We decided to spend a day along the coast in the town of Vila do Conde, a seaside resort 25km north of Porto. It's a town favoured by locals though perhaps not on the day of our visit as it was cool and overcast. Lying at the mouth of the Ave river, it was historically …
We were interested to visit Coimbra as it was the medieval capital of Portugal for just over 100 years from 1145-1255 when King Afonso moved his court to Lisbon. The city is also home to one of Europe's oldest universities. Trains from Porto to Coimbra depart from Campanhã station which is on the main north-south …
There's little need to hire a car whilst staying in Porto as there are numerous interesting places to visit which are easily accessible by train. So, for the third morning in succession we took the now familiar route to the São Bento station, this time for a train to Aveiro. Return fares are priced at …
After breakfast in our hotel, it was back to Saō Bento station again with its beautiful blue tiled concourse. Our destination was to be Portugal's third largest city, Braga, return day tickets €7 each. The train was reasonably quiet and we enjoyed looking at the passing scenery from the carriage windows during the 75 minute …
After spending the first two days of our holiday exploring Porto we were ready to travel further afield so after a hearty breakfast we headed off to Saō Bento station where we marvelled once again at its exquisite blue and white tiled concourse. From the ticket office we requested return tickets to Guimaraes with discounted …
After enjoying breakfast in the aparthotel's cafe we went along to the nearby Trindade metro station to take a train across the Douro to the Jardim do Morro station. Staying in the Bolhāo district appealed to us with its close proximity to Trindade as all lines can be accessed from this interchange station. As we …
Continue reading Day 2. Exploring the Gaia and Foz districts of Porto
Porto is an historic mercantile city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's famous for its port wine, medieval walls and steep sided waterfront on the banks of the Douro river. We had originally planned a visit to this wonderful city for April but eventually managed to get there several months later. I hope you …
Abergavenny is a Welsh border town located in Monmouthshire, South Wales on the banks of the River Usk. It's a popular base for touring the nearby Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains and as we were in the area, it was an ideal opportunity for us to explore the town. We arrived on a recent Sunday …
Symonds Yat is a scenic beauty spot spanning the River Wye. It is located mid-way between the market towns of Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth, both approximately five miles away. Narrow, winding roads lead to the village centre at Symonds Yat East and continuing slightly further there is a large car park where we were able to …
Ross-on-Wye is an historic market town sitting on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Wye Valley, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This scenic part of Herefordshire is only an hour's drive from Birmingham and is easily accessible, being just off the M50 motorway. The town centre, with its attractive Tudor buildings is centred around the …
