Making it up as we go

Porto is beautiful, colorful, scenic, and overflowing with tourists. We stayed in a very nice hostel (€22 each) and headed to the river.

it was cool and drizzly, but we finally figured out how to catch the tram after walking all but 3km from the last stop.

We met a few pilgrims as we made our way from 2nd cafe con leche to 3rd. I almost fell into the Douro River.

The Atlantic shore was spectacular but we walked into a cool north wind gusting from 20-25 knots.

We walked several miles of boardwalk on the beach. No restaurant open around here so we got vino tinto at a bar next door and found a great pairing with oranges, bread, and chorizo purchased in Porto. We aren’t as far as most hikers but still walked 17 km today. We found an apartment on Maps.me- rented out of a restaurant which was closed on Mondays. The owners saw us looking in the windows and let us in, said we could have a room for €50 but would we mind if they finished lunch first? (In Portugues. Plus they were in the middle of a soap opera). While we waited they gave us water and homemade chocolate cake. Then she drove us here in her car and said she would pick us up for breakfast at 8:30 am. We haven’t even paid or given our passport info to her yet. Sweet people!