Late gate change, Gate A36 turned into gate A40 at FRA, that's about 1% of the journey to Oporto completed on foot. Another mile we'll never get credit for.

LH's intra-europe airbuses are functional but seldom comfortable. Still they generally leave on the right day, if not on time, which is a bonus compared with other European airlines. Today for example we see that our next flight out of OPO (to Lisbon) is cancelled, as is Ryanair's flight from OPO to STN - that means lots of angry British drunks in the airport.

Oporto Airport has quadruled in size since last year - a project for the European football tournament, sponsored by the soccer federation and the long-sugffering taxpayers of the EC (that's Germany, Austria etc.) So we walk for 20mins to get to the carousels, no need to hurry as you know you're up for a half hour wait for baggage at this latitude.

Those generous EC types have also equipped Portugal with a complete new network of freeways in the last 2 years, so getting to the Quinta was a breeze.

Entertained by a Gigi - a local 22 year old Fado singer, that's the traditional bluesy folk music of Portugal - our party is quite entranced with the music and the surrounding. She sings for 6 hours with a 4 person-backing and the cost is derisory, 150 euros. One day she will command a much higher fee.