Took the noon train back to Porto. I’d screwed up a reservation and ended back in Porto tonight, but there were a few things I’d missed earlier in the week. I spent some time on the phone trying to resolve a travel issue with Amex and was routed to the dreaded overseas call center. Wasted time while I was put on hold. Finally told them I’d hang up if the issue wasn’t resolved and I got it handled. Has anyone had a pleasant experience in these situations? I think the covert goal is to get the customer so enraged that they abort.

The Jardins do Palácio de Cristal are worth a visit. This expansive park also has attributes of a botanical garden. It’s perched high above the Douro in the northeast part of the city and has views of the Atlantic. The SuperBock Arena is also worth a visit. It’s named after the Portuguese best-selling beer.

I was a bit tired from all the hiking the day before, so I went to a very hip place called Apuro, around the corner from my hotel. The food was great and the staff very friendly and eager. 7:30 is a slow time for dinner, so I found a great spot overlooking the kitchen.

On the short walk back to the hotel, the temperature had cooled. There’s definitely an autumn feel in the evenings and I noticed that the plane trees were showing yellowish tints.

My hotel, Rosario Luxury Suites, is really a cool place. There’s a nicely lit garden out back with a huge persimmon tree. They have Nespresso machines in the rooms, so I know I’ll have a passable espresso or two in the morning. I plan to retire early and take a long early morning walk before grabbing an Uber to the train station for the ride up to Braga.