Category: Porto

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 is very nice and has many fun aspects, especially the art. It is just a little too big. We had a pleasant few hours at Mas Q Menos. The coffee was excellent.

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 river. Many of the narrow side streets turn into staircases and the city will take your breath away. It has dozens of museums (including a puppet museum), endless bakeries, some amazing food shopping, street performers, ham, sardines, cheeses and wines. All the major food groups. It has a subway system and a commuter rail. And vestiges of a street tram system that looks mighty dangerous both to riders and pedestrians. They say they are safe. The Portuguese are friendly, respectful and eager to share their bounty.

Some Highlights

• Majestic Café
• Bolhão Market
• Comer e Chorar por Mais – Gourmet Store
• A Pérola do Bolhão – Gourmet Store
• Jardins do Palácio de Cristal
• Livraria Lello – BeauxArt Bookstore
• Museu das Marionetas do Porto
• Centro Português de Fotografia
• Porto Cathedral
• Museu da Cidade do Porto

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 for the luggage.

Breakfast was charming and very custom. They were so attentive and friendly. We made friends.

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 Cream, Floresta cafe by Hungry biker, the restaurant at Casa Da Companhia Hotel and Picota, close to the start of Rua das Flores. A special situation developed when we went looking for a renown tapas bar called Voltaria. The first time we tried the wait time was something like two hours. It has a reputation. While we did eventually try it out (we got tipped as to what was the best time to approach them) we noticed right behind us a charming square attached to a restaurant named Em Canto . It became a favorite and we ate there several times. This was just off Rua das Flores on a little street named Rua de Afonso Martins. And we know there were many more such places to be found

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, Bacalhau, Fish Fish, Porto Escondido, Fiume Douro, Farol da Boa Nova, and the lovely Escama. Oh, no! I forgot Postigo do Carvão and Chez Lapin. Now you are good for more than a week at least.

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 afford some spectacular views of Porto.

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 long, a little bloody, and very complicated. Port on the other hand is very simple, although there are many kinds and many techniques involved.

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 are very pretty and the restaurant has a wonderful reputation.

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 of my trip to Porto. The wine is exceptional and their restaurants are all first rate. And the staff was phenomenal.