End of Cruise

Our cruise was Porto to Porto ... and the day before it ended we could have taken a tour, but it stormed so hard, we stayed on board. Then, in the afternoon when it let up, we "managed" to go shopping for a couple of hours! So this is the last post, covering the last 2 1/2 days.

Porto is really an interesting city, and we have enjoyed our time here.
Our hotel is right on the river-front, and it is a hub of activity, cafes and shopping. Great location!

Our first morning: we left the ship, left luggage at the hotel, walked outside and were greeted by many ambulances. It seems the "bombeiros" ... firemen ... were having a contest to see which company could perform things the best. There were assorted contests for carrying a firehose or “saving” a victim. It was great being there for the events!



We also visited the Church of St. Framcis. This amazing church is all gold inside! It was actually begun in 1383. The transformation of

gilded wood occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries. One of it’s most special features is the Tree of Jesse Sculpture. This represents the family tree of Jesus beginning with his father, Joseph. The photos here are from the internet as no photography was allowed inside.
Along with the church, we also visited the catacombs. Not the dark little niches we have seen in other catacombs … these rooms are large and people were buried in the walls or the floors. This is because up to the 1880’s Portuguese did not have above-ground cemeteries; so everyone was buried in the church.

Other sights around Porto that fascinated us were the bookstore and the university students. The bookstore: Lello and Amal dates to 1906

and is so famous that they charge an entry fee! This is because of the beautiful spiral staircase to the 2nd floor and because it was the model for JK Rowling’s staircase at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter novels. She lived in Porto for two years and used some of the sights and experiences there for her books. Ellen and I waited in the line for some 20-25 minutes and really enjoyed the bookstore, even though it was crowded beyond belief.
Later we all had lunch at a plaza area near the university. We saw the students walking along in groups – with their group leaders – and then gathering outside. There were specific chants back and forth between groups. We could not quite figure it all out, but it was fun to watch!

We drove back to Lisbon for our flights out in the morning. Our final night in Lisbon: one of the world's oldest restaurants - Tavares (1784). It felt like having dinner in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles! A very special end to a very special trip!
It was amazing to share the cooking experiences with Ellen and Andee at the beginning and then to have the fun of traveling with Ellen and Marshall for the rest of our adventure.