Stock Exchange Sardines

Second day in Porto. Micah sleeps till 11:30 (highly abnormal, usually he wakes before I do). We buy breakfast of sad little yogurt with cornflake type cereal, but the fruit we eat is good, then we head over to the Stock Exchange Palace. We have an excellent cortado while waiting for the English tour.

Cafe on a terrace facing the Stock Exchange Palace (super cool) and São Francisco Church (super Baroque) but you won't be able to see either of them because no photos were allowed. UPDATE: see below, two photos of purchased postcards - first of the Exchange and second of the Moorish party hall

The Stock Exchange Palace used to be a Convent (if I understood the tour guide right...but it was a bit grandiose for that. They probably decked it out after the nuns were kicked out) turned Stock Exchange building turned tourist money-maker. Evidently the President of Commerce and his minions still meet there, but otherwise, it runs tours through its bedecked, intricately carved rooms (the best of which was a Moorish hall perfect for parties, I think we should petition Georgetown to alter G12 to fit that style). After the tour Micah and I wandered around the Palace, up vacant staircases, peaking into vaults, and probably venturing where we weren't supposed to be, but hey, there were no ropes nor signs. Adventure is the game!

Overlooking the square by our apartment, perusing Rick Steves like a common tourist. I know, embarrassing, but I don't care!

Then for some walking around. And more walking around. There is seriously something cool to see on every corner of this city. Plus I am forever embedded on its walls! (See below)

My name marring the side of this building. (And no, I didn't put it there and neither did Micah)

Walked up the hill to the Cathedral which towers over the city. Beautiful views of the rust colored roofs and various towers and steeples spattering the town's skyline.

We have to exploit whoever will take pictures of us.

After the picture below, our camera lost battery so we are going to have to go back up into the cathedral for more photos and to view the cloisters which I hear tell are worth a visit. Not really sure what's in there, but I'm very excited.

In front of the Cathedral before our camera lost battery

You don't get to see pictures of the two port-wine lodges we visited because... no camera! We'll cross over the bridge another day for two more, but let me just tell you that the bridge was crowded with people gawking at Portuguese kids jumping off into the river. I had mixed emotions while watching this. Part of me was thinking, "Where the heck are their parents. This would probably count as negligent child abuse in the States." This warring with the other part of me that was thinking, "Could I jump that in my skirt, or would that be unwise?" A third part of me, that just wanted to go taste some port, won out and we spent a fun hour touring one of the Port lodges with its massive barrels and tasting four exquisite ports.

Dinner at Agedo São Napoleo: Cod croquettes, Vegetable Soup, and grilled Sardines. Good food, better view. We decided we wanted to try our hand at an accent because being American is just not fun. Micah attempted to affect a...uh...who knows what it was supposed to be, probably Kazakastani? accent and I went with British. Micah switched to a terrible British accent halfway through. Oh well, we won't see them again.

View from our table.

Grilled Sardines. Comrades lying together.

Comrade carcasses.

For Dessert: Stroll around the city. Have two cortados and a pastry that would equal to less than paying for public restrooms and visit the São Bento Train Station - supposedly one of the top 10 most beautiful train stations in the world (but this was coming from the guy who rented us the apartment and corroborated only by a random blog).

São Bento Station

Beautiful tiling in the station.