So after 4 days without my luggage, we are finally reunited! Turns out it arrived in Lisbon on July 2 and was then sent via TAP Airlines to Porto...where it sat for 2 days. The ladies at Delta Baggage Services in the US were the best throughout the process! When the agent today told me my luggage was in Porto, she said I would be better off going to the airport and looking for it myself rather than waiting on them to deliver it. Clearly this was not her first rodeo as that was the best advise ever...we learned from our Uber driver that the ground crew was on strike so chances of me getting my luggage before I leave for Croatia on July 15 were pretty slim. The process for retreiving my luggage was rather pleasant as the Police, airport security and baggage staff were all so nice (definitely not the same experience in the US). After the Police give you a special sticker, you go to security and they let you behind the gate until the baggage staff comes to fetch you. Once you are in the land of lost luggage, you are set free to find your luggage. When you find your luggage, you just head for customs...guess they work on the honor system that folks are only taking their luggage.
After we took my luggage back home, we walked back over bridge to Gaia to check out the vendors along the river and ride the Teleferico de Gaia (aka gondola). Elaine bought a beautiful Portuguese wooden box with all kinds of secret storage compartments for her new place.
Views from the Bridge
Bridge that connects Porto to Gaia. When I was here 4 years ago, the top was pedestrian and train while the bottom was for cars. They are in the process of converting the bottom to pedestrian only. It is a nice walk and a great way to see both cities.
Views from the Teleferico de Gaia
The Douro Valley is where the grapes that make Port are grown and the heavenly liquid is produced. In the days of old, once the Port was placed in the barrels, the barrels would be loaded on boats and sent down the Douro River to Gaia to the producers lodge where it was aged. The sun exposure and cooler climate than the Douro Valley makes Gaia the perfect place for storing wine. These boats are replicas of the boats previously used for transporting wine to Gaia.
On one of her explorations in Gaia, Elaine found 7G Roaster and said it is some of the best coffee she's ever had so to 7G we headed. It is definitely come one of our afternoon rituals to have coffee in the afternoon.
On a side street in Gaia is the Half Rabbit. It is made from found materials and trash from town. Half of the rabbit is painted and half is left in it's original condition.
We rode the gondola back up the hill and then headed back to El Corte Ingles since we got there so late yesterday. Elaine hit the mother load on linens, towels and other homegoods. Three hours later we left with two large bags and a town cart (yep a little push card often used by the elderly) full of goodies. As gorgeous as these Dolce & Gabbana appliance were, she did resist them...the price tag did make it pretty easy. While we didn't accomplish the things we had planned to for today, we still accomplished a lot and have fun along the way. A quick bite in the food court and back across the river then off to bed.
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