Rabelo boats used to carry Port wine barrels to Porto
Long haul to Tunisia via Marseille
7th October – overnight in Vigo
A long travelling day to Vigo, changing at Madrid Chamartin. Both trains were almost full, the RENFE staff seemed to take a pride in their trains. There’s quite a contrast between the green of the north of Spain and the arid interior. I know there’s been a lot of talk about climate change, but 30 degrees in Autumn is extreme even for Spain.
These northern routes in Spain are still being developed, but already high speed track northwards from Madrid to Valladolid and Burgos have considerably shortened journey times. But it still takes 4 hours to get from San Sebastián and Vigo to Madrid.
Madrid Chamartin station was still as I remember it 20 years ago when we took the sleeper to Portugal. However, much of the concourse is given over to machines doing security checks on passengers, but it seemed more like security theatre, as there was little supervision.
Vigo Urzaiz new station, part of an extensive shopping centre and leisure centre shows what can be done to upgrade provincial cities, now that’s what I call levelling up!
8th October – Porto is wonderful!
Early start in Vigo to get a good.breakfast which I’ve been missing these last 3 days. Took a taxi to Vigo Guixer station, where a heavily graffitied diesel train was filling up with passengers to Porto.
The weather was hot again in Porto after the over 2 hour train ride. The helpful ticket office provided the missing reservation for Wednesday back to Vigo. I took the local train to Sao Bento and decided to walk the 8 minutes to the hotel. Google hadn’t reckon on some serious construction work for the new Metro and hoards of tourists. It took me 30 minutes and countless wrong turnings in a very hilly city.
I decided to reward myself with a nice lunch a Tataky at Tapabento next to the station. There was a queue, but a couple said you go first. Then the lady proprietor patted me on the back and said ‘I’ve just got one space for you’. When she saw me later taking the Parkinson’s tablets said ‘you need a glass of water with those! The Tataky was WIld Tuna with various accompaniments and soy sauce – it was delicious except for one highly spiced one. I followed this with chocolate trifle, definitively not bought in! As I left I shook the proprietor’s hand, she had made my day! I watched her managing the queue, clearing tables, anything that needed to be done, incredible!
After a sleep, I walked over the Dom Luis bridge Metro and foot passenger watching the sunset over the Douro – magical
Lunch at the Writers Club, Pinhao, Douro valley
8th October – Douro valley + great lunch!
An early start today as I wanted to catch the 09.20 tourist train along the Douro route to Pinhao. CP has assembled about 8 retro carriages from the 1960’s on the pretext you can take pictures with the windows down, but it seems to me a cost saving exercise, uncomfortable in the hot weather on the return afternoon. The train was busy with mainly Americans and Brits, some looking to do boat rides, visit a Quinta or have a coach excursion.
At Pinhao, I walked 10 minutes to the Quinta de Bomfim, with shop and display boards, but as I hadn’t booked in advance they couldn’t help. Seems to have a rather haughty attitude. It was getting on for 1 pm so lunch beckoned. Mark Smith recommended the Writers Club restaurant by the level crossing. What a find that turned out to be, friendly and welcoming, the Smoked Salmon and Mozzarella salad was huge and delicious. The dining area was a tree shaded terrace overlooking the Douro, truly an amazing experience. Just a question of taking the ‘retro’ train back in the hottest part of the day. I mean 30 degrees plus. How did we manage without air conditioning?
In the evening I’d worked out that my departure from Campanha station at 08.13 was too early for breakfast so I scouted round for bakeries and supermarkets – eventually found a bakery opening at 6 am near Sao Bento station. I stopped at another bakery at Batavia for a vegetarian sandwich and Blackcurrant cheesecake which filled a gap!
10th October – Port warehouses, Vila Nova de Gaia
Still getting up early as the time difference loses me an hour of daylight.
A leisurely day walking to the Dom bridge then taking the Gaia cable car, at 10 Euros return relatively expensive as fares go. This sort of South Bank to Porto has the port warehouses such as Sandemans, now transformed into a tourist experience. On the river each port firm had a typical Rabelo on show now used for tourist sightseeing
Had lunch in one of the many restaurants, chose a vegetarian pasta with spinach, possibly vegetarian is not a strong point in this fish and meat country as it was very stodgy.
Tried to get on one of the cellar tours, all were sold out until evening, as the tourist season seemed as busy as ever!.
Took the cable car back and stopped by the cathedral. Very ornate with much gold leaf, but this wasn’t the more interesting ones I have visited
I have to get breakfast tomorrow before the hotel start serving at 7.30, the time at which I need to take a taxi to Companha station. So I checked out the bakery opposit Sao Bento station, good food and sharp service just what I need tomorrow as they open at 6 am! So I’ll go out early and come back for my shower
Mark Smith unexpectedly phoned me while having lunch,, couldn’t hear a thing because of the hubbub. I phoned when I got back to the hotel, and he gave advice re Tunisia take the train to Sousse and possibly the Roman amphitheatre at El Jem if I can get a train back. Carthage is on the local Tunis rail network. He admitted that.he is extremely busy, So I must make allowances for irregular responses.
Ornate tiling at Sao Bento station, Porto
11th October – to Tarragona
A busy travel day, got up at 5.30 to get breakfast before the hotel started serving theirs. I had identified a bakery opposite Sao Bento station opening at 6 am except they didn’t open until 7 pm. Anyway, I had my orange juice, cappuccino and sweet croissant from a neighbouring cafe. The hotel ordered a taxi all of 10 Euros to Campagne station. The way Portuguese railways operate is really old school. On the train to Vigo, the conductor ticked off all passengers on a hand written manifest, no QR codes in sight. There is no control gate to the platform so I suspect revenue protection in operation
At VIgo the taxi transfer between stations took 10 minutes and 5 Euros. In their new shopping centre I had 2 Salmon brown seeded rolls which were delicious. The Madrid train left exactly on time at 13.20 and for the first time they checked my pass. It was all very mundane until Ourense when a cheerful American guy gets on sitting next to me announcing he’s just finished a Camino walk to Santiago de Compostela. He says he ruins a small business near Seattle called MLS Technologies and he introduces himself as Abe Sanoja. They offer Marketing, logistics and technical support for analytical instruments eg Mass Spectrometry. He’s interested in my former business life and my switch to volunteering. He’s interested to read my train blog. We agree to keep in touch.
Then another train involving a switch at Madrid from Chamartin to Atocha which took longer than I thought. Peuto de Atocha has grown since I was last there 10 years ago
At the Camp de Tarragona park and ride station, the taxi cost 30 Euros to the Pigal guest house owned by a loud Catalan called Xavier. Another 2 star special if a little too communal for my liking. Correction 1 star if I’d known I wouldn’t have booked!
12th October to Nimes
Tarragona, a seaside town and port has little more to offer than the Roman Amphitheatre by sea. It’s not very big and because of various changes of use of the centuries not particularly impressive.
Located the main station close by to see how far it is to walk. Glad I did because the route is being reconstructed and includes a very steep incline, fine going up by escalator, coming down its a long and steep staircase.
Had an argument with a Santander ATM to withdraw 140 Euros, it snatched the cash back while I was getting my wallet out = have to sort this out when I back to the UK.
In the evening had an anchovy tapas and cheesecake which filled a hole!
Looks like another early start tomorrow for breakfast at a cafe to get a taxi to catch the 8.50 train. I really must avoid these constant early starts, it’s quite wearing!
13th October to Marseille
Got up early to see if I could get breakfast in the nearby market area, but at 7 am, none of the bakeries or pastry shops were open.
My taxi duly arrived at 8.15 and it too all of 5 minutes to get to Tarragona town railway station. I was in good time for the 8.50 train to Barcelona so had a little breakfast
However, the train arrived over 10 minutes late in Barcelona leaving me just 20 minutes to catch the Paris train. I came out of the suburban area and then went through luggage security and further ticket checks before boarding the 10.33 to Nimes
It was a very comfortable SNCF double deck train, very busy, but I was only travelling to Nimes. Although I was sailing to Tunis from Marseille, the hotel prices there were astronomical, so I’ll take a local train tomorrow.
In the warm afternoon sun I walked the 10 minutes to Nimes arena, Roman amphitheatre, which is having much restoration. It’s in good condition and used for concerts and Bull fighting, doesn’t seem a good thing to do these days!
The evening meal at the Ibis Styles was tasteless white fish and a lot of chips. But the clafoutis with cherries was good. But only a handful of people were having dinner there.
Leaving Marseille Port at sunset
14th October – Very late Overnight ferry to Tunis
Had my 6.30 am breakfast at Styles, but it wasn’t great and I was still firing on yesterday’s dinner. The train from Nimes came punctually and the 8 coaches were nearly full.
Google warned of demonstrations affecting the tram network. It seemed like only a short distance downhill Getting to the harbour quayside was easy enough, but after 30 minutes of walking up and down I couldn’t see the Corsica ferry check in. So I hailed a taxi and was very glad I did as the ferry company had relocated well away from its original location. He only charged 20 Euros. Better tell Mark Smith!
Armed with my confirmation I pushed my way through to security. There were many Tunisian workers and families with vast amounts of luggage struggling to get past security. I spoke with some white French people in their broken English. They explained about the continuing delay eventually mounting up to 8 hours. We spent an awful lot of time in a very warm ’holding area’ eventually retreating to an air conditioned waiting area. One of the ladies in her 80’s showed me a book about the Bardo museum in Tunis full of Roman mosaics and other miniature art..
Boarding the Danielle Casanova was a depressing experience, the windows were dirty as was the carpets. There seem to be repairs to almost all the Gents WC, I had to ask staff on level 6 where I could find a working one – oh yes on level 9. There was no water to flush the toilet and nowhere to dry your hand afterwards. This once proud ship had a water chute and a solarium, now it had missing chairs in the cafeteria and fascias coming off the walls.
Dinner was a miserable affair with nothing but meat dishes, I had two side salads. I’d prepaid this, but still had 4 Euros left so the chap behind offered to get me a bottle of water. I’m beginning to discover the lovely nature Tunisians have.
Interior Hotel Dar ben Gacem, Tunis
15th October – arrive Tunis eventually!
Finally made it to Tunis well after dark, the police passport and customs check was very officious. They wanted to know where I was staying. This was after a long wait to leave the ship and fair walk along the quayside, bit like flying!
I’m easy prey for taxi drivers but it was far too late to make my own way to the hotel. The taxi driver had to drive down narrow medina streets but missed the hotel and took me to the Dar el Medina beyond. I’m sure he’s a mate of the surly customs official. Fortunately the Dar el Medina took me back to the Dar ben Gacem in 10 minutes carrying a heavy suitcase only too happy to help. The Dar Ben Gacem is a typical Tunisian house built around a courtyard, sympathetically converted to a hotel.
So I went back to Dar el Medina for dinnerthey said it Tunisian caviar cooked with spaghetti, interesting and cheap at £11. This should make up for excursions to Carthage, El jem, the Bardot museum and a guide in the medina. I’ll stop being independent and become a regular tourist!
