Fishing village of Afurada

Sao Pedro da Afurada is a short bike ride away from Porto, on the Gaia side of the river. Its patron saint is Peter. Many of its homes are fronted by religious iconography, fishing being a dangerous business and all. At lunchtime, many of its residents were grilling fish in their backyards. They grow a lot of their own food, too. I locked up my Brompton and had some piping-hot pasteis bacalhau, or cod cakes, while walking through its cobblestoned alleyways.

Near the mouth of the Douro River is an acre of clothing flapping in the breeze.
Each family has its own rope, but sharing is not discouraged. Because it takes a long
time to dry clothes in the sea air, the apparel can hang there for two or three days.
This says something significant about commonality and trust in small-town Portugal,
which holds a lot of appeal.




It’s not hard to find a boat back to the Porto side. This one cost 1.50E, two-fifty if
you have a bike.