Porto - Day Three

This morning I returned to the Ribeira waterfront to have a look around the former Palácio da Bolsa or Stock Exchange Palace, It is now owned by the Commercial Association of Porto, who have transformed it into a building of great beauty comprising eight showrooms. There are complex patterned floors that have been painstakingly pieced together with Brazilian and African wood from Portugal's former colonies and rooms of finely carved woodwork and gold leaf. The sumptuous Grand Hall, with its Moorish themes, was inspired by the Alhambra Mesquita in Granada and took 18 years to complete. Nearby was the house where Prince Henry the Navigator was born in 1394. Henry was the son of King Joăo1 and Queen Philippa of Lancaster and planned the Voyages of Discovery, which brought great wealth to Portugal and made it the leading maritime nation of its time. I then crossed the Douro River by walking across the lower section of the double-decker Dom Luis Bridge to Vila Nova De Gaia, Porto's twin town on the other side of the river, to take a tour of the Port Wine Lodges located there. There are several wine lodges and after a little research I chose Taylor. It was a good choice as the estate, from its lofty hill position, has stunning views of Porto. The tour consisted of the history of the company, which dates back to 1692, and how the port is aged in the various wooden vats and concluded with a tasting of three of their vintages. From the waterfront I took a magic ride in a cable car, which soared over the port lodges, to the top section of the Ponte Dom Luis and walked back to Porto across this magnificent metal arch bridge.