On our second full day in Porto, Portugal we would see even more of the beautiful blue and white tiles of Portugal, but first we needed to do something more mundane, laundry. One of the issues of a long travel journey is figuring out how to do laundry. Since we were traveling for three weeks, washing our clothes from time to time was important. In Brussels the hotel had laundry on site, even on our floor so we did laundry before we left Brussels. Now it was time to do it again.
Just down the street from us was a laundromat. We bagged up our clothes and walked over. We then tried to figure out how it worked. Things have changed over the years. The laundromat had three sizes of washing machines based on how much one’s laundry weighed. We needed cash to pay for it which one did at a payment center that showed the machines available. We started it and put soap in the machine. After it was going we read that soap was automatically added. Our machine looked very sudsy. The dryers gave us different time and heat levels to also figure out. All in all it was an interesting experience.
With our laundry done, we took off to Porto. When we arrived downtown we decided to walk a different street than we had walked before. This led us to another street that looked interesting so we followed it. We walked uphill away from the church that I had wanted to see the first night we arrived. In fact we could look across and see the church in the distance including the construction which closed off the road.
When we got to the top of the road, we discovered another church with blue and white tiles on the exterior. Unfortunately we were unable to enter Igreja de Santo Ildefonso to see the interior. A fence across the front and a locked gate blocked our entrance. In front of it is Batalha Square. During our visit a number of craft shops and tents were set up selling different products typical to Portugal such as items made of cork and ceramics as well as jewelry.
Perpendicular to the street we had just come up was another street which seemed very popular. As we looked down the street it appeared crowded with people. We were curious as to why so many people filled the street so we set off in that direction to find out.
It turns out that the street was mostly just a popular shopping street. We saw a number of stores with trendy world-wide brands. Interestingly, the street was blocked off to vehicles so people could walk in the street itself. We eventually came across a very modern multi-storied shopping mall. The top floor had a food court so we went to the top. To be honest we were hoping we would encounter a Starbucks there as we were hot and needed something to drink. We didn’t.
Leaving through a back exit we saw a Starbucks across the street. Feeling relief we went in and had some food and drinks. As we continued on our journey we came across another small church or chapel with blue and white tiles right on this busy shopping street. The Capela das Almas de Santa Catarina had bold blue tiles that told various stories through the images on the church. (Be sure to click the second photo to see all of the image)
We decided to turn back toward the historic district so we went down a different side street. Seeing an interesting building below the street level, we walked down to check it out. It turned out to be a public market. In this location it was mostly about food. We saw sellers of fish, olive oil, vegetables, flowers, cheese, candy, and a variety of other food items. Along the walls were small food stands of prepared foods. It was fun to see what products were available. Some of the candies and chocolates were particularly intriguing especially with Easter the next day.
After we had perused the market sufficiently, we continued our journey back to the historic district. On one of the hills there was a building that looked like a fort so we went to check it out. We were wrong again. Despite the statue of a warrior outside, it was another church, a massive church building, the Sé Cathedral.
In front of the cathedral is a large square which offers the opportunity to step back and get the entire church in focus. We could also see the cathedral later from across town. There was a cost to go into the church, but it was only three euros so it wasn’t much.
Inside there is a central courtyard with a walkway going around it. Off of the walkway are various rooms one can check out. Along the walls of the hallway were sections of blue and white tiles. The main sanctuary can also be accessed from the hallways. It is a very opulent looking sanctuary with a lot of gold in the chancel of the church as well as some of the other parts of the chapels.
We could go upstairs in the church which had a room they called the treasures room. It contained a number of clothing and utensils that the church has used in the past. There is also a walkway around the central courtyard at this level and two huge wall murals made in the blue and white tiles.
The church has two towers, and visitors can also climb up to the towers to see the views from there. High views in Porto always look down over the red tile roofs as well as the towers of the other churches rising nearby.
From this high point in Porto we began to make our way down to the waterfront which is the low point. We passed another church front close to the cathedral, but it is no longer being used as a church. We wandered through narrow streets occasionally encountering a small restaurant with a table or two outside. One wonders how they survive as a business.
We reached the crowded walkway of the riverside and just wanted a place to sit and relax, but most of the seats were for patrons of the many restaurants nearby. I thought there were some nearby parks along the riverbank so I kept walking, but I was wrong. Finally we turned back and settled in at a McDonalds for a drink and some ice cream. There was a young woman there with a falcon which seemed a little strange. However, apparently McDonalds hired her. Her falcon scared off the pigeons who were flying around looking for dropped food. It seemed to work as the pigeons would fly off when she approached.
After getting some rest and fortification, we began the trek back up to the hill to the church I had seen the first night. I still wanted to see it. We again went through narrow streets to finally reach our destination. When we arrived, we were told the tickets for the day were sold out. Bummer! However, we could buy them for tomorrow. Tickets were cheaper after 7:00 pm so we bought tickets for 7:00. Then we were told that seeing the church was free. The tickets were for climbing up into the tower. So one more day to wait to see the church.
We wandered over to a nearby park and then spotted a very elaborate church, Igreja e Convento dos Carmelitas. It is a church that was connected to the convent of the Carmelitas. On the side of the church it also had some elaborate blue and white tiles as decoration.
We began to wander in the direction we thought the town was, but in truth we didn’t know where we were going. We passed a number of restaurants with outdoor seating. This seems to be very popular here, and most of the restaurants seem to always have a crowd. We began walking down a very long road and enjoyed discussing the various decorative tiles we saw as we walked along. They weren’t all just blue and white. The street did eventually lead us back to familiar territory. We had dinner at a hamburger place and then headed to the hotel for the night.
We had walked a lot this day. I remember overhearing a woman say, “Just what I wanted, more hills.” That about summed up our day. Porto is definitely not a level town, and walking the ups and downs on cobblestone roads can get pretty tiring. However, it’s also good exercise. I just may be better off for it all.
We have one more full day in Porto, Easter Sunday. Join me next week as we celebrate Christ’s resurrection in Porto, Portugal. In the meantime I love to see your likes and comments. Keep them coming.