After spending the summer back in Portland, we got back on the road at the end of September. We flew to London for a one-day layover, then down to Porto, Portugal.
Porto is the second-largest city in Portugal. We stayed in the old town, and everything about it did feel old: cobblestone streets, narrow alleys, beautiful buildings. From the main plaza:
Porto spans the Douro river with lots of bridges.
We took a 45-minute cruise up and down the river.
Porto thrives on the banks of the river. So many shops, restaurants, bars and people.
We climbed the 200+ steps to the top of the main bridge.
Day 2 featured a food and walking tour. So many cured meats, aged cheeses, delicious olives, and lots of port. We also tried bifana sandwiches – slow cooked pork in a secret sauce.
There are three traditional styles of port: white, ruby, and tawny. We concluded the tour with a taste of each.
On Day 3 we climbed the Clèrigos tower (76m high) for some aerial views of Porto.
We then crossed the river to an area with plenty of port houses for lunch and a few tastings.
We capped the day by taking in the Porto vs Galatasaray (from Turkey) match in Champions League. Porto was slightly better that night and was rewarded with a tight 1-0 win. Leena found the tickets the night before. They were only 15 Euro each and we were in the second row. I’m guessing those don’t sell because they’re so low down it’s almost an obstructed view, but we loved the seats. As you can see, it’s a field-level view, but it’s not at all obstructed.
