Porto

[Fri 5/12 - Sun 5/14]

The flight from Gatwick to Porto was a little bumpy but otherwise easy. We arrived mid-afternoon, picked up a rental car and drove about 25 minutes to our hotel, Se Catedral, in the center of town. Checked in and headed out to explore the busy town of Porto.

First stop, Clérigos Tower, a church set on the highest point of the city with a tower that provides a 360 degree view of the entire city. We climbed the very narrow stairs - frequently having to stop and make way for others coming down - to the top.

Clérigos Tower

Porto and the Douro River

Enjoying the view!

Porto is perched on a hillside along the north side of the Douro River. We decided to explore the areas at the top of the hill and save the riverfront for Saturday. We walked for a bit, then stopped for a glass of wine and some snacks.

Many of the buildings are decorated with beautiful tile murals

Afternoon snack... mmm

We decided to head back to the hotel to relax and clean-up before dinner. On the walk back, we passed The Royal Cocktail Club which, of course, caught my eye. As I was peering inside, a couple came out and made a strong pitch for us to head in and try the mule ("best we've ever had" and "amazing!"). And so we did!

Mules came with whipped pistachio cream on top... pretty tasty

Stopped back at the hotel briefly then headed to Mito, a spot Thomas had found, for a delicious dinner of shared plates. 

Sunset view of the skyline and Clérigos Tower from our hotel room

Sea bass we shared at Mito... so good

Saturday we had breakfast at the hotel, then walked to several nearby sites, including Porto Cathedral, São Bento train station and Mercado do Bolhão (where we bought bread, cheese and fruit for a picnic lunch.

Porto Cathedral

Pelourinho (pillory) do Porto - behind the cathedral

The back of the cathedral overlooks the Douro River

Narrow alleys and streets

Murals at the entrance to São Bento train station

Mercado do Bolhão - the cleanest/brightest open-air market I've ever seen

All kinds of smoked fish products

Dried/salted cod - cod is a staple of Portuguese cuisine

A beautiful day for a picnic!

After lunch, we toured the Church of St Francis, then walked along the waterfront which was overflowing with crowds, street vendors and performers. We walked across the Luis I Bridge to the south side of the river, which is home to wine cellars and tasting rooms for all the port wineries along the Douro River - dozens of them. The waterfront was packed here too, so we walked a couple blocks south and found quiet streets where we got an afternoon coffee, pastel de nada (national pastry) and gelato. Thomas and Caroline headed back to the hotel to rest a bit while Karri and I explored some more, then decided to do a port tasting at Vasques d Carvalho winery.

Church of St Francis, a gothic church built in the 1400's

Apartments overlooking the waterfront

People everywhere!

Porto from the south side of the river

Afternoon re-charge - that's a Pastel de Nada (custard tart) - so good!

Port tasting - never knew there was white port

We headed back to the hotel, taking a circuitous route to see as much of the city as possible, then cleaned up and headed out to dinner at A Cave Do Bon Vivant - a small, French-Portuguese restaurant that Thomas found (again). Had an amazing meal to cap off a great day in beautiful Porto.

After breakfast Sunday, we packed up then Karri made a quick run to Livraria Lello - a bookstore that inspired JK Rowling's imagination for the library in Harry Potter - then we hit the road for the drive to our next stop - the town of Pinhao in the heart of port wine country further up the river.

Livraria Lello bookstore