Two Days in Porto

It's been nearly a year since our trip to Europe... seems like a good time to share some photos, eh?

Our visit to Porto did not start off well. We flew in from Paris in the morning and had problems with the metro, which led to us missing our meeting with our Airbnb host. By the time we finally got into the city, it was raining hard and we were quickly soaked through to our skivvies. Eventually, we found refuge in a little restaurant next door to the apartment, and the kind waitress poured us each a big glass of wine and let us use her phone to call the host.

A few minutes later, we were checking in to the most beautiful Airbnb we'd ever seen. Massive French doors opened up to a small balcony and a view of the ancient rooftops and the Douro River. We changed into dry clothes and collapsed onto the bed, where we were perfectly content to watch the deluge and drift off into a nap until nightfall, when the rain mercifully began to subside.

Our time in the city was limited to just a couple of days, but Porto is small enough that we were able to get a solid sense of things despite our schedule. These are just a few highlights from our stay.

Francesinhas (and Other Fine Foods). Porto is not a culinary capital, which I'll admit was almost a relief after the sometimes intimidating scene in Paris. Even so, we enjoyed some truly memorable meals in the city, from simple pastries from a quiet bakery to the famous francesinha. You'll find Porto's signature sandwich in restaurants all over the city, each one boasting to have the best. The recipe is the same in most places: Ham, sausage, and steak are sandwiched between two thick slices of bread and topped with cheese, an egg, and a tomato-beer sauce. It's all served on a bed of salty fries, preferably with a tall glass of light beer. We felt terrible after eating it, but I'm so glad we did it. (We had ours at Restaurante Girassol.)

We also stopped by the beautiful Art Deco Majestic Cafe, which is a popular place for coffee and cakes. And we had a traditional Portuguese seafood dinner at the cave-like Adega de San Nicolau, which was tucked away right under our apartment. I really wanted to eat at Book, but we ran out of time.

Aimlessly Wandering. We woke up before dawn and decided to go out in search of a place to watch the sunrise. As it turned out, the city's narrow, winding streets (said to have inspired J.K. Rowling's depiction of Diagon Alley) can really do a number on your sense of direction. While we didn't find an overlook, we did discover some beautiful spots, and we enjoyed watching the city slowly wake from its slumber. We continued our wanderings for the rest of the day, thankful for the bright sunshine after the rain.

A New Perspective. Eventually, we did find the dramatic views we were searching for—first at the Clerigos Tower, then from the Dom Luis Bridge. We also took a cable car ride over the river and the city's famous port factories.

The next morning, we headed to the train station to catch a ride to Lisbon, feeling satisfied with our explorations of Porto. There's a lot we didn't have time to do—like tour the port factories, visit the Crystal Palace Gardens, or explore the Douro wine region and Piscina das Mares—but I'm sure we'll return. The short but sweet stop solidified Portugal's ranking as one of our favorite countries in the world, and I can't wait to go back.

6 Things to Drink in Lisbon, Portugal

Since visiting Portugal nearly a year ago, I've had a story idea bouncing around my brain. At the risk of sounding like a lush, it's about all of the wonderful things you can drink in Lisbon, from its distinctively dark coffee to its fizzy "green" wine. I finally pitched the idea to Paste, and it was published last week. You can read it here, and check out my previous blog post on Lisbon here.

Travel Diary: Lisbon and Sintra

It's a mystery why Todd and I both woke up before dawn on our second day in Portugal. It would have been around midnight back home, and neither of us had slept well that night. But we decided to get up and take a hike to a nearby miradouro (overlook).

It was a Sunday morning and the streets were completely empty. We had the city to ourselves until we reached our destination, where another couple sat waiting for the sunrise; they'd obviously been up all night. We watched the color of the city change as the sun rose. On the way back, we stopped at a small cafe where a sleepy owner served us coffee and creamy pasteis de nata.

 

It was still early when we walked to the train station, bound for Sintra. About 30 minutes from Lisbon, Sintra is home to a Moorish castle, elaborate estates, and forests that feel right out of a fairy tale. When I was researching the area, I wondered if a place that looked so much like Disney would feel cheesy. But though there were plenty of tourists, it still felt both magical and authentic.

I'm not sure how many miles we walked, but my feet didn't recover for several days. When a man in the village told us it would take hours to walk to the castle, we took it as a challenge and discovered a quiet, quicker (and steep) way there. Rather than take a bus between two castles (above and below), we walked between them. And rather than hitch a ride down the mountain, we followed the overgrown path beside the centuries-old castle walls until we found our way back to the village.

Travel Diary: Colorful, Crooked, Charming Lisbon

Believe it or not, Todd and I weren't sure if we would like Lisbon. We'd heard mixed reviews of the city, some calling it shabby, its residents unfriendly. It turned out to be one of our favorite places we've ever been.

We left Boston Friday night and landed in Portugal early Saturday morning. Neither of us slept very well on the plane, so we were running on fumes by the time we arrived in Lisbon. We climbed a massive hill to our apartment, located in the oldest part of the city just outside the castle walls. After a quick shower (and excited bouncing around the apartment on my part), we set out to find some lunch.

I couldn't get enough of Lisbon's iconic yellow trams, which chugged up and down the cobblestone streets, leaving just a foot or two for people on the sidewalk. We rode one much later that night, after the tourists had cleared out, and it was an unforgettable experience.

We quickly discovered just how hilly Lisbon is, and we stopped every now and then at scenic overlooks, busy squares, and dimly lit bars, resting our feet and soaking up the atmosphere. We stayed awake by alternating between cheap glasses of vinho verde, espresso, and shots of ginjinha, a sticky sweet sour cherry liqueur.

Lisbon is known for its colorful, intricate tile work, and I was blown away by how prevalent it is throughout the city. I've never seen such beautiful buildings in my life. Lisbon's age shows in its peeling paint and imperfections, but it has a proud elegance, too.