few pictures were taken from
the interior of Bom Sucesso to provide
a feel for the bountiful eating options.

We went for the tapas cheese plate
and a class of wine.

And here it is. The bread at the right was soft and
luscious. The Portuguese know how to do bread.
Don't tell the French.

Day 6: This morning we caught the 9:45AM Metro to Campanha train station to visit Susana in Coimbra. The train from Porto to Coimbra takes 1.5 hours; our plan is to arrive in Coimbra at 12:10PM and have lunch with Susana and some friends. We met Susana in 2017 when we stayed at Despertar Saudade guesthouse. We hit it off right away. Susana is warm and smiley. In 2018 we returned to Coimbra and the guesthouse and we got to know Susana better. We have conversed via email ever since, and Marie and I were eager to see and visit with her while we were in Portugal.

This is our "home" Metro station.

The Metro is a light rail system that's
really efficient. It goes underground
at a few stops.

Campanha train station.

Check out this advertisement. The
concert will be at Cascais, a 30 minute
light rail ride from Lisbon.

Don't be deceived by the empty seats.
By the time left Gaia, the first stop
across the Douro River, the train was
nearly full.

Luckily, everyone is assigned seats
so there's no jostling for luggage
storage and window seats. It's a
civilized way to go.

So today, since Susana has the week off, we had an authentic lunch at a little restaurant across the street from where her friends work. We enjoyed scrumptious sandwiches and a special chicken gizzard dish the restaurant owner prepares only for a few customers/friends. I can't believe I'm saying this but the gizzard dish was delicious. We shared lots of laughs and great conversation during our two hour lunch and then Susana took us to a couple places we missed the last two times we visited Coimbra.

The luncheon aftermath. Mr. Borges,
the 81 year old chef and owner of
Leitaria, said we would dream about
his special chicken gizzard dish.

Of course, we had the Pasteis de Nata
(egg tart) and espresso for dessert.

Susana, Teresa Sofia, and Fernanda (friends since
they were 14). All three studied law at Coimbra.
Marie rounds out the lunch ladies.

Marie, me, & Susana.

View from behind the Jesuit Seminary adjacent to
Coimbra University. Marie and I walked this
bridge over the Mondego River in 2018 so it
was a nice surprise to have a view of our previous
route along the river and this bridge.

Same view from wider angle.

The Santa Clara a Nova Monastery sits atop a hill opposite the University of Coimbra. It was completed
in 1696 and is referred to as the new monastery. The original, was built in the 14th century near the river, but was abandoned due to flooding.