The king left Coimbra, as he had decided, and made for Oporto, which was 18 leagues away; it was a city which he had never visited, nor had he been anywhere from where he could see it. This city is situated alongside the River Douro and is where many splendid naos and other vessels are constructed, far more than in any other place in the kingdom. The river is very deep where it flows past the city, allowing a gangplank to be placed from ship to shore so that people can embark or disembark at will.

Knowing that the king was on his way, the city's inhabitants made preparations to receive him. An instruction was issued that nobody should ply his trade and that on this day everyone should abstain from their usual work. The reception was arranged as follows: very early in the morning, all the naos in the river were dressed with flags and standards, and many green boughs were placed in whatever positions each person judged they were displayed to best advantage. The ships’ boats were all garlanded, with trumpets and pennants placed fore and aft and were equipped with skilful oarsmen, some wearing shirts and hats bedecked with roses, while others wore a livery which displayed striking sprays of flowers, all trying to wear their best. Setting aside all sadness, the city folk dressed themselves in their latest finery and dashed about, anxious to put on such a show as would deflect all criticism.

The streets along which the king was due to proceed, when heading for the palace where he was to lodge, were so thickly strewn with branches, flowers and sweet-smelling herbs, that the ground was no longer visible. Along these streets the house doors stood wide open and were garlanded in laurel and other greenery, some hanging down as appropriate, while other was so thickly woven together that it left no room for any further coverage. All this could readily be done at that time of year, as it was the month of May. Each person strove to surpass his neighbour in the way he bedecked his front entrance and his floor, placing by his door burning herbs, the smoke of which gave off such refined scents as would dispel any foul or noisome air.