Blog ≫ 2026 ≫ Portugal holiday part seven
Looks like this penultimate part starts after we'd eaten in the pizza place next to the Rebello hotel on our first night in Porto (actually Gaia).
The contemporary notes
Got some positive comments from some Germans for my Count Binface t-shirt. Not sure exactly what they said, but it got a thumbs up. Not sure if they liked the "down with fascists" part or "up with Ceefax".
Breakfast was quite good, included which is a big plus. Some hot food, T2 had his fill of bacon and sausage. We vegans could have beans, tomatoes, vegetables, and a range of bread for toast. Then lots from the cold / continental section. I had fruit and cereal, all bran and home made granola, with added maple syrup. Coffee was ok, I asked for long black and that didn't translate, so got filter. T1 had espresso I'll get that tomorrow.
Severe weather warning for today, lots of rain. Walked to Porto over lower bridge section. Bimbled, went in nerd shop where T2 bought a Young Sheldon hoodie. We were looking for vegan restaurants, didn't see anything good. The pitta place that sounded good was just a stand up kebab place. Went to nice food market, but mostly they all had the same things; fish and wine. Had neither. Saw someone wearing a Patagonia sling bag that I am tempted by but I think it will be a while before I buy anything else, spending quite a lot on this trip.
Went in an average beer bar called Nortada Cervejaria, got snacks and cold fizzy beer. Wife liked it. We were in Bolhão market https://maps.app.goo.gl/y71FD6m5jYEiP5vV9?g_st=ac sand then this beer place https://maps.app.goo.gl/2z6We2zjkddXanuN6?g_st=ac
Next to Prost house, strange and very small but nice German themed bar near the São Bento station. Possibly the station we were originally heading for 1. https://maps.app.goo.gl/W3zAxS91ijMtEPw68?g_st=ac listening to Falco with some Germans 2. Shortcut via crack staircase. It seems to be where all the homeless people do their drugs. Huddled under umbrellas injecting into their feet. Probably. Nice!
We were walking in the top level of the bridge, and I was pointing out 3 you can see our hotel to the right, then the first bar we went in on our first day, and then more bridges to the left.
Back at the hotel now, back in the room. We raced for our spa booking, but were twenty mins late for what turned out to be a half hour booking.
Sat in our suite listening to music and reading for a while, then out to Mercado for dinner. Vegan buffet for three, and some amatriciana for T2. A selection of ports to accompany mine, so that's another one checked off. I should have done bingo cards for this holiday. Ports weren't cold enough 4, even though the weather has dropped a few degrees. Right now I'm still sat in Mercado with last port waiting for the others who went off to get ice cream. Then back to our hotel fairly early, maybe some TV.
Ticktock is fine and normal and so are the people using it 5.
Possibly last thing I reported on was walking back from Porto for our spa booking 6. Fairly racing back as we didn't want to miss it. Walked back over the top level of the Luis bridge which pedestrians share with trams. Great view but very windy up there. Then the others thought it would be quicker to get the cable car part way, but I thought walking would be as quick, so we split here and met back at hotel. A combo of lost room key and no longer working room key meant we all met in the lobby again, and we're twenty minute late for our spa booking. And it turns out you only get a half hour slot. So quick splash in the pool, dry, and out again. Maybe I already reported on this, as we went out to the market for dinner after this. There is communal seating in the middle and we could all choose from different stalls. Three of us had the same vegan buffet though, and one had pasta, all enjoyed it, think I enjoyed the buffet more than the others. A selection of hot and cold dishes for only twelve euros and as many refills as you like. I had a selection of ports with mine, not bad but they should have been at different temperatures.
Saw this on Portuguese TV not sure if they're discussing it as real or not. The part on the left is real, the idea is real, the page on the right is a parody.
[I have an image to go with this but need to find it again - the document is here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/understanding-behaviours-and-expectations-in-the-uk-a-guide-for-asylum-seekers but on Portuguese TV I saw them sharing a fake one saying "beheading someone is frowned up on the uk, even if you disagree with them" and so on... It was all in Portuguese so I couldn't tell if they were saying "haha this is a good joke" or "can you believe what the uk is like??"]
Also seen on John Oliver on TV https://www.myapocabox.com - he was sharing it as a joke, and I was at first, but it looks good!
Next morning, view out the front door of our hotel waiting for a taxi. that bridge is the windy bridge we walked over yesterday so the right hand side is Gaia where we are, and the left is Porto this river is the Douro.
Waited for, and then cancelled an Uber and a Bolt. They are very cheap but have messed us about accepting bookings then not arriving. Hotel ordered us a taxi in the end to our morning activity; surf lessons. Taxi twice as much as supposed Uber price.
Arrived on time, got wet suits and carried our boards across the road to the beach. Quick lesson on how to stand on board on the sand then into the water. Theory is simple but it involves more strength, stamina, and flexibility than I have. I didn't get up past my knees, though both boys did. Really pleased that T1 properly got it and that T2 mostly got it, but importantly persevered for the whole lesson even when we could see him getting frustrated. Next time, we'll give this another go, and they'll both be flying. Me I think I need some yoga and upper body strength training.
Sat in a cafe near the beach for a while, really to let ourselves dry. There weren't good changing facilities at the surf school, certainly no showers or anything. Luckily I brought my travel towel but we could have done with more.
We went to big supermarket. I broke my glasses on the first day and thought I'd get some readers like you can at home but no. I did get some good wine and some Ginjinha to take to the pub. Hadn't been able to get chocolate cups yet.
Went out for a walk on Gaia side, just wife and me, and had a glass of wine from market again. Later got bus into Porto for a change. Found a microbrewery 7 but still not my kind of beer. Then a lovely vegan restaurant, then home. Connected Disney plus to TV and watched Loki series two, but also drank the wine so no idea what is going on.
Wife says I can officially unleash my inner prepper now 8.
And back to now
Surfing really was hard, I was aching for days. The boys were fine, they really got it, and I'd love to go again for them.
Carpaccio of beetroot starter in the vegan restaurant, looks great, didn't taste of a lot. But the others loved their starters.
- Yes this was the original metro station we were heading for that we though we had to walk from, seems to be the central city station for Porto.
- Turns out they were all Dutch, according to the Brazilians working there. Not a German in the place that day, though the owner is German.
- I have a very windy video like this that is not shared here, so this makes little sense. I was copying and pasting content I had shared with people on Signal.
- Oh you think you know port and it should not be cold, but there were five ports and one was white and one was rose and they should be chilled.
- Story about a viral cat in the hat trend, teens in Ireland pretending they have seen someone dressed as cat in the hat wandering around the streets near them.
- So looks like I updated these notes later.
- Called a Fabrica.
- Story from BBC about how the government are going to issue advice on stocking up on food and water in case of emergencies...
⬅️ We were going to the Clarendon but all change :: Exercise stats 31/8/26 ➡️