Porto Day 7 - Europe 2023
Buckle up, Darlings, because this was a big day.
Buds found a great sounding place for all of us to have breakfast, Esquires Coffee, and he was right.
We started sitting outside, but a chimney stack of a smoker had us moving indoors for fresher air. 🤔
The food was exactly right for powering up for the day.
Our travel companions had found several great shops for gifts, and they showed us some great spots to find hidden gems.
These next two pictures illustrate Buddie and Ginnie styles.
They had seen a store called “Chess and Hats,” which was intriguing, yet turned out to be a barber shop that had a chess set and sold hats.
From here we walked to the stained glass museum. It was beautiful, although it didn’t tell a cohesive “story,” that wove throughout, but rather individual interesting facts.
Buds was enamored of the glass of port they gave with admission for you to carry around as you toured. Hence the glasses you’ll see in some of the hands.
After this, Buds, Yessa, and I made our way to some shops, and learned our own blue church was open!
Some of the stained glass from this church had been highlighted at the morning’s museum, so I was even more intrigued about getting inside.
It did not disappoint.
There was a museum attached, which we walked through quickly.
After this, Buds headed to the apartment to tackle some Juice work while Yessa and I had a quest of our own.
A woman had posted a request in my Travel Portugal Facebook group, asking if anyone could pick up a Portuguese soccer ball for her grandson. She had been regretting not getting one since she got home a couple weeks ago. Oh, and by the way, they needed to live in Rochester or western New York.
This was obviously an easy request for us to fulfill, but the sheer joy and delight it seemed to give people in the group surprised me. I suspect we are all looking for examples of connection and kindness. When I posted that the mission had been accomplished, you could hear the collective cheer. 💖💖
Another unexpected bonus was learning a new, very effective bargaining technique. Nitsa had told me what she expected the ball would cost, and that became my goal. Several conversations around, “I can’t pay that amount. It’s my friend’s money. She told me what to pay.”
Got a great deal, the seller got back to his cigarette, and everyone’s happy.
We happily explored and found a bookstore, which is our restful place.
The other three toured the Porto Futbol Club museum and stadium.
Yessa and I stopped for bubble tea to revive.
I’m still trying to understand the meaning of the bathroom doors at the bubble tea place.
Yessa and I were heading back to grab our books and read in the shade in the park, but we came across our comrades who were returning from the stadium tour. They were keen on trying out the famous Porto hot dog. There was a restaurant on our street that had the best. They chose their timing well because we saw lined up people there at other times.
Buds and I headed out for one of the wander and explore walks we love after the hot dog consumption. No where specific in mind, just seeing what we could find.
Right at our own church, students from the University were giving a concert in their robes that supposedly inspired a certain author of a boy wizard who lived here in Porto for awhile while she was writing the books.
As we walked back to the apartment it grew overcast and gray. We feared another sunset was going to be impossible. But then around 8 p.m. the sun broke through and we rallied. Hurrying to the bridge, we made it just in time.
On the walk back to the apartment, these two got wrapped up in taking photos of the moon.
After they were done, Yessa came running up to me.
“Mom, look at this moon picture Dad took!”
“Oooh,” I said.
“I appreciate that fake enthusiasm for the egg in the sky photo,” she said in a kind voice. “Here’s the real picture.”
“Wow!” I said, really impressed.
“There you go,” she said.
And the day ended with a laugh.
