May 26th

Today was supposed to be a rainy day, so we didn't plan much. I slept in, and we ate breakfast late. We were slackers this morning. We finally went out and about around noon. No rain yet, but was cool – had to have our jackets! We set off walking to the Se do Porto (Porto Cathedral). Arrived and bought a combination ticket: for the cathedral and Paco Episcopal do Porto (Monumental Former Bishop's Palace).

First we went into the Porto Cathedral. The building was built in the 12th century, Romanesque style. Entry is into Gothic cloisters – open square area, all stone – no garden, but the walls under the protected walkways are all tiled. There are some chapels off of the cloisters. Stunning. Then guided to stairs that put us over the cloisters toward the tower we can climb up into. It wasn't to bad of a stairway up. Good views of Porto and the Douro River. Leaving the tower you come back out to cloister area, but then guided through to the sacristy – room for priests to prepare for a service and where vestments and articles of worship are kept. Next, the main part of the cathedral. It's not as large as we thought it would be. Main alter is large and gold-gilded. There are a couple little chapels off on the side, but it is just one main hall, not a cross shape – transept, that surprised me. Anyway, that finished our tour of Porto Cathedral. We exited and went to the Bishop's Palace… it was closed for siesta time, of course, but only 30 more minutes. So we hung out on the square right in front of both places, listening to a local singing and playing guitar for some coins. Another performer came up, he has the next set so to speak. Anyway he had a super friendly dog that I was blessed to pet. Nice way to spend 30 minutes!

We were first into the Bishop's Palace. Our tour guide, a couple of days ago, told us, “It was the Bishop's 60 room house with his throne room.” That pretty much summed it up. It was definitely a display of the wealth the Catholic church had at this time in Portuguese history (12th and 13th centuries). But it has been rebuilt in 18th century. As you enter, you come up a grand, baroque staircase. Jeff said the staircase reminded him of the one in “My Fair Lady”. Magnificent!  Then we go through different rooms with all the displays! It is a Palace, that's for sure. There is a green sitting room and a red room – the rug of red with gold design is “mirror” of the textured, white ceiling. This room is the most magnificent and it's actually titled the Throne room. Then the dining room is displayed with the table fully set for eight. Then a room of silver platters and different religious objects including and ivory carved Christ figure on a silver cross. Impressive. 

Then back down the grand staircase and tour completed. We had worked up our appetite, so we were walking to where we wanted to eat lunch… the rain came. So ducked down to the metro and when we re-emerged the rain took a break. Stepped out and to a real-local cafe. We ordered the one last dish famous in Portugal – Francesinha. It's a Porto Portuguese sandwich: bread layered with ham, linguica, fresh sausage like chipolata, and steak or roast beef; topped with another piece of bread, and all covered by cheese; toasted til cheese melts; and then a thick, spiced tomato and beer sauce/gravy is poured over, smothering the whole thing! But wait let's add a fried-sunny-side up egg on the top!! It's crazily good!!! And totally filling, as you can imagine. Of course there's a side of fries! HA-HA 🙂 .  Now I need a siesta!

Anyway, we did finish it all and left to market for bread and fruit for dinner and some breakfast stuff tomorrow. (It is so true to shop when you are full.) Hope to go out for sunset – we'll see, due to rain. Last night wasn't good because no clouds. Tonight may be the other extreme – socked in. But all in all a nice day to be roaming Porto.