There are really very few similarities between Porto and Lisbon-they are both near the coast and have some fairly daunting hills, but we think that is where it ends. The two cities have a different feel and different charms. Porto almost has a “faded grandeur” about it similar to Buenos Aires. (In our opinion, Lisbon, even though it is larger, trumps Porto for charm.) We were told that there is a strong sense of rivalry between Porto and Lisbon. Porto is a riverside town that has a thousand and one nooks and crannies with loads of local culture and history. It was a trading and commercial city dominated by the church and all that can be seen and felt in one of the oldest cities in Europe. It’s like taking a trip back to Olde London town. Today, was the first sunny day in Porto since we arrived; so, we decided not to take any day trips by train and just meander the streets and explore this delightful city. We strolled along the steep, cobbled, convoluted streets and alleyways of the historic center and the downtown area. The network of tiny streets, where no cars could possibly travel, had lots of laundry swaying in the wind from the windows. There were numerous small shrines and churches dotted throughout the city. We were awestruck by the number of churches that had absolutely magnificent blue and white tiled scenes on the facades.
The Ribeira District is the heartbeat of the city. It lines the banks of the River Douro with pastel-hued, tile-faced houses with ornate iron balconies that has made Porto a World Heritage town. Ribeira also lies next to the most beautiful bridge of Porto, the Ponte Dom Luis (a 240 foot high double-decker bridge). Ribeira, is full of bars and touristy restaurants and overlooks the area across the river called Vila Nova de of Gaia. Gaia is where the original port families stored and aged their port wine. Gaia is what made Porto so famous. Unfortunately, both of us are not fans of port wine so we didn’t partake in any “flight” samplings.
We stopped by the Bolhao Food Market which was disappointing (perhaps because it was on a Tuesday?) and then headed to the Torre dos Clerigos which is a 240-step landmark tower with panoramic views of Porto. The Sao Bento train station might be one of the most beautiful train stations in the world! The station, which used to be a former monastery, marks the transition from the old town to the downtown area. The station is famous for its massive and stunning Portuguese tile (a.k.a. traditional azulejos) panels that depict scenes of the history of Portugal. We also visited two Porto institutions that exemplify a bygone era: The Lello Bookshop which is considered to be one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world (they even charge admission!) and the iconic Cafe Majestic, opened in 1921, where waiters serve you tea and pastries in white jackets. Photography in the bookstore is not even allowed. The bookshop is well-know for its red stairway that looks like a giant tongue!
Tonight, we dined at an upscale restaurant that served “contemporary” Portuguese food, specializing in tapas. We feasted on 4 different Portuguese tapas ranging from sausages, octopus, fish cakes and a ham and mushroom mixture. All were quite delicious.
Tomorrow we fly back to Madrid for the night and then we fly on to Rome on Thursday.
