Wow am I woefully behind in my updates – I’ve been diving into Lisbon and getting back into the swing of work after a week of vaca so have had my hands full! :)
We rounded off our PortuGALS trip on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, which consisted of more eating and drinking – rinse and repeat. Had brunch at this great spot right by our Airbnb called Maria Limao where we had the cutest Easter-inspired lattes ever.
Next, it was off to an area across the Douro River from Porto called Gaia, which had some really cute shops and port wine cellars. Since we were going on a wine tour the next day, we opted to just crush a bottle on a rooftop in honor of our first Wine Wednesday abroad. The weather was spectacular as was the view of Porto from across the river!
Later that afternoon, we met up with a group and did a Porto food tour that had been recommended to me. We hit lots of off-the-beaten-path places, including the Bohelo Market and Porto’s oldest operating restaurant, ate all the food, and drank all the wine before ending the night with a port tonic and espresso martinis.
This was also a fun find at the bar… duel toilets. LOL
The next day, we got up bright and early to start our Douro Valley wine tour. It took about an hour and a half by van to get there from Porto but it was well worth it. The Douro Valley was stunning, and the wine/food was incredible as was the boat ride we took down the Douro River. And our tour group was SO much fun – we had a blast with some cool new people!
Our final day together on Friday was really special. I had met an awesome American couple while on a tour in the Azores, Merideth and Mark, the week before who lived just outside of Porto. Merideth sent us lots of Porto recommendations, which were extremely helpful, and was also kind enough to invite us to their village of Crestuma for some sightseeing and lunch. We met some of their awesome friends from South Africa and devoured a truly authentic Portuguese lunch. While we were there, we also met a wonderful Portuguese woman named Maria Fatima. She had dreamed of becoming a fado singer when she was growing up but her father forbid it. So now, she sings to the people in the restaurant. Incredible! It was also her birthday so we also sang her “Happy Birthday” in English. We had a blast!
We only had a few remaining to-dos on the list that we checked off in one swoop. Paula had to try a Porto delicacy called a Francesinha - basically a high-calorie meat sandwich. Ann and I split the vegetarian version and it was pretty good! We also hit up a historical and iconic spot called Majestic Cafe for one last bottle of vinho blanco.
We absolutely had the time of our lives! I’m so, so grateful to have these two amazing friends who were willing to fly across the pond and spend their Spring Break with me. We all agreed that the last few years had been tough for all of us for different reasons so it was nice to experience some much-needed joy and fun. Plus, it was really great to see some familiar faces right at the halfway point of my trip so the timing was perfect. Love you girls!
I had one more night in Porto so I went to a spot right across the street, éLeBê Entreparedes, where I saw a quote on the wall that I loved:
“We love perfection because we can’t have it; we would loathe it if we had it. The perfect is inhuman because the human is imperfect.”
And just like that, it was time to depart Porto and head south to Lisbon. Porto is an absolutely incredible city - stunning architecture, amazing food/wine, beautiful views, and lots going on. I absolutely LOVED it.
Rather than flying, I decided to take the train from Porto to Lisbon – best decision ever! The trip was only three hours but it went really fast and I got to see more of the Portuguese countryside. For a business class ticket, with Wifi, plug-in, LOTS of legroom, and a single seat by the window, it was only 45€. No bag weight limit, no security hassles, no delays – so so easy! I’ll take the train over flying any day of the week.
Next up… Lisbon!!
You are having an incredible time! Makes me want to go to Portugal. Your writings would make a great resource. Thanks for sharing. Love the pictures!