Madrid Airport is vast. It was kind of fun the first time we went there to catch our flight to Porto. The next time we went it was to change for a flight to Menorca and that was not so nice. We have switched to using Barcelona for that kind of change. But the airport […]
Porto is Portugal’s second city. It is divided by the Douro river. On the river coast on one side is Vila Nova de Gaia, where all the port makers are. On the other side is Old Town. This is primarily where we visited. Porto is all up and down, with many steep ascents from the […]
Belomonte Guesthouse What a wonderful place to stay. It was a four floor walk up to the room we choose but it was the best room. And the view of the city was addictive. I must have taken 20 or 30 pictures of just that. To be fair they had a dumb waiter style elevator […]
Many things made the 4 floor walk-up worthwhile. This view of Porto was one of the main ones. I must have taken more than 40 photos. All times of day, especially just waking up and just before going to bed.
Old Town has many pedestrian streets but one of its most charming strolls is along the Rua das Floras. Food shops, restaurants, boutique hotels, museums, churches, and people. Goes on for more than a kilometer. Up any side street are more restaurants and shops. We were particularly taken with Chocolataria Ecuador, Glanni – Portuguese Ice […]
On the Old Town side of the river, on the river front is a stretch of cafes and restaurants. Always happy, always crowded, always fun. And even with the mad amount of people, somehow most of these places always find a way to seat you. It a higher kind of math. I would recommend Terreiro, […]
The main pedestrian bridges across the Douro, Ponte Luis is only somewhat friendly for pedestrians. The upper level is also the mass transit crossing and operates at a dizzying height. The lower level has narrow pedestrian side walks and cabs shuttling folks over to the wineries wiz by you as you walk. It does however […]
Vila Nova de Gaia or simply Gaia, is a city and a municipality located south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city contains many cellars (locally known as “caves”) where port wine is stored and aged. It’s history is tied directly to the production of port. It’s […]
Taylor’s is probably the most available port in the world. It is everywhere. The full company name is Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman and is part of the Taylor Fonseca Group, which owns the brands of Taylor, Fonseca, Fonseca-Guimaraens, Krohn, Delaforce and Croft. Not a great port but definitely a good port. The grounds and establishment […]
Graham’s Port Lodge W. & J. Graham’s, or simply Graham’s, is a producer of port wine. It is one of the most important of the port names. It is also one of the best. I can not say too much about how much I enjoy their wine. Visiting their cave was one of the highlights […]
São Bento Station was once the main railroad station in Porto but now is a terminus and connecting station. The international and long distance lines all run from Porto Campanha, two stops from São Bento. It is still an important station and very friendly and quaint. We love train stations.
Quinta Nova Nossa Senhora do Carmo Quinta Nova Winery House is a luxury hotel located in Covas do Douro, Portugal, and is part of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux group. It is situated within the historic Quinta Nova Nossa Senhora do Carmo estate, known for producing award-winning Douro and Porto wines. Bonnie and I took […]