It's very sunny in Thalwil and slightly cooler in Porto, which is on the Atlantic coast. I'm packing a summer jacket but Richard says he doesn't have one.
We haven't prepared much for this holiday, which was booked in April. Laura found the place to stay on the Guardian website but now she can't come because of work commitments and lack of easy flights. We will take the bus and train to Zurich airport and allow time for a relaxing drink in the Montreux Jazz bar, to get into the holiday mood,
We have a small guidebook, Lonely Planet, and have looked Porto up on the Guardian website. Their guides tend to be a bit pretentious though.We will be avoiding the hipster bars and chic clubs in favour of some local cuisine and of course a taste of port. We might even bring a bottle back.
Previous visits to Portugal - Albufeira and Lisbon - have not increased our vocabulary of the Portuguese language. I only know obrigada. In Porto we are staying at the Vintage Guesthouse, a B and B a short walk (we hope) from the lively city streets. Our hostess rang yesterday to check our arrival time and we plan to take the metro from the airport to Trinidade. We will have three full days to explore the main sights including the Se or cathedral, the Baixa district, the Casa da Musica where they have free jazz concerts, the River Douro with its bridges, and some fish and seafood restaurants. I also hope we can book a port tasting at one of the many port houses, or on a river trip.
