Every now and then a woman comes into your life offering great value. And so it is that our housekeeper at Porto de Rio is one of them. We regard ourselves as pretty tidy travellers, but when she has finished, everything is precision - one stereotype of the Portuguese is fastidiousness.
Train down to Aveiro, about 70km, south on a stunning, high 20'sC day. Train full and everyone has got onto a train that emptied from standing room only - but not a scrap of paper or scratched glass in sight.
Aveiro is on the edge of an expanse of coastal lagoons and was a vibrant port until the river mouth silted up in the 1500's. At the beginning of the 19th century it was given new life when canals were dug to open up the town, drain the marshes, and create saltpans.
It has a compact centre, handsome buildings and open squares with paths looping over it's canals. A spectacular 5 dish tapas (octopus, chorizo, sardines, cheese & oysters with breads and sangria - €11.80 for two) for lunch. Then a wander around town, including through the fish market (designed by a student of Gustav Eiffel) before purchasing a package canal cruise & tuk tuk ride around town (combined time almost 2 hours). Both very enjoyable, and the young tuk tuk driver took us through town highlights, to the salt pans and to the town's original ovos moles shop (egg yolk and sugar custard in a very thin pastry shell). Tasted and bought.
Two other things I learned, are that the closer you are to the sea in Portugal, the more you will see externally ceramic tiled houses - because the ceramic offers good protection from salt damage. The second is that all the houses are tiled with different patterned tiles - because to have the same tiles as someone else would be like wearing the same dress to a wedding as other women!!
Comfortable train home and a light in house bite to eat, with Super Bock beer and ruby port.
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