An early free hotel breakfast was consumed, and then off to the laundromat with my duffel full of dingy clothes. Went for a walk during the 1 hour 10 minute washer lockdown (literally you could not stop the machine if you wanted to -- it dispensed its own detergent and everything. Pretty high tech!). Had to wait maybe 15 minutes for one of the two (!) available dryers, then got my stuff dried in 30 minutes and then Back To The Hotel.
Got my laundry squared away and firmed up the Lisbon hotel and travel plans (Porto metro to the train station, purchase train ticket at the station). Planned my afternoon out (wanted to walk across the TOP section of the Dom Luis Bridge (I had been back and forth across the bottom portion more than a few times already)), take the teleferico (the funicular) down to the other side of the Douro River (in Guia), have lunch at one of the restaurants there, and amble back though Porto to do a final take-in of the city.
The top level of the bridge had me just a little edgy (literally, haha) -- The metro sailed by to the right and the low, thin railing had me thinking of all the ways my life could possibly end on this very bridge. There were also the thin steel plates that formed the walking surface, slightly rusty and creaky here and there, that added to the general anxiety in the moment.
So apparently I'm a little afraid of heights, haha. Everyone else was in leisurely stroll mode, as I tried to appear calm as I made my way across touching every one of the center posts for balance and piece of mind. I did get some great views of Porto along the banks of the Douro.
Once on the other side, I decided to go for it and do the teleferico (the funicular, or cable railway suspended deathtrap thing). Five Euros got me a one-way ticket down from the hillside to the riverbank.
I had the entire deathcube to myself. After the initial bumpiness and swaying of the departure, the deathcube settled down and it was actually a peaceful, smooth glide on down.
Once off the teleferico, it was time to eat a late lunch. Sit-down style in a nice looking place. This was accomplished, and I got my second bacalhau dish.
Bacalhau com Broa (Cod with Cornbread): GRUB. With more of those punched potatoes and some greens (the waiter couldn't remember the word in English for them, but told me they're called grelos (I had him spell it given the pronunciation as greh-losh). This was some good, good fish again. There as also a good fair amount of olive oil in this dish that was enhancing the awesomeness. I didn't think I'd finish the entire serving... but I did. I felt my panza re-expanding as I shoveled all of this into my mouth.
So, what has made the first encounters with bacalhau a bit trippy for me is that maybe 3 weeks before I left for this trip, I was in the supermarket on a Saturday evening and this random older guy is holding a package of fresh cod in his hand as I walk by and exclaims to me something along the lines of it being the most useful fish. I was polite and smiled/nodded and said something along the lines of that being interesting. I then end up hearing about cod for the next 5 minutes or so... included in his narration of all things cod were that while the Scandinavian folk were most credited with fishing/using cod, that it was actually the Portuguese who were the first to really use cod in cooking as we now know it. He said that the Portuguese were fishing cod along the shores of the Atlantic years before the other European countries were and were bringing it back to their country where it became a staple part of their cuisine. I didn't mention my upcoming trip to the guy, but I was thinking in my head I will have to try and remember if I see/hear anything about cod being used in Portuguese cuisine. Well talk about the guy being right about the Portuguese cuisine part... bacalhau is everywhere lol. My Yellow Bus tour guide for Braga and Guimaraes was separately telling me that like how Americans have turkey for Xmas dinner, the Portuguese have bacalhau. Usually in stew form. And that it is made into a kind of mash for leftovers. Ok, enough cod talk for now..
After lunch I made my way back across to the Porto side of the river (crossing the bottom portion of the Dom Luis Bridge again this time (btw the bridge was built in the 1880s), and eventually made my way back to the hotel.
Went back out again for a bit a little before dark; decided I wanted another Pastel de Nata (but not a whole meal, lunch was still heavy), and maybe a drink somewhere. Otherwise it was final wrap-up time with getting luggage packed and ready for Monday's train ride down to Lisbon.
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