On the four Porto days that were clear enough for us to attempt exploring, our odds were about 50% for dry sightseeing.

We got all dressed and ready for our first day in the city only to head home after getting soaked in the first twenty minutes of walking.

Learning from our first attempt, we took the metro straight to our destination the second time around. It started to sprinkle the moment we got off the metro, naturally. We have seen sprinkles turn quickly into torrential rain here many times, so it seemed inevitable that we would soon be rained out. We walked across the Ponte Luis I as the rain rolled in, enjoying the views of the Douro River and all the buildings and activity of the Ribeira.

As it began to rain in earnest we ducked into the cathedral and watched mass begin. It cleared up enough for us to leave our dry spot and get soaked walking down to the river’s edge. One funicular ride up and two metro rides later, we were back at home base, defeated again! This weather has inspired all sorts of superstitious talk: leaving sunglasses at home ensures sun, packing lunch equals rain, etc.

Our third attempt provided better results with enough sunshine to walk around town on a brisk but beautiful day.

We expected to be rained on yesterday but went out anyway to try to see a few more things before leaving Porto. We found some friendly faces and fun treats at the Mercado do Bolhão: fresh and colorful fruit smoothies and dates stuffed with fillings in the theme of many countries. It poured for about ten minutes while we stayed nice and dry at the market – what luck!

We absorbed a bit more of Porto’s colorful, creative vibe in the sunshine, grateful for the chance to sightsee under blue sky. Portugal’s second largest city is a wild mix of old and new. You can see ancient churches, shiny department stores, fine art, and graffiti in the same block.

We are about forty minutes south of the Spanish border now, at our northernmost point on the Iberian Peninsula. The crashing waves in our front yard remind us of the Oregon coast. As usual, it’s about to rain.