Planes, trains, and automobiles
Being very careful in crowds
Our final day in A Coruna turned out to be nothing but rain. We looked for things to do indoors and our first stop was the indoor market. With the exception of a few fish mongers it was a bust. After this we wound up at the art museum.
Laurie enjoyed the museum but after a couple of hours we were out of things to do. We wound up taking a cab across town to the mall. We’ve visited malls in multiple countries, always on a rainy day when we couldn’t navigate outside. Berlin, Copenhagen, and now Spain. For the most part, a mall is a mall. But we did find an interesting store or two.
Laurie enjoyed the museum but after a couple of hours we were out of things to do. We wound up taking a cab across town to the mall. We’ve visited malls in multiple countries, always on a rainy day when we couldn’t navigate outside. Berlin, Copenhagen, and now Spain. For the most part, a mall is a mall. But we did find an interesting store or two.
Checkin' out the art!
You don’t hail a cab, you go to the cab stand. If you want one to come to you, a call to the cab company will work. But I decided to try the taxi app for my phone, thinking it would be much easier as it translated everything. We found the app to be incredibly easy to use, and we could usually get a cab in a few minutes. It was super easy.
The cab ride from our hotel to the mall was maybe 4 miles. Cost was around 7 or 8 euros. That cab ride in NYC would have cost considerably more. I haven’t taken cabs many other places so I can’t compare. The rest of the evening we have dinner, a coffee, and pack for our travel the next day.
The cab ride from our hotel to the mall was maybe 4 miles. Cost was around 7 or 8 euros. That cab ride in NYC would have cost considerably more. I haven’t taken cabs many other places so I can’t compare. The rest of the evening we have dinner, a coffee, and pack for our travel the next day.
People talk about internet jail...is this it?
A Coruna was a bit of a disappointment to me. You tube videos made it look a lot more interesting that it actually was. We saw everything unique about the place on the first afternoon. While it was okay......I wouldn't go back. There are so many nicer places to visit in Spain. It wasn't bad....just not spectacular.
We rise earlier than any day on this trip, around 6:45 a.m. We have breakfast at the hotel then use the cab hailing app to get a cab to the bus station. You put the destination in the app and it already shows your location. From the time I requested a cab it took three minutes before it pulled up out front.
We rise earlier than any day on this trip, around 6:45 a.m. We have breakfast at the hotel then use the cab hailing app to get a cab to the bus station. You put the destination in the app and it already shows your location. From the time I requested a cab it took three minutes before it pulled up out front.
Alsa bus to Porto
The buses have decent leg room, seats that recline so you can sleep, WIFI, and seat back TV’s. A big screen up front has a map and shows where your bus is at all times. Large bags go in the hold and small items can go in the overhead rack or under the seat.
It was about a four hour ride and I slept about an hour. We would have liked to have taken the train but it would have left at 8 a.m. and we would have to transfer trains in another city, with an 8 hour layover. So we took the bus, with a cost of 25 euros each. It was pretty painless and considerably nicer than bus travel in the states.
It was about a four hour ride and I slept about an hour. We would have liked to have taken the train but it would have left at 8 a.m. and we would have to transfer trains in another city, with an 8 hour layover. So we took the bus, with a cost of 25 euros each. It was pretty painless and considerably nicer than bus travel in the states.
Sundown in Porto
When we reach Porto, Portugal, we grab a cab to our hotel. We’re early and have an hour or so to kill and the hotel keeps our bags for us. We grab lunch and by the time we finish our room is ready. We head back and move into the room, where the staff has already placed our bags.
It’s an older hotel right in the center of the city. It’s clean, well taken care of, but old school. You leave your key at the front desk and pick it up when you come back to the hotel. We wander the city for a few hours and head back. We know Porto pretty well having visited in the past so there was nothing exciting.
It’s an older hotel right in the center of the city. It’s clean, well taken care of, but old school. You leave your key at the front desk and pick it up when you come back to the hotel. We wander the city for a few hours and head back. We know Porto pretty well having visited in the past so there was nothing exciting.
The famous bridge in Porto
We chose Porto for a transfer back to the UK as it is a fairly large (1.35 million people) city and gets a lot of flights. Like the train, there may have been a flight out of A Coruna but it probably required several layovers, odd hours, or some other reason that caused me to decide Porto was a better option.
We slept late, had a mediocre breakfast that the hotel furnished, then we leave early for the airport. Nothing exciting the past few days but sometimes you have bad weather or “transfer days” where it’s not exciting. It’s part of the game. See you in London.
We slept late, had a mediocre breakfast that the hotel furnished, then we leave early for the airport. Nothing exciting the past few days but sometimes you have bad weather or “transfer days” where it’s not exciting. It’s part of the game. See you in London.