Porto

Porto was an easy day trip from our digs in the Douro wine region of Portugal, a picturesque drive through UNESCO World Heritage terraces flanking the River Douro as it flowed toward the coast. Wine has been made on the banks of the Douro since the Romans ruled the area in the second century BC, and port since 1670 when two young Englishmen created Warre’s. Port has been a popular export from the region for more than 400 years, particularly to England. These days a considerable number of the large port houses in Porto are controlled by English firms.

Lisa had a tasting appointment at the Niepoort port house during our visit, so the kids and I tackled Porto solo for the bulk of our time in the city. Porto was visually stunning, the eclectic mix of Gothic architecture with centuries-old tiled facades on many of the buildings made for such a colorful and aesthetically charming city. It was hard to know where to point the camera as we were making our way across Ponte Luís I with the entire old town lit up by the morning sun. The kids and I ticked off some tourist items – like riding the authentic wood-paneled trams for which the city is famous, as well as dropping by the beautiful São Bento Station – but it was also fun to turn off my phone as we walked and just let our feet guide us into whatever alleyway or pedestrian-only street looked interesting. The kids had a blast looking in the abundance of quaint stores and window shopping at the mouthwatering pastelarias all over town. The pottery and homeware stores were exceptional; given how light we’d been traveling we hadn’t had the opportunity to snag many souvenirs along our journey, but Porto – and Portugal in general – would be an excellent place to fit out a house one day.

Mercado do Bolhão was well worth a visit, even though it was housed in a temporary location during our visit while the permanent Mercado do Bolhão was being renovated. Not on par with some of the other European markets we’d visited over the prior months – like those in Vienna and many of our Spanish stops – but the seafood on offer was quite impressive, easily the largest prawns I’d ever seen in my life.

It was impossible not to get caught up in the vibrant feel of Porto. Even on the cool November day when we visited the city was such a hive of activity. The street performers that we seemed to bump into at every turn were amazing, everything from dancers to busking musicians. The caliber was incredible. I think the kids’ favorite was the Brazilian-style dancer in the first photo below: the female puppet and male human dancer had their toes attached together, and the puppet’s head was controlled by the male human dancer’s hand in the small of her back. The dance numbers they performed were pretty mesmerizing, such amazing talent. They were so good that when the three of us first noticed them dancing we all thought the puppet was a live woman! Most of the squares dotted across the city had at least one busker performing for the diners enjoying lunch or a drink, we listened to everything from John Mayer covers to Bob Marley renditions and even some original Portuguese folk music as we explored. All told, I think the kids and I probably spent close to an hour of our day watching the street performers. Very fun.

The Ribeira neighborhood of the city is one where Lisa and I could easily spend many an afternoon with a few beers on the promenade watching the world go by. The waterfront was lined with countless restaurants and bars – with many more in the alleyways off the main promenade – and even on a weekday in November it was tough to find a table at many of the establishments. A visit to Porto wouldn’t be complete without dining on the city’s signature dish (thank you Riley Harrison for the hot tip on this one): the francesinha was a heart-stopping, artery-clogging dish that comprised two thick slices of bread sandwiching wet-cured ham, linguiça, fresh sausage, steak, then topped with a fried egg, covered with melted cheese and doused in a hot and thick spiced tomato and beer sauce. It was served with french fries, which excelled at sopping up the sauce once the “sandwich” had been polished off. Lisa and I had prepared our stomachs for a francesinha and split one for a late lunch, I think I probably could have eaten the whole thing but if I did it would have been a very uncomfortable drive home. It was utterly delicious, but another food item from Portugal that’s not going to be getting a tick from the American Heart Association anytime soon.

We rounded out our foot tour of Porto with a stroll along the south bank of the Douro opposite the old town. The elongated rectangular shape and red tiled roofs of the port houses lining the docks were very distinctive. All the big names in Portuguese port were featured: Taylor’s, Sandeman, Cockburn, Dow’s, Warre’s… For centuries wine has been shipped down the Douro in barcos rabelos (the distinctive port boats, one of which is pictured below) to be fortified and aged in the plethora of port houses lining the banks of the river in central Porto.

We’ve all enjoyed Europe’s marvelous cities, their food and history and hustle and bustle. But typically we’d all opt for a small beach town or mountain village over a city in a heartbeat. Porto was certainly an exception, without a doubt one of my favorite cities in Europe. Such stunning architecture, wonderful food and thoroughly exciting vibe. I’ll be back.