After 'lisbon', we decided to move our selvs to 'porto.' I remember talkng to 'pablo' out side, when we waitd for the train and passng me throug to 'lauro.' I think I spend too much time on the phone, becaus we missd our train. We did not hav a clue it was so late, so we went back to the ticket thing to ask if we can replac them for the next train, which so weird is possibl. We did not hav to pay any thing and we even got our money back. We went of to 3 hour train ride to 'porto', to find our selvs with out a hotel. We did find on the intrnt a hotel, that had a room availbl for one night, in the centr of the city. We got out of the train, took anothr one and found our selvs wonderng at night to search for the hotel. They had a room, which was diffrnt, then the one we saw. You can't smok here, which made the hotel not so good, haha.

After spendng the night here, we went to see the city a littl. The city is ok, but if you compar it with 'lisbon', it is not so beautiful. We did not like 'porto' so much, the weathr was not so good, the peopl are diffrnt and it is so weird. I felt like I livd, in a diffrnt time. The city is so advancd that it seems as if you can see cars, flyng around. So after spendng a littl time here, we decidd to go back to the hotel and spend some time there. At night, we went out and this guy was in the elvator with us and it say that you could hav 300 in there. The elvator would not leav, becaus we weight too much, haha. Oh, I felt so sad, for him. I tryd to talk with him a littl, don't know why, but I felt so bad. When we got out side, it was rainng so hard that we had to shelter at Donald his place, haha. I like the food, but would hav liked it more if the weathr was bettr.

The next day, we did some explorng of a diffrnt side of the city and went out to buy some things. We calld 'pablo' to say that we were comng to 'cedeira' and that we would take the bus to 'santiago de compostela.'

as we were sorting through the map - we found some campsites near porto - just south of the city and we must go to the direction to ovar.  the highway were using will end at porto - so which means we have to pass the city to go to the next direct highway.

at the highway in portugal we didnt know that they had tolls - or should i say i didnt researched about it - because in germany we have no tolls in the highway.

my lungs were out of air as we paid the tolls in portugal 32 euros! we have pool money - we put 20 euros  each - but its going out faster than we expected!

as we are inside porto, it got a bit confusing. there were no signs to where we are exactly going and it doenst help eighter because its left hand driving and ben is dyslexic :D hahahahah hahahahaha.  there were basically no signs going to ovar! were finally turning around and around a roundabout and went to a wrong direction instead of going to the coast were pulling away and driving to inland.

we stopped and retracted our directions, after a smoke for me and some calming down with the girls hahahahaha we finally managed our way back and were back in business! :D

Modern design, neat finishing and stylish furniture, friendly staff. The hotel is situated in the picturesque old district with a truly inimitable ambience. If you book a quieter room with a view to the backyard, you can observe restoration works of some old blocks in Porto downtown (I have to admit it doesn’t bother visitors at all). Only 5 minutes by walk to get a bus to the airport at San Antonio square. It makes sense to check the adjacent district for simple cafes for a quick breakfast sitting next to local people, as well as for small restaurants offering grilled meat.

Unfortunately we didn't get a good nights sleep due to a couple of girls that were in our room talking quite loudly during the night and then getting up early and making a racket - but that's what you come to expect in a hostel.  We tucked into the small breakfast that was provided before sorting ourselves out and then heading out the door.  Just near to the hostel on one of the tiny back streets we came across a small cafe run by a lovely Indian lady.  We stopped in to get some drinks to take with us and got talking to her and an Englishman that was sitting down.  Ended up staying for a while chatting and havign something to eat.  We would have stayed longer but our plan was to go to the other side of the river and check out some of the port cellars.  We said our goodbyes and made our way down the hill across the bridge and into port country.

More to come

After a fair sleep in we got our stuff and headed out to the metro which then took us to the main train station (same place the bus dropped us off yesterday).  We then took a train from Lisbon to Porto which thankfully was reasonably comfortable and not too long.  The hostel was located near the top of a fairly steep hill which was not much fun to walk up with the backpacks on, but we made it.  After checking in we didn't really know what we wanted to do apart from just sit for a while, so we headed back down the hill and found a little cafe for a drink and a bite to eat.  Across the road was the tourist info place so we went there and got some tickets for the city sightseeing bus.

We got on one of the last buses for the day but it was nice to sit down and go for a tour around the city and further out to the beach area.  The bus trip lasted about 2 hours because of the traffic but we didn't mind how long it took.  Nearly all of the photos are from on top of the bus.  The final stop was right at the bottom of the hill near the water, but that didn't worry us as it was about dinner time so we walked along looking at the restaurants.  We found one which had reasonable prices and good variety and grabbed a table inside as the cool breeze had picked up making it quite cold.

We both had huge servings which we couldn't finish and was delicious.  We then slowly strolled up the hill through the back streets to our hostel.  Craig bought a botel of port from the hostel and we had a glass or two while watching some TV.

OUr next meeting was in Porto, the second largest city in Portugal.  The metropolitan area has a little over one million people.  One of the major exports from this area is Port Wine, which takes it's name from the city.  The city has historical ties to England and many of the port producing companies have English names -- Warres, Taylor's, Sandemann, etc. 

After our meeting, we checked into the Hotel Infante de Sagres.  The hotel is near the Rio Duoro (River of Gold) which is the the river to the Atlantic where port was taken downstream to be shipped off to London.  The hotel is right below a large arched bridge over the River Duoro, designed and build by and French engineer by the name of Eiffel.  You might recognize his name from a famous tour in Paris.  :P  The view was quite beautiful -- and you could see the Port companies across the river.

We had a good dinner there at the hotel restaurant.  Evidently many famous people have eaten here over the years -- Fidel Castro, Jacque Chirac and Bill Clinton all have their pictures on the wall here.  We had a good selection of hors de ouvres to start -- marinated carrots, octopus, olives, a bread made from corn and little beef sandwiches.  The main course was a selection of grilled seafood -- sea bass, cod, salmon and shrimp mostly.  We had a dry white port as the wine for the meal.  It was very nice.

The hotel's name, Infantes de Sagres, means hte son who is not the first born (heir to the King).  It is referring to Prince Henry, the Navigator.  Prince Henry founded the famous school of navigation that trained Magellan, Vasco de Gama, etc.  The hotel is quite old, with lots of wood and tiles that have a definite Moorish look to them.  I had a nice big room with a large bathroom.  I could not get the air conditioner to work, so I opened the windows to cool off a bit.  It was very noisy with the windows opened -- seagulls squawking, cats in heat screaming, and some neighbor getting up to piss every hour -- and watch tower bells ringing every 15 minutes.  I did not sleep well here. 

@ 19h20 [7:20pm] - at the Airport

Just arrived at the airport a few minutes ago! Waiting for JV and his father... I get a little tense… the last few days went running, meaning I was the one running to do all the late stuff, even though today was a completely stressful one!!! Trying to get all the stuff I had in two “little” bags! Yes, in the last days I realised that the bags definitely got shorter from the last time I used them ;-) but today they suddenly got minuscule :-(

Maybe I exaggerated on cloths, normally I wouldn’t, but this time I didn’t wanna get caught on cold!!! But guess that’s not the problem… maybe the problem is that one of the bags is almost filled up with photo and video equipment :-D and some food :-D so, I had to leave behind my second all-weather-coat (how can I call it) and my robe (or bathrobe, don't know the right word)! This means that I’ll wear the same outfit all the time and will walk around the bedroom with my pyjama :-D about the pyjama (or pajama) and for those of you that get curious on cloths instead of photo equipment, I have to reveal something too ;-) did you know that a few days ago I fond this nice sports pyjama that says in big letters “polar life adventure” with the words “geographic expedition” below, so, what have you done? I really had to buy this one… LOL

Now I’m feeling hot, must have something to do with arriving here with warm and heavy trekking boots and a warm coat, also heavy due to all the stuff that I filled its pockets with, because I haven’t got any more room in the bags :-D

@ 22h00 [10:00pm] - at Ryanair Airplane

Sitting at the airplane on my way to London, never been to England, so my first time will be just on transit to another country! I’m on one of those lowcost flights by Ryanair that give us the chance to get to a main European Hub and fly cheaper everywhere else - actually it’s cheaper to go through London, even south, than taking a direct flight from Lisbon!!!

Just put on my mp3 player , and it started playing this song called “de L’air” which suits just fine for some flying :-D soon start writing some stuff cause flying at night don’t have much interest unless you’re a good sleeper… all you can do is watch the nice looking air hostesses (Irish or English I guess, but anywhere you go they all look nice, don’t they? :-) besides that you got one half of the plane asleep some air-stressed and the rest reading or talking to avoid being air-stressed!

Start writing about how I almost got pissed off at the airport for them keeping my body-deospray!!! an almost new can of it, a little can but I forgot it was a 150ml can!!! And one keeps forgetting that inside a can of spray there’s a liquid on it!!! Damn :-(

Anyway, as a confidence, when I bag it up I knew this might happen, so I took the chance and loose, but I’m still good in predicting things, hum! Ain’t I ? ;-)

Looking at a guy messing around the bags compartment and pushing aside my little plastic bag (which has got the tickets and all my travel plans on it)… got to keep an eye on that fellow and the bag, or I might be going on my feet to Norway ;-D

Because this a lowcost flight you don’t get a seat number, even though and also being the last ones to enter the plane we manage to get us a 3 seats together right at the emergency exit, which is nice, not cause you’re the first to get out of the plane if needed, but because you get more space for your legs :-)

Also at this lowcosts you get some entertainment! I didn’t hear through the loudspeakers quite well, because I got my earphones, but figured they were setting some kind of lottery… Yeh! I think it was it, now the blondie hostess is passing with her hand on the air with some scratchcards to sell, air travelling is getting sophisticated :-D

I was still writing the last sentence when I heard on the loudspeaker something and a guy get up and pick his prize… a airplane ticket… but not just any airplane ticket… I heard it was a return ticket… for those not so familiar with Ryanair, their tickets are mainly the cost of the one-way… I mean the one you go out, cause the usual price for the return ticket is one euro-cent or one penny (fees and taxes not included), so the guy got one hell of a prize, if you know what I mean :-D

Hope in the near future to get some time to hunt some nice shots myself...

This are the photos from Fernando, the date it's purely arbitrary cause they weren't taken at the same time but you'll get the eye of the photographer for several places and spot's in Porto!

It's 10pm, less then 48 hours for the journey to begin!!!

As usual, at work (doing some planning management at Porto’s Subway and Light Railway Tram Project Management Team, I’ll just call it EGF team ;-), EGF team mates are curious! When will you go? So your off on vacation, where to?” according to the reply I gave, I get the “ah! To Norway… to get some “bacalhau” for Christmas (all year round we eat a lot of this stockfish - codfish dried out, seems that Norwegians call it “klippfisk” - also a must in a Portuguese traditional Christmas eve dinner), or the “brrrr! to the arctic, what for? To see the Aurora?, Northern Lights? Are you sure you’re not trying to see some Norwegian girl called Aurora!”, this one from the male side ;-) from the female side was more like “ah! If you were going to see something with a tropical beach on it (preferably in an all-inclusive resort) an invitation would be most welcome! Now, that...”

I guess, that by this time most of them didn’t even imagine what I intended to do, namely, sticking on a cold (-10 to -20ºC was my believe) dark place, waiting, for hours, that some lights decided to appear in the sky above!!! And for what’s best, with good chances of not seeing anything!!! If they knew this, then more people would take me for nuts for sure, cause they didn’t knew this, they were only doubting if I wasn’t nuts :-D

About these doubtful thoughts, there is also the fact that I was going to Norway and not Siberia (this one is in the top of the list, that people build in mind, of places that you wouldn’t wanna go, much more then Alaska or Greenland, even if you are talking about places whit same latitudes). This sure add me some mental sanity! Norway is seen as one of the most worth-living-in civilized countries! If I change it from Arctic Norway to Siberia, I would pass from little nuts to completely insane! Of course, from an average Portuguese (or west European country) point of view!!! Also is different to say that you’re going to the northernmost part of Norway or to the arctic! Cause almost anyone (including me 4 months ago) knows the country is that long (not large but quite elongated) and have a reasonable arctic region!!!

By this time I think I got everything under control, although still missing final preparations and don’t know how the hell I’m going to put all the stuff I have in 2 bags… but that’s something to worry on Friday (the 7^th). Forecasts are still nasty, although the local photographer as told me that he doesn’t give much credit on them, cause they only measure the magnetic field and fail a lot, I’m not convinced (at all) that he might be right…

Today came the confirmation from NL (another friend at work, not northern lights :-), that she is going to lend me her mobile phone, she even borrowed another phone, from another friend of her, so she could lend me hers :-). She have this phone with wireless internet access, which might be helpful in case I’m on places with wireless lan (free of charge, of course)!!!

So looking at what I got borrowed, I do think I set up an EGF-Team Embassy to the arctic!!! Naming:

This mobile phone from NL; the photo equipment from FS (which also included two other lens, one of them an expensive and heavy Canon 10-22 wide-angle zoom lens that I intended to try out); and also the trekking equipment (warm cloths, portable spotlight and also a backpack) from CR - this guy liked the idea (the first one I met) of going on this quest, and almost agreed on coming, but unfortunately he already had spent his annual budget on his two weeks vacation in Scotland (where he also climbed the Ben Nevis).

:-) Still… the more friends you got, the more you can achieve :-)

Where did I heard this?... :-D

Hi! this is the Centro Hípico do Porto e Matosinhos (Porto Horse Centre) Hope it helps you although it has no english version on thier site and it says that it will require you to join the membership. But you may try to call them to inquire if they have a special one-day programme for tourists since it's been recommended by the Tourist Office. Address: Lugar de Gonçalves 4450 Leça da Palmeira No: 229 952 133 229 963 767 Email: geral@chp.pt website: www.chp.pt Tuesday to sunday 10.00-13.00/15.00-19.00 Check the other places too: http://www.portoturismo.pt/index.php?m=3&s=4&subtipo=29&p=33#topo

Porto is Portugal's second largest city, and a very busy industrial and commercial center. As its historical center was awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO in 1996, therefore one should discover it's old treasure. If you wanna know the city's past deeply and interestingly, what about joining one of the walking tours and discover the treasures of the city with a guide from the tourist office. My advice is either Ribeira or Se Cathedral tour. reference; http://www.portoturismo.pt/index.php?m=2&s=3 The followings are my general tips for you: 1. Visit monuments lke the Cathedral, Palacio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace)are the must things to see for everbody. 2. If you like things from the past, take a walk around the historical areas with beautiful architechture like Praca de Liberdade, S. Bento Station & some churches along the way (there's a stunning one called Torre dos Clérigos with a tall tower which you can walk up the long stairs to the top and get a beautiful view of the whole city). 3. Hop up one of those tourist buses with several routes, and go around the enourmus city. Or, you can take a classical old tram to see the charming scenery along the river and experience the local lifestyle. 4. Have a nice drink or dinner along the river, enjoy the beautiful sunset/night view in front of you, and of course, what's better than having a glass of Port wine as well. 5. Visit the many port wine caves if you're a wine lover. 7. Get a special old style cruise and enjoy your Douro River trip. 6. Go to the beach in Foz or go to Casa de Serralves if you like to have a sunbath or an interesting greenery place with a special designed big park with flowers and exhibitions to see. If you like music, you' need to see the Casa da Musica (The music house, it's a new interesting building worth visiting which is considered to be the best place in the world for musical performances in terms of acoustic quality.) 7. Go shopping in a mall near Estadio de Dragao (Dragon Stadium), there's a super trendy nice mall for you to spend your money. It's one of the Metro stations, so it should be easy to go. 8. Don't forget to try thier deligacy, especially the local favourite common dish called Francezinha. It's something you won't forget!

Well... what about an helicopter tour with the one that is at the Douro river? It's 45 euros (+ -)and you have to share it with more 3 people, I think...

Checked the internet just to fond out that the Aurora Forecast was updated yesterday… and is expected a Level 1 on Aurora activity (there’s only one worst - Level 0) for the 8^th December – the day on which was booked the “Northern Lights search for clear sky” with a local photographer in order to increase my chances of finding some good spots where to see Aurora!!!! What a bad luck… actually I use some more unpleasant words, but in Portuguese, so you better think it was just some untranslatable comments ;-)

After this, on 4^th December, the weather forecast also got worst, with a prediction of a warm +5ºC (in December at latitude N70!!! the arctic is getting tropical… my thought amongst some other untranslatable comments) with some rain on the days before we arrive – just in case some snow resist on melting with the warm temperature, this should do it – what the hell, it’s getting perfect conditions for a total screw up!!! grrrrr!

Not only FS lend me his photo equipment, but he also offered me a expertise class on how to handle the Canon 350D with the new Tamron Lens, a 17-50mm / f2.8 (for those photo curious that get this far reading! :-)

Because we both weren’t too familiar with night pics, we took this night to make some tests and went to this hill nearby Porto (overlooking the city of Valongo), to take some photos on less intense city lights -  I know it’s not comparable to the northern lights, but we have to shoot at something at night ;-) from this experience I learn how you feel when using a camera with no light to see it, as we choose a dark spot without artificial light around us! Especially if you are not familiar with the camera: “this button do this… and that button do that…” and I hardly see what he was pointing at!!! Well, we joked with the situation :-D

So my advice on taken pics in dark environments would be that you get quite familiar with equipment and know the main buttons by heart, cause you won’t see a thing :-)

This was also good to know that with a “warm” +6ºC my fingers almost freeze!!! So the gloves I bought wasn’t as good as promised!!! So what I’m I suppose to do if I get -10 or -20ºC ?! Well, guess I’ve to wait till I get on place, cause also, I’ve just fond out that I can’t operate a new camera and wear gloves at the same time :-D 

Ah! The camcorder… probably won’t catch anything!!! As it could be seen from the sequences recorded, with a much more intensity of lights in this place :-(

So, another advice, if you wanna film the northern lights better go with a professional with pretty good equipment :-)