Portugal 2021 - Day 3 (Porto) - the poshest Mcdonalds in the world?

Our final day in Porto started with that most typical of tourist activities, a trip to take photographs of the local Mcdonalds restaurant. Formally a swanky imperial coffee shop, this particular iteration of the golden arches is replete with chandeliers, stained glass windows and spiral staircases. 

It was so posh in fact, that you had to be issued with a code for the toilet, which from my observations one particular chap had forgotten on route, so he was forced to stand at the door peeking in through the frosted glass like that velociraptor in Jurassic Park in the hope someone would exit so he could slip in through the open door.

From the pleasure of taking snaps of classic corporate fast food chains, we opted for a more vertical challenge, hiking the 200ish steps to the top of Porto's commandingly positioned cathedral spire at the Iregio dos Clerigos to take in some breathtaking panoramics of the wider municipality.

The remainder of the day played out as a self guided walk through a truly maze like city park (jardins do palacio do cristal)

and across the western part of the city towards the Arrabida bridge at the mouth of the impressive douro River.

15,000 steps later, a plate of bacalhau (deep fried cod fish cakes), a cold bottle of Superbock in the shade and a very quick-fire wine tasting excursion helped to take the edge of an increasingly warm day.

On a final note, Buddhist monks spend years mastering the act of total and absolute zen. Liz managed it by ordering a bowl of vanilla and pistachio ice cream and achieving what I can only describe as complete and uninterrupted mindfulness for around five straight minutes.