Porto Day 11

Thursday was the day I would be leaving Porto...but not until around 4:30. After checking out of my apartment I walked over to the rental office and arranged for them to hold my luggage for the day. Sao Domingos by Oporto Tourist Apartments was a wonderful place to stay. It exceeded my expectations! The staff was really great too. (If you look at the link my apartment was just above the red doors and windows on the right corner with views in both directions.

I headed up to one of my favorite sketching spots by the Se' Cathedral. I liked the view with the lavender in front of the wall. While I sat there several sketchers stopped by to chat. It was fun to see people were still around.

Next I headed to the small, grassy area around the back of the Cathedral where there was a big patch of orange flowers.

This is the Taverna de Largo on Rua de Flores. I'm not sure when I sketched it but I forgot to post it.

Around 2:00 I headed to have lunch. As I was checking out the menu at Leitao e Coisas, a place that specializes in suckling pig, I spotted my friend, Melanie Reim at one of the tables. She had taken a trip with a few other friends for a few days out of Porto and had just returned the night before. We talked for a while and then shared our sketchbooks. She then left to do a bit more sketching before her departure the next day. 

I had been working on a page of Porto's delightful foods. Here it is finished.

I had time left for a bit of people sketching as I sat at one of the outdoor cafes in Largo Sao Domingos and had one last beer in Porto. 

Obrigada, Porto! Thanks for the wonderful time.

Then I was off for a quick late flight to Madrid where I made an overnight stop at a hotel near the airport. I would be back at the airport early for my first flight the next day and my journey would continue...

Porto Day 6

Saturday, July 21 was the last day of the Symposium. I met Julie up near the Se' Cathedral and we sketched the view from around the back looking out over the city.

In the afternoon there was the final sketchwalk which ended at the Plaza da Libertad. The plaza was filled with sketchers as far as you could see. 

This was where the group photo of the Porto Symposium was taken. Can you find me in the photo?

Here are a few more photos taken in the plaza.

Sonia and Marcy were sketching.

We had a small contingent of males from NYC...Jeff, Mark, Alan, and Mel.

Most of the NYC Urban Sketchers who came to Porto.

It is always a bit sad for the end of the symposium to arrive. There was a closing reception that evening at the hub. Prizes were raffled off and there was a silent auction of sketches that were submitted with profits going to help fund the next symposium which will be in Amsterdam next year. I was still looking forward to several more days of sketching in Porto.

Porto Day 1

My Porto trip begins with my time at Kennedy Airport. I always try to get there early so my husband dropped me off about 3 hrs before the flight. I had checked in and was through security in about 10 minutes. You know that doesn't happen when you need it to happen. lol So I had time to sketch at the airport. I found a spot in one of the restaurant/bars to sit with a view toward the bar.

Then I moved on to Gate 46 where my American Airlines plane would be departing. It was crowded but I found a spot with a pretty good view out the window for my obligatory airplane sketch.

Later on the plane I sketched the flight attendants as they were serving beverages on the way to Madrid.

Just in case you want to see the size of these here is the whole page. I took along a Strathmore Mixed Media Sketchbook that is just about 8 x 10. The Madrid ticket was added later.

My next flight was on Iberia. Compared to American their seats feel like you are sitting on plastic...no cushiony feeling to the seat at all. Luckily the flight from Madrid to Porto was short. I took a cab from the airport to my apartment where I was met by the rental agent. I should have sketched or taken photos of the apartment which was great but the best that I have are photos of my view. My studio apartment was located on Largo S Domingos, a square which was filled with restaurants and people. It was a great location! I had views out in two directions. It was a studio apartment but had an area for the bed, a table with 3 upholstered chairs, a small couch with a TV, a tiny kitchen area behind doors with a two burner stove, a sink, a fridge and barely any room to prep anything. I wasn't planning to cook anything besides breakfast so it worked out well. And there was a nice sized bathroom with a big shower where I could hang laundry to dry.

I contacted my friends and met them for lunch at Majestic Cafe, an old time Porto cafe that was beautifully decorated. These ladies at a table near us were enjoying their lunch.

From there we walked to the Se' Cathedral which was sitting on a hill and had great views over the city. It was a spot that I returned to many times. Porto is a city of very steep streets, wonderful old buildings (right up my alley), great food and wonderful people.

Here's my friend, Shawne sketching from the wall by the cathedral as the sun was starting to go down. It didn't get dark in Porto until around 9:30.

My friends were going out to dinner at 9:00 but I was so tired. I had been up for almost 24 hours without sleep. I told them I had to skip dinner and headed back to my apartment. There was a saxophonist playing in the square when I got back and from inside the apartment what I heard was soft sax music as I fell asleep.