Ep31 | Sailing Vigo to Porto, Portugal - maybe our favorite city yet!

December 8-9, 2020 The sun finally popped out as we prepared to sail from Vigo, Spain to Porto, Portugal. We spent almost a week in Vigo's safe harbor waiting out Gale force winds. And, as it often happens, the wind showed up with the rain! We could finally hoist the sails for more stable sailing. We ended up anchoring just inside the wave-breaker of the industrial harbor of Leixões (Lay-shoins), just about an hour's sail away from Porto harbor. Porto is a coastal city in northwest Portugal known for its stately bridges and port wine production. In the medieval Ribeira (riverside) district, narrow cobbled streets wind past merchants' houses and cafes. River Douro and its heritage on both banks, with its bridges and monuments, the tiles, the flowering balconies and the shopping streets. The historic centre of Porto and the River Douro on the Gaia side, where the Port Wine lodges are located, are classified as World Heritage. Luís I Bridge, is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the river Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal. At its construction, its 172 metres (564 ft) span was the longest of its type in the world. The bridge's upper level is used by pedestrians and by line D of the Porto Metro, The upper level connects to Porto city centre and São Bento railway station at its northern end, and adjoins the Serra do Pilar Monastery and the upper station of the Gaia Cable Car at its southern end. The lower level is used by buses, taxis, cyclists and pedestrians and links to the Porto waterfront, at its northern end, and to Gaia waterfront, with its Port wine lodges, at its southern end. We decided to walk over the bridge from the southside, from the Gaia waterfront over to the city of Porto on the north side. As we were walking along the Gaia waterfront on our way home, we got invited in for wine-tasting at almost all of the wine lodges along the way?business must have been slow during these Covid-times. We finally gave in to some friendly sellers at Vasconcellos, where they gave Eivind & I a taste-test. After buying 2 different Port wines (Port wine being was new to us), They invited us in for a free tour of their facitilites afterwards. Considering that it would be a hands-on learning experience for the boys to see how they make their wine, we went in. Peace, fair winds & following seas, ELANE _____________________________________________________________________ CREDITS: Movavi Video Suite 25 Epidemic Sound: Your Playful Heart - Katharine Appleton + Instrumental Version A Walk Among the Clouds - Imprismed For You - Victor Lundberg Into the Blud - Luwaks National Anthem Portugal - National Anthem Worx Candles and Wine - Lope Pampas Bolero - Son Habana Tropicalia do Norte - El Equipo Del Norte PHOTOS: Bella Bucchiotti Deensel Foto Wolfgang Pehlemann https://gaiacablecar.com/en/gallery/ Diego Delso Hombre D Hojalata Bjørn Christian Tørrissen https://www.planetjanettravels.com/