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 10

In the morning on Wednesday I headed over to Rua de Belmonte where I had sketched with Julie and Sandrine before they left. I did several sketches on one page. First I sketched a breakfast place that was so cute. I think they also rented rooms. On the same page I did a yellow building on the corner that had direction arrows to all kinds of places in Porto. Just for good measure I added the Rua de Belmonte sign.

For lunch I tried finding a place near the train station that had been recommended by a friend, but after circling around and going uphill too many times I gave up. I was near Tapabento but it had a long wait for a table, so I went to the restaurant next door called Casa de Pato Ribatejo. The staff all spoke Portuguese and very little English. I had a good lunch of roast veal with potatoes and salad. When I came out I sat across the street and sketched Tapabento.

I stopped at the apartment for a short rest and then went out again only to sit down to sketch and realize that my paint palette was back at the apartment. I did have watercolor pencils with me so I used them for this sketch of the monument. It gives it a completely different look.

I had made a reservation for myself at the restaurant Traca that I had been to with my friends. I wanted my last dinner in Porto to be good and be pulpo (octopus). It was delicious. Then I headed upstairs to do a little packing.

Porto Day 8

On the Monday after the symposium ended I was on my own to explore. The sketchers I had been spending time with all moved on to other locations or home. There were still a lot of sketchers in Porto and I stopped and chatted with some throughout the day. My destination that morning was the location where Ian Fennely had done his demo. I had paid attention to where he was taking us so I was able to find the general area, and after walking around a bit I found the same spot he had taken us to. I wonder what the lady who owned the house thought of all the many people who had sketched her house throughout the days of the symposium. It was a great spot...don't you think?

Just down the walkway to the right in the sketch I did I saw this view and couldn't resist it.

I continued walking downhill and found restaurant called Barrote Encarnado. I sat upstairs and ordered pulpo (octopus) which took a while to grill. Meanwhile I had a 1/2 liter of wine and my sketchbooks to keep me company. By the time I finished my lunch and my wine I needed a bit of a rest back at the apartment.

Later that afternoon I went up to the Sao' Bento Train Station. It was time to bite the bullet and do the tiles inside! I mentally reviewed Rosin Cure's tile method. There was another sketcher from Florida doing a beautiful double page sketch of the inside of the station. I focused on the ticket office and part of the tile wall nearby.

I was really pleased with how well the method worked!