Our Rick Steves tour officially ended this morning after breakfast. We stored our luggage at the hotel desk since we have to change accommodations (no room at the inn) to an apartment overlooking the Douro River, above the riverfront promenade. I had pre-arranged a private tour with Ricardo Brochado, one of the owners of City Tailors Tours. They have several tour types available, including a tailor-made itinerary. He met us in the hotel lobby shortly after 9 a.m. and we started at the waterfront. Once we told him that we were just coming off the tour, he quickly re-adjusted the itinerary. We started off with a brief history of the city, and he pointed out one of the remaining arches of the medieval wall.
Then he took us up a series of stairs up into the back streets off the waterfront where the only sounds you can hear are the seagulls flying overhead. A cat who rules this hidden neighborhood cane to check us out.
It was amazing how there are hidden enclaves so close to the tourist areas, yet virtually unknown to the masses swarming the streets just yards away!
We took the funicular to the upper city and because the Church of Santa Clara was closed, Ricardo decided to show us a completely different part of this charming city. A short taxi ride away was the first cemetery in Porto. The tradition was to bury the dead in the churches, but with the growth in population and the re-emergence of the plague in the 18th century, for reasons of well-being this cemetery was created. 
A peaceful and verdant oasis, there are incredible monuments and mausoleums to see, including a memorial from the 1800s to a lesbian woman dedicated by her lover. 
We then explored this working class neighborhood, taking a break for a mid-morning snack of espresso, a jesuito savory pastry (puff pastry with a topping of meringue) and a tart filled with spaghetti squash (it was not too sweet but actually quite tasty).
Ricardo went off to make a phone call while we were savoring these delicious treats. 
He had a little surprise planned! We strolled over to see the first library in Portugal- the national Library is located in a previous convent that was taken over by the government in the 1834. King Fernando II, at the conclusion of the Portuguese Civil War (absolutists vs. liberals – he fought against his brother), seized all the properties owned by the Catholic Church, closing all the monasteries (banishing the monks) and convents (confiscating them after the last nun died at each convent). All the books owned by the Bishop (and it was a pretty amazing collection), including texts from the 10th century, were seized and placed in the National Library. The remnants of the cloister can still be appreciated.
Then we grabbed another taxi and departed for our “adventure” – lunch at the fisherman’s village across the river from Porto. Amusement park rides and good booths crowded all the free spaces between the small buildings as the village was preparing for the feast of St.Peter on June 29. Of particular interest were the clothes lines with drying laundry 
and the communal washing tubs that are still used by the inhabitants.
We walked through the fish market, admiring the daily catch, and viewed the fishing boats. 
Then we joined the locals at a small restaurant that specializes in grilled fish. Ricardo has reserved an outside table! Within the hour, the place was packed. We started with a platter of starters- tiny shrimp (to be eaten shell and all), octopus salad, cod fritters and oysters with parsley and minced peppers – accompanied by a delicious rustic bread. 
Then the main attraction- grilled calamari. 
With a crisp vinho verde, this was a perfect (typical, non-tourist) meal. We then took a ferry across the river where we bid adieu to Ricardo and proceeded to the Atlantic waterfront. 
We strolled a bit of the promenade, returning on the #1 tram.
The luggage was retrieved and we checked in to our studio apartment for the next two nights. It is located above the old wall and overlooks the riverfront. After a brief rest, we ventured out to scout out the meeting point of tomorrow’s food tour.
Tonight’s dinner was at a quaint restaurant that had live entertainment. 
We had grilled fish, the usual starters of cheese, bread and olives, and a lime pie for dessert. Then we took an after dinner stroll along the river before bedtime.
Camino Musings 