Hello from Lisbon!
It was time to say goodbye to Porto for now, and return to Lisbon for the month of August. I'll miss the history, architecture, and ambiance of my friendly Selina co-working space, my daily workouts at Fitness Hut gym, and the awesome neighborhood and Airbnb I've lived in for the past few months. It will be sad to see this adventure pass, but it's time.
However, this newsletter covers the month of July, so here's how I finished up my three month stay in Porto!
Cruising the River Douro and Wine Tasting!
You've seen some pictures of the Douro River in past newsletters. I loved walking along the boardwalk at different times of the day and night - watching the boats cruise around. When I first saw the river (and the magnificent bridges that cross it), I knew a "golden hour" cruise had to be on the agenda.
I found a wine tasting cruise (from 7:00pm to 8:30pm) that sounded like a wonderful way to spend a nice, summer July evening. A local wine producer hosted the Wine Tasting Thursday cruise, so we sampled four different wines from the Douro Valley as we took in the sights of the city from the water. The wines were really good, but taking pictures and video as the sun was setting was just as important to me. What a beautiful, unforgettable evening this was!
Porto Bridge Climb
I certainly like a bit of adventure every now and then, so I decided to hike up to the top of the Arrábida Bridge with the Porto Bridge Climb folks! The climb was 262 steps, or 65 meters (so glad I go to the gym!) but it wasn't dangerous. The bridge is very wide and you are harnessed and tethered to a railing as you climb. I guess this is necessary to prevent someone maybe crazy or drunk that may try to jump off!?! Scary thought. But the night time view of the city was magical to say the least. We celebrated with wine poured into a small, edible chocolate cup - yum! The climb was well worth it!
The Big Yellow Bus Tour
Most every European city (and the UK) has the Yellow Bus "hop on/hop off" bus tours. Even though it's a very touristy thing to do, it's a really great way to get to know an unfamiliar city. So one day I decided to hop on and just sit for the whole 1 1/2 hour ride. It was a glorious day with bright blue skies and lots of sunshine. You can enjoy the video below as if you were sitting on the bus!
Finally...
Being back in Lisbon is a bit strange since I've already lived here for six months. However, I'm anxious to meet up with my filmmaker's group - and hopefully get involved in a project or two.
When I was here earlier in the year, Lisbon folks told me Porto was "different" - and it was. Everyone in Portugal has been friendly to me, but I'm told the people in Porto are a bit more approachable and easy-going than those living in the larger "capital city" of Lisbon. I found that to be true. Also, given the way the city is laid out, finding good restaurants was easier - and I thought the food was more innovative, creative, tasty, and less expensive.
As for my travels beyond August...well, it's back to Croatia! This time, I'm staying on an island! So, stay tuned for that...
Thanks for following along!
ACTOR // CREATIVE // VOICE TALENT
TAPP
Bob Tapper
tapp@bobtapper
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