Lots of stairs and ups and downs in Porto, a very cool town to explore. With its old riverside centre designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

August 26, caught a bus from Lisbon to Porto, and went to stay in a lovely hostel. Exploring the town and taking things quietly. Both cities, Lisbon and Porto, sit on robust rivers. That seem to be rushing towards the Atlantic Ocean after flowing from sources in distant Spanish highlands. Porto sits at the mouth of the Rio Douro, Douro means “river of gold’. There are five bridges on the river Douro in Porto. The oldest is Ponte Maria Pia. It is a curving iron arc built in 1877 by Gustave Eiffel, (as in the Tower).

I went to the beach one day, but it wasn’t really much of a beach really. Met a new friend Reno from Paris at the hostel. We were interested in similar spiritual emergence and had some great discussions. I would do my daily meditation practise sitting on the floor of the hostel room.

The city is small and compact and you can walk or bike everywhere,. As long as you don’t mind going up and down. This hilly city, with its narrow medieval alleyways, baroque churches, wide modern boulevards and also little romantic like squares.  Porto is also known for Port wine.

On August 30, I took a bus back to Guarda, my time in Portugal was drawing to a close. Portugal is a place my heart holds very dear