Porto, Portugal
We heard folks tell us in Lisbon, ‘While in Porto, don’t say you like Lisbon better’. Lisbon people don't care, but apparently the Porto people do. So we were curious to see what all the fuss was about. After spending several days in each city, we couldn't pick a favorite, they were both beautiful and unique. The only draw back for Porto was so much construction in the downtown area. We were on foot and could get around it, but it definitely deterred from the beauty of the city. But, our Airbnb was only 66 steps to our room this time.
We had an interesting arrival as most everyone is aware of. As we're coming into town, traffic seemed especially bad, big lines at the gas stations and trying to get out of town. Because we were coming into town, we didn't have any issue. Then we realized the trouble. No power! Wow, what an event that was. By the time we dropped into bed, the lights came back on. Whew… that could have been a mess the following day.
This beautiful park was one block from our Airbnb and sat on the edge of the town center. The weather was beautiful and we spent most of our time outside adventuring. Notice the odd shape of the trunks of the trees in the picture. We don't know why they are that way, but they were cool.
We found an outdoor market that had everything you could possibly want. It was clean, with plenty of space to walk around and the sights and smells were yummy (except the fish section). These types of open markets are very common in Portugal and it is fun to shop for your fruits and veges and take them back “home" with you. We decided, “home" is where our suitcases are! Watching the little kids play was a special treat - it makes us miss our own little ones, even if they aren't so little anymore.
What is better than the locals favorite food. This is a sandwich called a Francesinha. It is bread filled with ham, sausage, steak, covered in cheese, with an egg on top, and a spiced tomato and beer sauce, served with french fries. Yup, he ate the whole thing trying to tell me ‘it wasn't that big’. This was at a fun outdoor restaurant right on the walkway.
Porto is on the ocean, with a channel running through separating Porto and Gaia - two promonent cities. What better way to see both than from a sailboat on a river cruise. These cities have six bridges connecting them and a seventh is planned, and they need it.
Look at the barrels in this boat. This is how they transported Port wine down from the vineyards up river. Notice there is not a motor, they moved the stick/rudder back and forth to propel the boat. This sounds pretty easy in calm water, but remember, this is a channel of ocean water and comes in and out with the tides. I would not want to be “rowing" this against an incoming tide. We’ll stick to motored boats. There were a bunch of these in the harbor, but we aren’t sure what they are used for today. Now I know why this city is called Porto.
The Captain had to go below to take a phone call so I was happy to help…
We took the funicular to the top of the hill where a train bridge was open to pedistrians. This was the view and it was spectacular. Never heard of a funicular? It's a cable car that transports people up and down steep slopes.
Our last attraction was the Livraria Lello bookstore where JK Rawlings got her inspirations for her books. It is so popular, you have to buy tickets identified with a timeslot. Gratefully, the times are in 15 minute increments and you can stay for 30 minutes, but there was still a ton of people. Look at the woodwork - this alone was worth waiting for.
Here is what it looks like empty (courtesy of the internet). The stairs circle around each side of a landing to the top. A genius work of art.
