We docked in Leixoes and drove a few miles into Porto for our included excursion. Porto is a hilly city in northern Portugal along the Duoro River. On our bus tour, we saw the Clerigos tower, the stock exchange palace, a quick glance of the Porto Cathedral, the railway station (with 20,000 ceramic tiles on the walls), and the Sao Francisco (Saint Francis) Catholic Church. We were given free time along the river in an area called Ribiera, so we walked to the Sao Francisco church for a tour of the catacombs and sanctuary. It is Gothic on the outside, but ornate Baroque style inside. The catacombs contained tombs from hundreds of years ago. After seeing the church, we returned to the riverside to have a Super Bock beer and try the Pasteis de Nata, the famous custard tarts. Both were delicious! Our next stop was to sample port wine at Calem. We bought 2 bottles, one white and one ruby, after enjoying the port. I also bought a cork purse and earrings that look like the painted tiles you see all over Porto.
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| fishing boats in the Duoro River in Porto |
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| Welcome to Porto! |
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Painted tiles, especially blue, are found on many of the exteriors
and interiors of the buildings in Porto |
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| Cathedral of Porto |
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| Stock Exchange Palace, near the Sao Francisco Church |
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| Gothic exterior of the Sao Francisco Church |
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| Catacombs under the Sao Francisco Church |
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| One of the chapels at Sao Francisco Church |
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| Looking at the Ribiera (riverfront) area of Porta |
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| Ribiera from the other side of the Duoro River |
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| The Cask Room at Calem Port Wine Store in Porto |
