Lisbon

The return to Lisbon also caused a bit of worry because I had a flight to Montreal the next day, so I had to reach Lisbon before nightfall. But in the event all that happened was a delay in the train coming from Porto, probably due to trackwork, just like a couple of weeks ago.

I hated that seemingly all the subway escalators were out of action, making me drag my suitcase up stairs. I deposited my luggage at my accommodation, a plain lodging house partly paid for with flyer points.

I went looking for a late lunch and encountered a lot of people on the street. Lisbon is more popular with tourists than ever and this has put pressure on all classes of accommodation.

I found pizza by the slice in a hole in the wall place and that sufficed.

Somewhere in these blocks of buildings was the hostel I had stayed at 14 years ago, en route to Brazil.

I saw a pastry shop with pasteis de nata which I hadn't had yet this visit to Portugal. It was air-conditioned and the afternoon was warm, so I didn't hesitate to order some together with iced coffee for the caffeine hit.

In this shot you can see the elevated walkway connected to the observation platform reached by the Santa Justa elevator. The views over the city from the top are fantastic. I had explored it on a previous trip over a quarter of a century ago. Many of the tourists in the pictures weren't born then. Tourism sure has boomed since then.

Also note the attractive tiles on the ground.

A closer look at the elevator.

I was now in the vicinity of Praça dos Restauradores.

The landmark obelisk.

The Rossio train station which used to carry more traffic before Oriente was developed.

A roast chestnut street vendor.

A couple more pictures I took in the evening while looking for dinner.

And that was the end of the European phase of my trip. The next morning I took a flight to Montreal. I had to battle the non-functioning escalators in the subway stations again. Lisbon Airport induces mixed feelings. I was stuck here a whole day due to a pilot strike 14 years ago, en route to Brazil. I could even locate the spot I sat in to pass the day. I avoided taking TAP for this segment for this reason.

But I got onto my flight fine. The story continues in Retiredfeline crosses Canada by Rail.

Aveiro

I was so taken by the old railway station building that I went back in the morning to take another picture. Unfortunately it doesn't look so good contraluz. It so happened that this was the start of an architectural trail that I had copied from a guide book.

This is the older wing of the Hotel as Américas.

And the newer wing of this art nouveau hotel.

This beautiful facade was on the Rua do Carmo.

The Assembleia Municipal de Aveiro (Municipal Building) in front of one of the canals that give Aveiro the appellation of Venice of Portugal.

Walking back east along the canal I reached the Mercado Manuel Firmino. I would be coming back here later.

Going back the other direction, towards the west and the ocean. I found this pastel building which is the Aveiro Rossio Hostel.

The Museu de Arte Nova.

Looking westward along the canal from the road bridge across it just outside the previously shown Municipal Building.

A gondola carrying tourists.

The canals were used for harvesting seaweed and salt production but those industries have declined so tourism is the main use now.

Now heading uphill on a street south of the bridge, the mural of the municipal plaza.

At the plaza the Câmara Municipal de Aveiro (Municipal Hall).

The theatre, as you can read.

Time for a coffee break nearby with the local traditional pastry, ovos moles. It was tasty and worth searching out, but quite sweet and concentrated, so I still prefer pastéis de nata.

This photo was taken later, in the evening, but the light and shop displays make them seem like jewelry stores, with their treasures, but edible ones at that.

Going back to the market area, the canal is crossed by pedestrian bridges and people have tied lots of love ribbons on them.

A gondola approaching one.

A tamer and smaller version of cruising Venetian canals I suppose.

Nearby is the FNAC Forum Aveiro, a shopping centre.

It has all the usual suspects. The open architecture indicates a mild climate. The restaurant section was air-conditioned though.

Well I like cats but like the hostel in Porto, this has nothing to do with real cats. It appears to be a home furnishings shop.

I explored the market.

Besides a small selection of product stalls, there was a restaurant where I had lunch.

The afternoon was getting warm so I retreated to my hotel room for a siesta, but not before taking a picture of this art deco building across the street.

In the evening, I took myself to the western edge of the city to explore the canal network. It was probably too ambitious to see the ocean as Aveiro is significantly inland and north south highways run in between Aveiro and the ocean, but I hoped to see more of the network.

I like the golden light at this time of day.

Obligatory shot with setting sun.

And reflections on the canal, ideal.

I looked in on a restaurant said to offer regional specialities but it looked too formal from the menu posted outside. So I ended up at a pasta establishment at the Forum Aveiro. The fettuccine was edible but a bit heavy on lipids.

I wasn't disappointed by Aveiro's sights but an underlying reason for visiting was mention in an expat newsletter that Aveiro could be a good place in Portugal for medium term residents or retirees. I give it high marks for liveability. A drawback is distance from Porto or Lisbon if one wants to travel. But there are many other considerations so it's still just a nascent idea.

To Aveiro

I was a little worried about this day as it involved moving from Spain back to Portugal. The cross-border train service I used back in 2009 doesn't run any more and in its place is a cross-border bus. I had plenty of time to make the connection at Vigo station but it meant that I had to take an early service from A Coruña. At Vigo Urzáiz is a shiny new shopping centre and combined train and bus stations.

I even got a little brunch because lunch would be delayed.

One thing in my favour was that I would fall back one hour crossing the border because Spain is ahead of its proper timezone taking into account the longitude. Not many people know this was Franco's doing. He wanted to have the same time as Germany.

From the roof of the shopping centre one can see the beautiful Ria de Vigo I had admired from my camino just over a week ago.

The bus service was fully pre-booked and a few people who turned up hoping for a seat on the spot were disappointed to be told solo billetes.

We were off. Progress felt slow compared with a train but it was all accounted for in the schedule. I had a bit of time in Porto Campanha station to grab a sandwich before boarding the train to Aveiro.

It was bright and sunny when I arrived and I just had to take a picture of this beautiful old station next to the new one.

Although I did a bit of exploring in the evening, I left picture taking to the next day as I would have the full day.

A Coruña 2

I decided to walk to Praia de Riazor, the beach which is on the other side of the headland from the port and that faces north.

According to climate data it's relatively mild here compared to inland Spain. It can be hot but not excessively in summer and it hardly ever snows in winter. I don't associate the climate of A Coruña with Spain but that's my error. Spain encompasses a wide range of landscapes and climates. I'll have to do something about visiting the communities of Green Spain.

A panorama. It actually doesn't curve around like that, that's due to the panorama taking in 180°.

At the western end of the beach.

Looking back at the city. Apparently it has a larger proportion than usual of high rises.

It gets a bit rocky at the edge of the beach.

There was a sign stating permitted hours for dogs on the beach, and they had just started so owners were taking their pooches for a walk.

The Monument to the Heroes of Orzan. In Jan 2012, 3 policemen attempted to rescue a Czech student in Orzan Bay, but all 4 drowned. It's a reminder that this is the Atlantic Coast and the ocean can get wild.

But today it was calm for people and pets.

Walking towards the headland.

A panorama. Again, it's not really curved like that.

Bathers. The scene reminded me a bit of Concha Bay of Saint Sebastian, in Basque Country, another Atlantic facing beach.

Rounding the headland I came across the Reloj de Pulsera sculpture which translates as wristwatch. But it isn't showing the correct time.

A period lamppost.

In fact the whole stretch is lined with them. In the distance is the Torre de Hércules.

I was a bit lazy and didn't follow the path to the tower, but stayed on the main road rounding the headland.

I didn't take any pictures for the next half hour until I was in the old city and came across this stage for public entertainment.

At Praça de España was an eco themed market.

Organic produce and that sort of thing.

I was tired of western meals so I found a Chinese restaurant and ordered the mapo tofu. It was fairly good.

This is the last picture of the day so I must have had a siesta in the afternoon. In the evening I didn't want to walk all the way to the city centre to dine so I found a Turkish restaurant serving kebabs. It was fairly good and filling.

Thus endeth my 1½ day sojourn in A Coruña. It seems a fairly liveable city to me but one would have to expect some stormy days in winter.