I got to the beach pretty quickly and pulled over into a small spot. The great thing about scooters is that you can practically park anywhere - including sidewalks or in between cars. In fact, the owner recommended I park between cars because it would be free. He said that because I would have no place to put the pass showing I had paid that the policeman generally don't even bother. So, because I can't put my parking pass anywhere, it's free? That's very interesting logic. I'm definitely not in the States anymore. I was worried about it, but didn't run into any problems.
I walked down to the Lighthouse first. The waves and swells were just crazy. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything so big on a relatively calm and sunny day. The swells were just going in every direction and crashing to the walls of the strip of land. They even had signs for a "splash zone" with a picture of stick figure waiting for his impending death by tsunami wave. I thought it was hilarious.
I hung out at the beach for about an hour or so and then made my way to the next beach a little north. This was where I got a restaurant recommendation from the scooter owner. I passed these beautiful beaches (and realized I definitely picked the wrong beach to sunbathe on) and couldn't seem to find this restaurant anywhere. So, I went back to the beach and found a parking spot. I asked the parking attendant where this restaurant was located. He just pointed down the beach and said I would run into it. After a bit of walking, I came up to this collection of restaurants off of the beach area. But I didn't see the specific one I was looking for anywhere. So, I started to ask people in Portuguese where to go. One gentleman pointed down the street. The next couple told me it was "right here". Then I asked an older man and he told me (in Portuguese and hand gestures) to take the next street and I think to go a couple of blocks in that direction. A few blocks later, another lady told me that it is not, in fact, a restaurant. Como? How is it not a restaurant? Everyone else was leading me in this direction. I kept walking and asked another man, who then pointed one block down the street and there was a restaurant with this name in it. I quickly figured out that this was a neighborhood known for their fish restaurants. It was not a specific restaurant after all. The place I ended up at had a restaurant name AT this specific neighborhood. Oops. I felt a little bit stupid. And to pay for it, I ended up at a way more expensive and nice restaurant than the others in that collection. I was also very under dressed, as I was wearing a sleeveless top and shorts over my bikini. I thankfully had my light jacket to put on to fit in a little better. The food was delicious though. I ordered the bacalhao a bras - which is salted cod in heavy cream.
For dessert, I went back to the beach and got a cup of gelato. Then I made my way back to the scooter and back to town. I started my drive in north Porto, stopping at the big music hall, which was next to a park inside the roundabout. I proceeded to get lost in town as I attempted to make it to a particular bridge to cross over to south Porto. But once I made it to the bridge - Wow. The Ponte de Infante is a very high bridge and I could practically see all of Porto as I crossed over. I wish I could've stopped to take a quick look.
South Porto is where you can find incredible views of the city center and it also hosts many of the famous Port wineries. The actual vineyards are in the Douro Valley, which is down the river. They used to transport the wine from the vineyards to town in boats.
Before stopping at the wineries on the waterfront, I strolled around the hills and got some incredible views. Then I worked my way down where I pulled over the scooter and headed to the wineries.
I stopped at one of the oldest wineries, Kopke, first. Tastes were pretty expensive, so I only had one. Then I went next door to Calem. This winery had a tour where they showed off the barrels and taught us the history of port wine and how it is made. We finished off with a tasting of Tawny red and white port. I'm really starting to enjoy port wine. It is very sweet, but the brandy compliments it so well and make the wine so pleasant to drink.
I walked along the waterfront for some time before hopping back on the scooter. Since traffic was backed up to get onto the bridge, I made an attempt to go up and around (without a map). Not sure if this was my brightest idea. I got lost, ended up on the freeway a couple of times and almost crashed in a roundabout before finding my way to the bridge. I definitely could have sat in traffic and made it to the bridge more quickly, but where's the adventure in that?
My scooter adventure is now over. Overall, it was an incredible day. It definitely ranks high on my favorites of this trip. I would recommend renting a scooter to anyone. It was such an amazing way to experience the city and gave me a day I will never forget.
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