Porto—May 4-11, 2023

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

Mural in Levallois. Going with the theme
here about being on the road again.

Heading to Porto May 4, 2023

The Air France lounge is the epitome of luxury and a first for us, something we could get used to.  

Really, an open bar?

Coffee, tea, water, juice—you name it and it's yours.

So this is how the other side lives. 

The Air France lounge is on two levels, and as
you can see, is airy and light. There's even a
napping room!

And lunch was salmon on sweet potato puree and 

black rice salad with French cheese and lemon

tart for dessert. It was yummy! 

The metro to our stop took 25 minutes
and cost about $3.50 each.

Paula's front door. Note the paper on
the window. A graffiti artist rents her
first floor space for his studio.

This is an example of his work.

Because the universe moves in mysterious ways...

We met up with Vic and daughter Anna (18) in Porto! We normally visit the Kendall-Kaplan family once a year in Anchorage, but the pandemic put an end to that, and here we are in Porto, Portugal meeting for the first time in three years. How's that for serendipity? 

And to add to the fun, Paula (who we stayed with 5 years ago) thought all of us should have an authentic Porto tapas dinner. While walking down Cedofeita, the street Paula lives on, is a crack up, because she seems to know everyone we pass. And when we stopped at Patio das Marias to see if they could accommodate five of us, we were informed they were closing in 30 minutes. A few friendly words in Portuguese were exchanged and we were about to keep walking to find another restaurant when we were told to wait a minute. The next thing we knew, the owner of the wine shop/tapas restaurant led us down a stone stairwell to a large basement room with two large tables. The pictures show how our evening played out over the next two and a half hours!

Marie, Anna, me, Paula (our host), and Vic.

The tapas spread included this special
Portuguese chorizo, olives, three
cheeses and three sliced meats, three
kinds of bread & flavored jams and
honey. An amazing meal!

The cheese in the middle of the board
was melted and reminded me of gruyere.

Friday Vic, Anna, Marie and I will have the day to play before they fly home Saturday morning!

Friday (Cinco de Mayo), an update

This update is primarily for Marie and me; it'll help us remember the laughs we had our last and only full day together with Vic and Anna.

We had one full day with Vic and Anna and we made the most of it just hanging out and getting some "chores" done. In the process, we managed to walk 7.5 miles without trying AND still make time for a siesta.

It's Saturday (May 6th) and we're treating it as our Lazy Sunday. 

Back to a brief update about Friday. Marie and I woke up at 5AM; we're still adjusting to the time difference in terms of our sleep rhythms. At 6AM we walked across the road to Cristal Cafe and had a coffee and croissant. Vic texted us at 9AM and we joined her for breakfast at a place she discovered. We had eggs on thick-cut toast and lattes. Anna was still sleeping because she was up late the night before talking with her sister Zoe. Well, that and the fact she's 18. :-)

Our "chores" began with me getting a phone that works in Europe and then showing Vic and Anna where the Metro station is in our neighborhood and walking them through how it all works. 

The rest of the day was spent walking to local haunts, Boa Vista Park, Bom Sucesso food court, back to Cedofeita (our neighborhood street) so Anna could shop for a few gifts for friends and family in Anchorage. By 3PM, we'd walked 5 miles and it was time for a little siesta before meeting up for dinner.

Enough writing! Here are a few pics.

While Vic took care of a return 
ticket snafu, I took some pictures
of Paula's back balcony and garden.

Paula has plants everywhere!

5 years ago, Paula's back garden was
a wasteland. Today a patio paradise.

Vic and Anna at Tapas-n-Friends.

Our last night together. Tapas-n-Friends
serves up a tasty selection of dishes!

Our evening ended with hugs all around as we wished them a safe journey home. They fly to Paris, and after a 3 hour layover, take off for Sea/Tac and then on to Anchorage, returning home some 21 hours later. Yikes!