COOLTOUR OPORTO (afternoon)

After lunch we had time to walk aruond the area in front of the water and take some pictures of Porto from Vila Nova de Gaia.  Pedro told us the best thing about Gaia is the view of Porto and I have to admit it was a very nice view.  This is also the place where much of the world's port wine comes to mature.  Port wine grapes are grown, and a young port is produced, about 60 miles upstream in the Douro Valley.  Then, after sitting for a winter in silos, the wine is shipped downstream to Gaia, to age for years in lodges on this cool,notrth-facing bank of the Douro.  Eighteen companies run these lodges, holding down the port fort and offering tours and tastings.  

Signs of the various port producers line the street in front of the Douro River.

There is this neat cable car to take you from one place in Gaia to another.  Obviously I don't know what places because I didn't ride it and I forgot to ask Pedro.  It looked kind of fun however.  

This is a boat similar to the one we were going to be on for an hour  tour of the bridges of Porto.  Sandeman, is a sort of "Budweiser of port".  They were the first port producer to create a logo for their product which you'll see everywhere:  a black cloak 

( representing a Portuguese student's cape) and a rakish Shadow hat (worn by the Spanish horse-riders, symbolizing the sherry that Sandeman makes in Jerez)

A selfie taken with my devise from Rome.  About time I brought that out.

Another selfie.  I'm getting good at it, don't you think?

Now, down to serious business.  Drinking some port.   Some of the places in Giai are now having fado singers entertain while you taste the various ports.

We tasted a white, a light port and a more robust one.  Obviously we liked them!

The fado singer is one of two sisters who entertain at this particular place.  She was great!

Here we are aging in a barrel.  

Our next stop was a more official tour.  There are a number of "caves" in Giai but this is Pedro's favorite and I have to admit they had a great tour - and great ports!

Port wine can technically only be grown in the Douro Valley, which is unique among European river valleys,  We were shown a movie about the valley and its uniqueness and given about a 30 minute tour of the "cave".  

All the wine is initailly placed in these big barrels and then some is selected out and placed in the smaller barrels.  One's bottled from the big barrels are sold as Ruby,  Those aged in the smaller barrels are sold as Tawny.  If selected as a "vintage " year the port is bottled and then laid to rest and age in the bottle.  Vintage years are few and far between, the last was 2011, I believe.  The longer they age, given the right conditions the better they become.  Much like good red wines.  

These are vintage ports.  They can sell for thousands of dollars.

We tasted two ruby's and one tawny.  One Ruby was aged a bit longer.  All were good.  They each go with a certain type of food,particularly cheeses or desserts. 

This is one of 6 bottles of vintage port being sold at the cave.  They sold one the day before we came foor something ike 6000 Euro's.  

This is another of their tasting rooms.  A little smaller- lovely.

They have a restaurant which was very lovely and what a view. 

This is the view.  Well, those lovely laadies wouldn't always be there.  

Same View without the ladies.  

That night we went to eat at a restaurant that Pedro recommended.  It was wonderful food and a lovey restaurant.

The next day we just wandered around.  No agenda just wanted to enjoy the city.  Our first stop was the market.  I obviously love the markets.  

 A cute little place to grab a bite to eat.  So many of the restaurants have picture books so you know what you're ordering.  

These were 2 euro's each or 3 for 5.  What a price.  They had lovely hand stitched towels and linens.  Unfortunately, no room in the suitcase!

We were ready for coffee and decided to head to the Magestic cafe where all the "elite" go.  It isn't just a coffee house- its an institution.  The elegant Art Noveau cafe has been Porto's neighborhood living room for over a century.

Don't we look elite!

And guess what!  We found more steps to climb!

Oh!  There's St. John again!

There is an awfully lot graffetti in Portugal.  The mayors of Porto and also of Lisbon have encouraged those grafetti artists to do art enstead of just scribbing on the walls.  In Lisbon famous artists are paiting on old buildings.  Some of these are absolutely beautiful.  This is hopefully going to encourage the graffetti artist to help beautify things, not just mark them.  

All these electrical boxes, and such have beeen done by grafetti artists.  Telephone booths, etc. are all paiinted with various designs.  

Porto is a lovely city.  We had a great time and I wouold definitely go back. Wouldn't it be fun to visit every cave? :-)