Around Porto: In the morning, Bill, Gina, and i walked out to get breakfast in Porto. We picked up a number of pastries at the Confeitaria de Bolhão, then i got some coffee and we wandered through the market across the street.
City of Porto street-sweeper |
morning view of Sé do Porto towers |
aisles of vendors at the Mercado do Bolhao |
a fruit from the market, which we decided was a miniature quince |
interior of fruit |
we ate our breakfast on the street in front of the Legendary Porto Hotel |
outdoor tables and buildings across the square |
street corner in Porto |
Porto to Vidago (152km, by van): Our vans and a taxi met us back at the hotel, along with Sonia (our van driver for the week), and Pedro (who drove the van and gave us our initial bike briefing). We gathered the group and got underway.
Dana tries a miniature quince while we mill about in front of the vans |
one of our vans |
Scott, Emily, Joe, and Helen arrive from their hotel by foot |
Bill, Emily, Joe, Gina, Dana, and Sarah in the van, blurry but ready to roll! |
underway! |
metal balcony and tile walls in Porto |
skyscraper with some open windows, in Porto |
passing the Igreja Paroquial de Santo António das Antes |
view from the highway |
the road ahead |
driving past trees and hills |
driving towards mountains |
driving past a manmade-looking lake |
driving towards a mountainside town |
road, town, mountain |
windmills! |
more atmospheric blue mountains |
road and mountainside |
windmills above a town in the foothills |
Vidago's volunteer fire station |
Around Vidago: we arrived at the Vidago Palace Hotel, checked out our bikes, and then walked into town to find lunch. After returning and wandering through the palace grounds a bit, several of us tried out the hotel's pool and very over-the-top outdoor hot tub (not pictured). Then we had dinner at the hotel restaurant.
wood-paneled concierge room of the Vidago Palace Hotel |
lobby, viewed from stairwell |
very elaborate stairwell at the Vidago Palace Hotel |
David and Gina sitting in the lobby |
grape arbor in Vidago |
pear tree (we think) |
a few pears (we think) |
signage about Vidago's history as a 'thermal village' |
sign for the bike path we're taking tomorrow |
beginning of the bike path we're taking tomorrow |
turtle! |
donkey! |
murals on the side of a building in Vidago |
a street in Vidago up which we found a closed restaurant |
the open restaurant we found in Vidago, serving mostly premade sandwiches |
also this slightly synthetic soft serve, extruded onsite |
Gina, Helen, Tom, and Scott, in Vidago |
Cats of Portugal entry 2: Vidago |
grounds belonging to the church, seen through a fence |
berries growing on the fence |
Gina tries to pick a pear |
a big frog |
grapes! |
Cemiterio do Vidago, an elevated cemetary |
wide walking path by a building in Vidago |
tree-lined cobblestone street in Vidago |
hills and windmills visible in the distance |
what is a perfume hotel? |
a statue in the palace grounds: the Archangel Michael stepping on a demon |
Gina investigates a gazebo on the palace grounds |
a chapel on the palace grounds |
the breakfast room, from above |
skylight above the breakfast room |
self-portrait in the mirror on the stairs to dinner |
my notes say dinner started with a squid/wasabi/charcoal amuse-bouche. maybe it was this! |
Bill and Tom at dinner |
Bill, Tom, and David at dinner |
calvados flip |
scallops |
dessert: pear, salted caramel, and tonka bean ice cream |
taking the elevator to floor -1 |
the elevator is also wood-paneled |