My wife and I, together with friends, planned a short break to Porto, found on the Douro River which runs from the Atlantic inland across into Spain.
Our flight was with EasyJet, departing from Manchester at 8:00 a.m. The flight time was modest, which meant we landed on time at 10:30 a.m.
The city of Porto is the second largest city after Lisbon and it was here that we stayed in the Porto Bay Teatro Hotel.
It’s a delightful city that mixes the old and new.
The city is built on the Atlantic coast at the start of the Douro River. The streets are hilly as this is the beginning of the Douro Valley.
We did a walking tour that helped us orientate ourselves. We saw markets, churches and a book store made famous by JK Rawlings and Harry Potter. There is an abundance of markets, shops, historical sights and too many restaurants to choose from. (It’s a good idea to book in advance).
Across the river stands The Dom Luís I Bridge, officially Luiz I Bridge, designed by Téophile Seyrig who previously worked for Gustave Eiffel (designer of the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris). This is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the river Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal. At its construction, its 172 metres span was the longest of its type in the world.
There is influence from the UK and most of its European neighbours by way of food, wine and architechture.
Like Lisbon you see the infamous Pastéis de Nata, a custard filled pastry that is addictive .. beware!
In this area of the world the soil and humidity create the perfect conditions for the wine growers and storage of the many Ports produced in this region.
Porto is home to well-known brands like Cockburn, Taylor’s, and Graham’s, all part of the Symington family empire.
We visited the Douro Valley, where vineyards as far as the eye can see benefit from the slopes and the perfect weather conditions. After the harvest, port is eventually added to French oak casks to aid in the ageing and colouring process. We were given an excellent tour of the estates and tastings, followed by a short cruise on the river.
On the way to the valley, we stopped to see the medieval town of Amarante, famous for the “Festival of bread penis” in the Festa de São Gonçalo, an annual festival held over the first weekend of June, which refers to the town’s unique phallic-shaped cakes.
The festival is a lively celebration with the town bustling with bakeries selling these unique cakes, local grandmothers baking giant penises, and people gifting each other the treats.
When we arrived, they were rehearsing the coming parade with the drummers putting everything into every strike of their marching snare drums.
In a local restaurant called Adega Kilowatt there is a signed autograph of Pierce Brosnan who visited and drank the local red wine. Amarante was once a key defensive point during the Peninsular war in 1809 when the Portuguese defended The São Gonçalo Bridge against Napoleons troops.
Back in the city of Porto, we visited the other side of the river. We were able to visit Cockburns, where some 10,000,000 litres of port are stored.
There are churches here covered in gold, exteriors covered in tiles depicting historical and biblical themes and amongst all of this the streets offer music, trams and colourful characters. A place to just sit and people watch.
During our three nights here, we walked close to 100,000 steps, exploring the many shops, markets, restaurants, and sites, and absorbed the atmosphere where exceptional street performers entertained.
The streets are steep, cobbled, and covered with a lot of graffiti, but this is an excellent city for a break and a place to explore.
