REM // Van McCann

79. The Sunset

The flight to Portugal was a long one with a layover in Charles de Gaulle. There was no direct flight to Porto. I was surprised that despite being seated next to each other, we weren't at each other's throats. She let me sit in the aisle seat because I like to stretch my legs and hate being confined. Most of my flight was spent watching films and listening to music while she spent it reading her romance novel which I made fun of. I'd rest my head on her shoulder, read along, and make comments despite not knowing the full story. At first, she found it amusing but then she told me to leave her alone, pushing my head off her shoulder to which I laughed. I gave her a quick peck on the cheek and said I was sorry.

When we arrived, we were elated and knackered. It was only noon in Portugal and we still had a long day ahead of us, getting settled in our hotel, finding food, and—if we were still up for it—walking around to get acquainted with the area. Florence spotted her suitcase in baggage claim and I helped her grab it and we were on our way to find the metro to Porto. The cheapest way to the city center was by metro and it was straightforward to use. We took it to Trindade station and walked the rest of the way to our hotel which wasn't a long walk per se but Florence was tired so I took her suitcase and had her navigate.

Checking into the hotel was easy. Florence unlocked our room and walked in, turning on all the lights and looking around. It was a small room with a closet, a bathroom, a desk, and two beds. She quickly claimed the bed by the window and fell onto the bed, her arms and legs sprawled out.

"I'm so tired," she groaned, her voice muffled by the sheets. I checked the time. It was only 1:30 PM. Even though I was knackered, I didn't want to waste the day sleeping. We were in Portugal for crying out loud!

"I'll give you half an hour to rest and then we're heading out to eat," I told her. She didn't respond so I nudged her leg. "Did you hear me? You're not asleep already, are you?"

"I heard you. I just didn't want to respond."

I shook my head and carried on unpacking my stuff. The first thing I did was take out my charger so I could charge my phone, then I started taking out my toiletries, putting them in the bathroom. I spent all day traveling and felt gross so I went ahead and took a quick shower. The shower instantly made me feel better and I felt more awake and energized. While Florence took a nap, I began searching for restaurants nearby to eat at.

Ribeira is Porto's most popular neighborhood full of shops and restaurants. It's right beside the Douro River and near the Dom Luís I Bridge. It seems we were lucky that it was sunny today, although it was a bit chilly out. Winters in Portugal are mild compared to winters in Seattle. Back home, it was 6°C and raining while here, it was 14°C and sunny. I'll take that any day!

It seems like Porto—or Portugal in general—is known for a few things like francesinha (a traditional dish from Porto), bacalhau (dried and salted cod), pastéis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts), seafood, and wine. After half an hour passed, I walked over to Florence to wake her up. She actually slept lying on her stomach and I felt terrible for waking her but I was hungry and couldn't wait any longer.

"Florence, wake up," I called, shaking her awake. Florence opened one eye, annoyed that she was being rudely awakened. She turned her head away from me as if that'd stop me and I chuckled. "I promise we'll sleep early tonight. I just wanna grab summat to eat."

Was it even worth eating at a restaurant for lunch? Maybe I'll get a snack to hold me over until dinner but it was nice out and I wanted to walk along the river. How could she not be excited to be in a foreign country?

In her defense, she did come home in the wee morning hours of Monday, drunk, but as promised she packed all her stuff. I was surprised I didn't hear her. She must've slept late...perhaps 4 AM and asked not to be disturbed but I woke her up by all the noise I made, frantically trying to make sure we had everything. I'm sure Florence planned to sleep on the aeroplane but she couldn't because of the excitement and partially because I kept bothering her. Florence sighed and sat up. Her eyes were puffy and her hair was a mess but she was still cute.