2026-04-06 Weekend Walking

 

The Bolhão Market is a fun place to try some wine, food, buy spices, clothes, jewelry, flowers, etc. On the top floor is a can of Sardines and out that window are some very typical Portuguese architecture. This is right around the corner from us. What began as an open air market in the 19th Century,the current building was completed in the early 20th Century, creating two floors on the sloping site. The upper level balcony has small booths selling just about everything and overlooks the market below with food, spice, andfloral booths. The street to the east is pedestrian only, with shops and cafes. It can be a bustling place on weekends.

Since the weather has been so nice since we arrived, we've been pretty good about getting out every day and taking an exploratory walk. We visited a couple of stores that were recommended, a few parks and of course, the Ribeira which is tourist district and a great view of the other side of the river where the Port is manufactured. For reference, we are near the 'M' of BOLHÃO on the right hand side of the map below. Casa da Musica is less than a 20 min walk as is the shoreline of Ribeira. To the west is Foz do Douro - where the Atlantic meets the Douro. That is about 6km. There looks to be a fun bike path along the River/Atlantic, so we'll have to check that out.

There is a goodly number of murals in town.  This one was on a side street.  Although it says Porto, this is a common image from Lisbon of the tram.

"And that’s why you should learn to pick your battles" is my favorite story from Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess). I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud and  taking a pic of the guy below.

You are never quite sure what will greet you around the corner or down an alley.  This gem of a restaurant was hidden off the street in this dead end. We didn't stop this day as it was going to open for dinner many hours after our walk.