Stage 21: Porto - Porto Leixeos - Porto, 27 kms, Sun, 23

Just Checkin' It Out!

Yup, I know this isn't a stage we will formally walk until about a week from now. However, while we have been averaging about 15 kilometres walking per day since we've been here, it's not quite enough to keep feet in the groove for the walking that is coming up. So, we decided last night to leave the rest of the Porto sight seeing until we take a rest day here next week and go off to check out the route we will walk as we head north. Neil and Sarah, spoiler alert, stop reading if you don't want to know what the first part of the stage looks like!! 

Our hosts have just dropped of a little pre-dinner libation which I'm consuming as I write this...white port. So much better than the white port we tried yesterday. So much better.

After a nice breakfast we headed off across old town heading for the river. Early morning light with a welcome sun showing itself again.

Of course we had a little help getting out of town as our plan was to walk the coastal route, on of three possible Camino trails north from Porto.

There were fishermen all along the river in the early morning light. Reflections in yesterday's puddles.

Another interesting face...

A gaggle...

Is that what they call a herd of fishermen? Or is it unlucky?

We found the open Atlantic again. And, another faro!!

With a hat vane!  

More fishermen...really liked this guy. Maybe it was the sweater?

We found a cool old fortress that looked a little like the one we saw some years ago in Puerto Rico. The design must have been all the rage in those days.

Then there were the surfing lessons. So many surfers!

More Camino indicators. Good to see.

Getting a little peckish after some hours of walking we stumbled on this fellow cooking sardines on the brazier.

We chatted and he invited us for lunch. The meal was amazing, delivered in a big clay pot. It's a rice dish full of shell fish, crab parts and prawns. An incredible amount of food! This pot was full to the brim when delivered.

We ate very well, but oddly we were presented with a bill at the end. I thought a strange way to treat a guest! Seriously, we walked here for the lunch. All the best fish houses are lined up along this strip off the beach. Famous in the Porto area, and easy to see why.

Fully loaded we worked our way back to Porto. We could have taken a bus or the metro (last stop) but decided that after all this food we'd best walk it off. So we did. Same fort on the way back...different turret.

A heated and heavily watched card game was in progress under this turret. Clearly this had happened before.

Then there was this fellow who took the art of parasailing to a whole new level. Was he ever talented with tremendous skills. People stopped all along the shoreline just to watch him ply the wave sets.

  He has so much air off this wave that his chute was lost from the photo!

Found our Faros again and the tide and the sea were both up with the help of some pretty high winds. Can't parasail without some wind.

A hungry, and perhaps overly ambitious gull...

Nice old town area as we transited our way back into town.

Then into town, banking done, and train tickets purchased for Coimbra tomorrow morning. We stop for a beer then home again. A call to Caitlin to wish her a happy birthday! Also to find out if she passed her   final exams to obtain her final RN classification and international standing...she had. New exams this year from the US with lots of challenges. Passed with flying colours too!! Congrats Caitlin! Welcome to freedom from studying...enjoy the ride!