Boa tarde do Porto! After one hell of an amazing week with my Dunedin friends Ann and Paula, I’m now on my way to Lisbon via train. Porto was absolutely phenomenal so there’s no way I can squeeze everything into one post. So this will be a multiple-parter!
I hopped on a quick two-hour flight from Ponta Delgada to Porto last Saturday, got my bag with no problem, and settled into our Airbnb, which is right near the city center. I arrived in town a day before the rest of the Porto Wine Mafia so I was able to hit the supermarket and get a lay of the land before they got to town.
The first thing that struck me about Porto is how it’s a smaller town yet LOTS going on all at the same time. There were countless bars, restaurants, cafes, shopping, etc. yet, it’s not got the hustle and bustle of a large city. The energy and vibrance of the city are infectious. And I quickly became obsessed with the blue and white tiles that were the city’s staple design element.
The girls made it to Porto on Sunday and I had wine and cheese waiting on them (which we polished off in record time). That night, we went to dinner and then stumbled upon a cool craft brewery, where we met a super cute doggo named Feliz who was wearing a raincoat. He quickly became our new best friend. :)
On Monday, I had kept it an easy “wild card” day in case the girls needed to sleep off the jet lag. They were both like “screw that.” LOL! We walked ALL over the city – our first stop getting a breakfast consisting of Pastel de nadas, a traditional Portuguese pastry, and a few strong coffees. Then we hit up Sé Catedral do Porto, which was stunning (and no, the walls somehow did not start bleeding when we all walked in).
Next, we did the most American thing ever…went to McDonald’s. But this wasn’t just any McDonald’s – it happened to be the fanciest one in the world. The building used to be an old cafe that went out of business. McDonald’s wanted to purchase it but rather the owners leased it so the stained glass, chandeliers, and other original elements couldn’t be removed. It was gorgeous. Another fun fact is that in Europe, fast food chains, such as McDonald’s, Burger King, etc. serve beer. So obvs, we had to.
After our fancy McDonald’s experience, we explored more of the city and stumbled upon the coolest park that had a bar in the middle called Base. The weather was gorgeous and we had a great time crushing a bottle in the sunshine (I’m guessing you might be sensing a theme). This was one of our favorite places to visit.
Then we strolled around the Mercado do Bolhão, which had just been renovated. They had every kind of produce, cheese, wine, fish, charcuterie, candy, and flower stand you could imagine. It was awesome. We grabbed a few glasses of wine (for only €2 each!) and a cheese platter and parked it on the steps, where we also met a few Americans from North Carolina, Georgia, and St. Pete of all places. Small world!
That night, we went to dinner at a hidden gem Portuguese restaurant called Almada Terrace (which was fantastic), followed by stops to a bougie spot called The Royal Cocktail Club and a 500-year-old church that’s now a bar called Capela Incomum.
And that was just day one – I’m tired from just recapping the day! We saw SO much and had a blast tearing up the city. Porto was already exceeding our expectations. Part two coming up shortly…
Amor e luz (love and light),
MW
Living your - Dash ❤️