To Porto
24/06/07 13:18 Filed in: Portugal
With a SW element in the forecast we wouldn't be sailing south today. I decided to catch the train down to Porto. I plan to call there later in the week and it was an opportunity to check berthing arrangements.
The journey down took about one and a half hours through very green countryside and small towns. We also passed very slowly over the Eiffel bridge.
An imposing welcome. This is the scene that greets the traveller arriving in the booking hall of Porto's Sao Bento station. Wow! All four walls feature beautiful tilework depiciting a variety of historical scenes.
It was about a 15 minute walk downhill to the north bank of the Douro river. Some typical waterfront buildings.
One of many narrow streets leading uphill away from the river.
Porto is built on both steep sided banks of the river Douro. It is a city of bridges of which this one, the "Louis 1" bridge is probably the most spectacular. seen here from the north bank with the observatory above.
I took a boat tour which lasts about 45 minutes and from which one could see the six major bridges spanning the Douro at Porto. The tour goes as far as the river mouth downstream and about 1.5 kilometres upstream. This is the Louis 1 bridge seen from upstream.
The old railway bridge viewed from upstream with a modern road bridge beyond. Use the term old because this one appeared not to be in use and there is a more modern railway bridge further upstream.
The Louis 1 bridge viewed from the observatory. The upper deck carries Metro do Porto trains and pedestrians while the lower deck is for road traffic and pedestrians.
Port wine warehouses on the south bank viewed from a riverboat.
A view west towards the sea from the observatory. In the distance is a fairly recent motorway bridge. The cluster of boats on the north quay includes a visiting Portuguese navy patrol boat, a gaggle of tour boats and squeezed onto the quay just ahead of the warship are two small visiting yachts.
This is where I hope to come with Kiriwina in a few days. There are no facilitis at all for yachts and one just has to find a space on the quay. The ebb tide can reach speeds of 5-6 knots and even more if the river flow is swollen by rain.
The small crafted moored alongside on the south bank are traditional sailing boats used to ferry Port wine in barrels down the river. They are now ceremonial and shortly after this photo was taken they were to take part in a race.
Porto has a brand spanking new Metro system. It's very impressive with rolling stock supplied by the Canadian company Bombardier.
I had to smile at this bit of low tech amongst all the high tech and wonder if somebody really did forget that train stations need buffers.
The journey down took about one and a half hours through very green countryside and small towns. We also passed very slowly over the Eiffel bridge.
An imposing welcome. This is the scene that greets the traveller arriving in the booking hall of Porto's Sao Bento station. Wow! All four walls feature beautiful tilework depiciting a variety of historical scenes.
It was about a 15 minute walk downhill to the north bank of the Douro river. Some typical waterfront buildings.
One of many narrow streets leading uphill away from the river.
Porto is built on both steep sided banks of the river Douro. It is a city of bridges of which this one, the "Louis 1" bridge is probably the most spectacular. seen here from the north bank with the observatory above.
I took a boat tour which lasts about 45 minutes and from which one could see the six major bridges spanning the Douro at Porto. The tour goes as far as the river mouth downstream and about 1.5 kilometres upstream. This is the Louis 1 bridge seen from upstream.
The old railway bridge viewed from upstream with a modern road bridge beyond. Use the term old because this one appeared not to be in use and there is a more modern railway bridge further upstream.
The Louis 1 bridge viewed from the observatory. The upper deck carries Metro do Porto trains and pedestrians while the lower deck is for road traffic and pedestrians.
Port wine warehouses on the south bank viewed from a riverboat.
A view west towards the sea from the observatory. In the distance is a fairly recent motorway bridge. The cluster of boats on the north quay includes a visiting Portuguese navy patrol boat, a gaggle of tour boats and squeezed onto the quay just ahead of the warship are two small visiting yachts.
This is where I hope to come with Kiriwina in a few days. There are no facilitis at all for yachts and one just has to find a space on the quay. The ebb tide can reach speeds of 5-6 knots and even more if the river flow is swollen by rain.
The small crafted moored alongside on the south bank are traditional sailing boats used to ferry Port wine in barrels down the river. They are now ceremonial and shortly after this photo was taken they were to take part in a race.
Porto has a brand spanking new Metro system. It's very impressive with rolling stock supplied by the Canadian company Bombardier.
I had to smile at this bit of low tech amongst all the high tech and wonder if somebody really did forget that train stations need buffers.