Our next day in Porto was largely a free day. We decided to walk down to the bridge (more about that, later), take the funicular to higher parts of town and just wander around. We had tickets to the Livraria Lello, a neo-gothic building housing a bookstore that is so famous you have to pay to get in. And wait in line. Long line. With timed entry. And buy your tickets a day in advance.
The bookstore was totally worth it. As an Architect, I appreciate the intricacies. And a lot of what looks like wood is painted plaster. Well done.
Adjacent to the bookstore was the Torre dos Clérigos, a baroque tower that you can climb to the top of. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was built from 1754 through 1763 and was restored in 2014. There are 225 steps to the top, which is 246 feet high. The steps get steeper and narrower as you ascend. But the views are worth it.
After this day, we returned to the hotel for a little rest before dinner with the larger group. We chilled in our hotel courtyard. We certainly got our steps in this day and were glad to kick our feet up for a while.
