On The Sea Again, I Just Can't Wait To Get On The Sea Again: Portugal!

The last port of call for the cruise was Sunday in Porto, Portugal. It was a return trip for us and it turned out to be a fantastic day. The weather was warm and sunny and the city was alive. We started the day with a leisurely morning before catching the 10:15 shuttle into Porto itself. The ship was docked about a half hour ride from the city. The shuttle services that Oceania has provided have been really good. After being dropped off by the Duoro River we headed for the Palacio de Bolsa.

We took a palace tour which was quite nice.

Following the tour, we continued up the hill with the aim of walking across the Luis I bridge. But, first, we were obliged to stop for a pastel de nata, the iconic pastry of Portugal.

Then onward and across the top level of the bridge.

A visit to Porto would not be complete without a stop for a lunch of bacalhau (cod) and a glass of port!

Before too long, it was time to head back across the river (this time on the lower part of the bridge) to catch the shuttle back to the ship. We did have to make one diversion on the way. Because of restrictions due to Covid, the ship's crew is not allowed to go ashore. We've been asking crew members if there was anything that they needed and finally our suite stewardess asked us if we could please get her some deodorant that she likes. So we searched for it at a pharmacy and then a grocery before we successfully purchased 4 spray cans. Mission accomplished! And we made the last shuttle to the ship with a few minutes to spare.

Today we disembarked in Lisbon for our 3 day stay. It's been a bit of a frustrating day. First, there was a long queue for taxis as we got off the ship. So, we tried Uber which seemed like it work until 2 drivers canceled on us. By the time we had done that, the taxi line was shorter so we grabbed one. The driver seemed like a really nice guy until we discovered that he dropped us at the wrong hotel! After a perilous walk of three blocks on hilly, cobblestone streets, while schlepping 3 suitcases. we made it to the correct hotel. We knew that the room would probably not be ready, but we hoped it might be before the 4 pm check in time. Long story short, the room was not ready until 4! But it has been a beautiful, warm day in Lisbon, so we logged our usual 15,000 steps or so complete with the required stop for coffee and pastel de natas.