We arrive to Porto and are greeted by our Airbnb host Alexandra who gives us lots of info and recommendations including where the local Pingo Doce is so we are happy out! I am a little sad that when I produce my list of incorrupt bodies to ask if she can point them out on the map her response is “not in Porto, not in Porto”…
Our top floor apartment (yes it’s got a terrace) is on Santa Catarina street which leads straight to the pedestrian area and the heart of Porto. We take a walk to one of the recommended restaurants called Reitoria which has a casual sandwich cafe downstairs and a very fancy steakhouse upstairs. We enjoy a tasty meal and get our first “taste” of Porto.
Next day while we still have the car we set off to visit the Douro valley. It’s about an hour and a half drive from Porto. The views from the car are stunning and we drive over some impressive bridges…
We stop for a quick coffee and toilet break in the town of Villa Maria. Finding a small local cafe with granny sitting out front, we sit outside and apparently have the best coffee the gang have had on the trip so far, and surprise surprise it’s the cheapest!!
We continue to Peso Da Regua and it’s lunchtime. I must admit that I was expecting we’d have lunch in a small village overlooking the Douro valley but this is definitely not that. It’s recommended by Lonely Planet but let’s face it, looks like a kip… that said I have a sneaky suspicion this could be a great meal and guess what… it is!!
We continue to what is widely known as THE most scenic viewpoint of the Douro valley – Sāo Leonardo de Galafura. It is absolutely stunning and the weather cooperates and stops raining so we can enjoy the 360° panoramic view. [Theres a small chapel at the top with a stone engraved with a poem by Miguel Torga]
We arrive back to Porto and are all a bit knackered so some of us head off to explore a craft beer bar and some of us (i.e. me!!) decide to check out some dodgy tv and have an easy evening with the feet up at our very nice Airbnb.
Next morning we ditch the car and get ready to explore Porto on foot… The famous tiled church “Capella das Almas de Santa Catarina” is about half a kilometre down our street so it’s our first port of call. The tiles are by Eduardo Leite.
Onwards to the São Bento railway station famous for.. yep you guessed it… tiles! It’s a popular spot and quite busy with tours. The tiles are by Jorge Colaço and depict the history of transport, ethnography (culture, customs etc) and other famous Portuguese events.
For the afternoon we are doing a Food Tour. We are due to meet our guide at noon at another big church called Igreja dos Congregados. This one is also ornamented with tiles by Jorge Calaço. We arrive early so we get to go inside where there are a huge amount of statues and relics.
We meet our guide, Ida and she brings us on an amazing journey around Porto.
We start with an amazing little tasca where we have a bachalau – the original salt codfish cake and then a bifana which is a delicious sandwich of pork in a piri piri sauce and a light bread roll. There’s extra piri piri sauce on the table and I check it out and see it’s from the Pingo Doce (there’ll need to be a little trip there to bring some home me thinks). We have a cup of vinho verde (which translates as green wine) served in a mug. What a great start…
Next we go into the market which is a temporary market as the original has been closed for 4 years! It will open again soon but this temporary one looks amazing – it used to be a car park but they’ve done an amazing job. We try a very dense rye bread and check out some fruit – the figs are delicious. We get a tiny bottle of moscatel (a light fortified wine made from muscat grapes) and make our way toward the olive oil stand to try a few varieties, we also try some lupine beans which are a nice snack with the wine. Next for some cheese and then sardines…
Ida asks if we saw the Anthony Bourdain show where he visited Porto and points out a woman at a fish counter who apparently appeared on the show as she was shouting things at him, being a bit raucous…. literally a bit of a fish wife… she’s giggling as we pass by so we jump in for a photo with her – she is clearly famous at the market!
We leave the market (after purchasing quite a bit) and go to a restaurant where we try the famous franchisina. This is the crazy “sandwich” with layers of meat, covered in cheese and sitting in a tomato sauce – its proper mental! Also we have chorizo and beans, bachalau with cream and tripe – at the request of Shane! The suggested beverage is the local Super Bock beer but we couple of us wangle a glass of rosé. From the restaurant we go to a new cake shop called Tonton cake for some tiny but delicious tarts… then some pastel de nata which obviously can’t be missed and we finish with a port tasting.
I would definitely recommend this tour. Ida works for herself and is really knowledgeable about the city and the food of Porto. She was really friendly and was able to answer all of our questions.
We take a ramble down to the river and decide to jump on the tram to Foz, it’s a nice spot for an evening stroll along the water and around the little town.
We head a little further north to Matosinhos and have a beer before heading back for some nibbles at the casa.… we’re all still full after the food extravaganza of the afternoon.
Next day we set off to to explore more of Porto. I love the buildings, the streets and the shops as we walk around…
We pass the Porto sign and I want to see the famous McDonalds.
We walk to the Livraria Lello bookshop also known as the Harry Potter bookshop because its decor and staircase were apparently the inspiration for Hogwarts. There’s an entrance fee and the queue is already a way down the street… thanks Harry Potter fans…. yeah, I think I’ll give that a miss.
Lots more churches and tiles to see….
We head back to the river and walk the bridge to Gaia.
The views back to Porto are fab…
Gaia, on the opposite side of the river is where all the port houses are.
I’m really looking forward to trying a full size franceschina for lunch so we hit a low key little cafe…it’s the strangest “sambo” but I love it…with a glass of vinho verde of course! [bread, ham, steak, sausage, covered in cheese and served in a tomato sauce]
We take the cable car and enjoy more views of Porto…
From the cable car exit we walk further uphill to the highest point for yet more views.
And we find the Gaia sign…. The Portuguese do love their signs and it’s a great photo opportunity !
We walk across the bridge, this time on the upper level where the tram runs, and return to the Porto side. Next is a visit to Porto cathedral.
We meet the gang at a rooftop bar and have a cocktail made with white port – it’s gorgeous. Then we hit the market for a port tasting which is really good and incredible value. We taste 5 ports : a white port, an LBV (late bottle vintage) a 20 year, 30 and 40 … all big pours and all for €10! I’m not sure how they are still in business. Once we’re done it’s time to head home for a chill out evening and some nibbles…
Next day (the last day of the holidays) we decide to take a day trip to Braga. It’s just over an hours journey on the train.
Braga is Portugal’s religious capital. Located in the northern Minho region, the city is also one of the country’s oldest, most likely founded by Bracari Celts and known in Roman times as Bracara Augusta. In the 12th century, Braga became the seat of Portugal’s archbishops and remains the nation’s most important religious center.
The old town features a number of splendid 18th-century mansions fashioned out of granite in an imposing architectural style. This house called the Raio palace or the house of the Mexican was built in 1754 and is particularly nice…
My research tells me there’s a pastry local to Braga that we must try. It’s called Frigideiras. I somehow walk right past this restaurant but Shane spots it and we try them out.. as ever with most savoury pastries I taste, I love it.
We visit Braga cathedral which is the oldest cathedral in Portugal and the seat of the primate archbishop of Portugal and Spain.
We find an authentic looking cafe to sit and have some lunch but alas they are out of the soup that Shane has been looking for but hasn’t managed to try yet. We do get to see the Braga sign though!!
They’re really into their angels around here…
Second visit back to the cathedral to see some of the treasures that weren’t open earlier. A young boy with really good English brings the six of us and a large set of keys around some very interesting rooms including some tombs and the huge organ.
The highlight is the mummified body of the archbishop Lourenco Vicente, deceased in 1398. It’s the closest I get to an incorrupt body so a highlight of the trip for me … doesn’t he look well?
We take the train back to Porto and have a couple of things to do before we have our final dinner together. First a stop at the Pingo Doce to stock up on some piri piri sauce to take home… it is all of 37cent!!!! And next a quick walk to the top of our street where I’ve been told there are vending machines worth checking out… I won’t say what’s in them but let’s just say you could have a very interesting party for 1… or 2!!
It’s time for our final dinner and we are going to an old school fine dining restaurant at the top of quite an ugly building that we can see from our bedroom window. It sounds interesting though and the food is really good.
The final story to this amazing trip involves 6 (not so small) adults in a (small old) lift designated for 4 (possibly Portuguese size) adults. I think you might guess where this is going. All I can say is, we survived, nobody got too distressed and we learned our lesson!!
Adeus Portugal, you’ve been great!
odohertyelaine 