Peace love Porto

Another late check out was exactly what we needed after a number of really busy days. I must say if you are looking for a couple of days of quiet reflection I couldn’t recommend anywhere more high,y than Convento de Belmonte. This morning I sat on our little balcony enjoying the quietness and to be honest I wouldn’t have minded if that had continued for another day. It was just so tranquil.

We’ve had a few big days of driving and so we’ve decided to travel straight to Porto which is about 2 1/2 hours away. With Vic at the wheel and Robyn fabulously navigating before we know it we have arrived in Porto. While the drive here was relatively easy finding a park near the hotel does prove a great bit more challenging. Fortunately the ever intrepid Pip is always ready to put her body on the line and manages to snag a couple of car parks so that we can get our bags out of the car easily, and then Vic and Steve can go in search (with directions from Roger at the front desk) for where we can park the van for the next couple of days.

The Se Catedral Hotel Porto (Tapestry collection by Hilton) looked pretty funky on its website, and it meets every expectation and more. In fact I am wondering if we are actually cool enough t9 be staying here.

Our room is spacious with a great bathroom (always so important), but it is the lobby and restaurant that have really tickled my fancy. Also they delivered a note and some Portuguese tarts to our room, which is a lovely touch.

The note said: All of us here are United by a passion to creat smiles and heartfelt experiences. We are committed to making your stay magical and we will be devoted to helping you whenever necessary. Enjoy your stay!
The Se Catedral Hotel Porto Team

After a trip to the laundromat for some of us (thanks Steve) we headed toward the bridge closest to us the Ponte Dom Luis (Porto has six bridges across the river Douro). Unfortunately the clouds had an impact on the sunset, but the beauty of this city shone through regardless.