Day 3 Travel Log: Hailstorms and Insomnia
Misc. thoughts on my last full day in Porto (next stop: Spain!)
I don’t know why I thought I could bypass the effects of caffeine in a foreign country, as if there’s a magical property in European espresso that allows drinkers to imbibe at 6 PM and be asleep by 9. I ate a pastel de nata and croissant for dinner because I hadn’t had a pastel de nata yet and it was dinner time and, inevitably, I needed a cappuccino to wash it all down, which kept me tossing and turning until early morning. All that to say, today started much later than I’d intended.
By the time I left the hotel, storm clouds hung low and gray and a cold wind whipped off the river, screeching through every alley and city street. I sought shelter in the doorway of a souvenir shop as the heavy rain turned to hail, shivering in wet socks and soaked through shoes. Finally, I stumbled into an empty cafe for lunch and reprieve, ordered octopus salad and fried cod balls, and exited to a bit of sunshine peering through the still-dark skies.
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My friend Rachel messaged me a TikTok reel with the caption “Solo influencers be like” that shows a guy awkwardly jogging across a foot bridge and then turning around towards the camera and walking slowly and dramatically as the screen darkens and the voiceover begins with a serious reflection about wandering (as if he hadn’t just staged the entire scene). I’m not an influencer (nor do I want to be), but if there was behind-the-scenes found footage of me, it would be anything but inspirational, no doubt revealing clumsy trips over uneven ground and embarrassing attempts at Portuguese.
The thoughtful writing I attempt cannot be divorced from the awkwardness of living and experiencing unfamiliar spaces. Still, there’s a reason I don’t film myself eating or walking or feigning deep thought—I don’t want to pretend to be contemplative for algorithm’s sake. Recording it would diminish the in-the-moment stuff that happens when there’s no camera to capture it—just a memory to hold on to.
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Porto was an afterthought. Originally, I’d booked a few days in Lisbon as my first destination on the way to Seville—the base camp of this trip. But multiple people mentioned Porto to me and I decided to switch up my already-planned itinerary and instead embark on an agenda-less few days in Porto. I have no regrets. In some ways, the city reminds me of my introduction to Prague last year—another river city with architectural layers, windy streets, and red roofs. Instead of chimney cakes on every corner, there’s pasteis de nata. Instead of river rats, there’s seagulls. These few days have been delightful. I’ve walked 18 miles up and down huge hills and windy, moss-covered staircases. I bought no tickets to any attractions and have barely spent any money on food, and yet I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything. I think I saw exactly what I came here to see. I think I saw all that I could see in this short amount of time and it is absolutely enough.
In Case You Missed It
Sounds like the best kind of trip. There's something special about wandering at your own pace and stumbling into shops and cafes that catch your eye without the influence of the Internet.
I'm loving these travel logs =) You're in your element with this kind of writing!