travel diary, back in porto – 24 hours in costa nova (part 2)

…. after all the hours by the sea, sand and sunshine I needed a nap when I came back to my hotel room.  It was around 4pm and I dived under the bedspread … and turned on the TV.

In Portugal they use subtitles!!!! Wonderful … no wonder so many talks so good English.

I think I fell to sleep straight away … and I woke up again 11.15pm???????!!! Me who had plans to visit the other fish restaurant for dinner, Peixe na Costa (FB). Suppose to be the BEST!!! 10 min walk from my hotel. That chance was gone with the wind. I looked out from my balcony and the bistro on the other side of the street was still open, but really – dinner 30 min to midnight?????!!! I took the apple I had in my handbag, got ready for bed and watched CSI.

I woke up early … so I first for breakfast. It was okay, but the coffee wasn’t the best … and the juices were so waked, no flavour at all. The bread was fresh and lovely .. and everything was okay. A pity about the coffee because they had hot milk to go with it.

Check out time was noon … and the bus back to Aveiro leaving 12.15pm – perfect, so I had about 3 hours to make the village unsafe.

I started off with the famous striped houses and there are loads of them,  there is also a lot of colourful wee cottage on the back streets.  The house on the seafront along Av. José Estevão is the most famous ones.

Visited the market, nice place … loads of fresh fish and seafood of course and everybody so friendly and smiley. Loved it.

Found a crockery shop and bought a colourful fish for my nephew Lewis, he loves fishes. The lovely lady in the shop didn’t talk a word of English, but we manage anyhow.

I walked along the harbour where all the fishermen were busy with getting their nets and boats ready. A fishermen’s day off!!!

Oscar had a field day.

Now I know where to get the bus next – at the bus station on the back of the railway station. I missed the train with 2 min … and this what happens then (below). 

I meet the lovely Emmy, a little beauty dog … the owners had her for only 3 weeks, she was rescued from a shelter. 3 years old and so well behaved. Absolutely adorable. She knew that something was going on – the owners family was going back to Brazil … starting with the train to Lisbon, but she so calm. 

Had to wait 1 hour for the train … and coming back to Porto … without any problems and in Porto blue sky and sunshine. Wonderful.

I just went to the apartment, unpacked the cabin bag … and then to the bus stop for bus #500 and out to Foz, the weather was perfect for visiting the Pérgola da Foz. I missed it with a bus stop last year. It takes about 30 min if the traffic isn’t too bad. The bus goes along the river all the way out to Matosinhos, the major port for Porto and a famous market hall. Fantastic view during the whole journey.

The weather was just fantastic and of course with being a Saturday … there was a newlywed couple taking their photo down on the beach below the pergola. Poor bride she must have been melting away in that big dress … and sunshine.

I spent about 2 hours … was coming back the following evening, because I was dining a block away. So I manage to get shots of the beautiful pergola; day, sunset and evening.

The Pergola is one of the iconic images of Porto. Everybody in town knows where it is and most couples have at least one photo take at one of the most romantic spots in town. The Pergola is located on the Foz promenade. A large sidewalk by the sea where you can take long contemplative walks, power walks, jog, ride your bicycle, walk holding hands and promising eternal love to your better half. A very romantic place.

Rumour is that the Pergola was built after the mayor’s wife (in 1930) went to Nice (France) and took a walk down the “Promenade des Anglais”. She enjoyed it so much and liked the strutter so much that she sketched it and asked her husband to build one in Porto.

Its construction cost about 53,000 escudos and was built by Antonio Enes Baganha. In today’s value about 265€.

“Photography is like sex. You know the ending.
So how can you make it interesting?”
Fer Juaristi