The weather finally changed and we woke up to clouds and intermittent rain. Starting at the coffee shop, we discussed how to spend the day given the challenges of walking on these streets when they are rain-slicked. But as we sat there warming our hands on our coffee cups, the sun came out, and the rain stopped. That pattern was repeated a half-dozen more times before we finally got up and left.

MLW had found a Lonely Planet guide to Porto and it had an interesting walking tour that began not far from where we were and covered some new territory. Given our newfound plan for managing the constant climbing and descending, and interestingly the popping of our ears every few yards due to the elevation changes, we decided to give it a shot.

Starting at São Bento station, we took a left and headed up Avenida dos Aliados a wide boulevard with a central walking park, lined with Belle Epoque buildings. The guidebook compared it to the Champs Elyssees but, I don’t think it quite met that standard. On a less gray day, it would be a nice uphill stroll.

Although it was now starting to pour, we were within striking distance of a couple of churches that the book’s walking tour raved about. The climb wasn’t that bad, and there were a lot of interesting buildings and parks along the way including the 250-foot-tall Torre dos Clérigos. Built in the 18th century and requiring 225 steps to reach the top, we decided to pass.

After a slight turnaround, we made it to the twin churches of Igreja do Carmo and Igreja das Carmelitas. Keeping the nuns and the friars apart, there is a 3-foot wide “house” between the two buildings.

We went into the 17th-century Carmelitas church first. While far more modestly sized compared to many of the cathedrals we’ve visited, it was nonetheless fully decked out in gold-clad Baroque finery. The main altar was almost too much to see between the size and the detail. Lining both walls were smaller niches equally adorned and dedicated to various saints, Jesus, and the Virgin Mother. There was a short tour into the back of the church including a descent down into the catacombs that held the church’s silver treasure, and the mummified corpse of a nun who had died in 1796. Choosing to skip the second-floor part of the tour, one of the docents allowed us to slip out a side door into what was now a full-fledged hurricane.

The Carmo church was built about a century later and the style, while still Baroque, was quite different. Still smothered in goldwork, the ceiling was white with gold “sunbursts” and other interesting trim elements. Very different than other churches. Its main altar was also an eye-full and it featured two side chapels that were also extraordinary. There was a small museum to the back that had a most interesting room that featured a canvas oil painting on the ceiling and dozens of little niches depicting various stages of the lives of Christ and some saints.

It was time to head back home for lunch. On the way down we passed the Livaria Lello, billed as the most beautiful bookstore in the world. It’s said to be the inspiration for Hogwarts, from the time JK Rowling lived here. It’s so popular that you have to buy tickets or stand in line. The ticket includes a book, plus entry, for only 16€ and it allows you to avoid the entry queue. When we walked by in the pouring rain, the queue extended for 2 blocks. While the staircase alone is supposed to be worth the visit, 32€ or two hours waiting in line in a downpour just doesn’t seem worth it to me. Here’s a photo of the famous staircase, lifted from the web.

Back at home, it was time to dry our clothes and shoes in the silly apartment clothes dryer (a combo with the mini washer, it really doesn’t dry) and wait an hour or so until our next adventure. Tomorrow’s installment of tonight’s adventures promises to be interesting, please stay tuned.