Feeling at ease with the Portuguese

Hi everyone,

The radio silence is over! I've been itching to get back to my blog for awhile, but the last few months I've been working on journal articles...have to give priority to the stuff I'm paid to write ;)

In the wake of Portugal's big win in the Euro 2016 football tournament (much to France's dismay), I decided to post about my trip to Porto, Portugal earlier this year. 

Scratched off country #19 on my map!

Porto (Oporto in English) is the 2nd largest city in Portugal and surprisingly easy to access from southern France.  At only 50 euros for a round trip ticket from Marseille with Ryanair, it's a perfect destination for a long weekend.

Arriving at the airport on a Thursday night, we took the tram into the city center. Not only was the fare inexpensive (~2 euros), but I was also amazed to see that a transport representative was waiting at the self-service machines to help us buy our tickets and point us in the right direction. What a warm welcome!

The first day was spent taking in the sites of the city. I had no idea of the depth of the architecture, food, and ambiance waiting for me. Porto has been rated by several articles as a "hidden treasure" and a "best destination" and now I can see why!

Strolling down Aliados Avenue in the heart of Porto.

Panos and I ready to take on the town!

The buildings in Porto are covered inside and out with azulejos, hand-painted blue and white tiles, that mostly depict Portuguese history. The main hall of the São Bento train station is covered with over 20,000 of them!

Sample of the azulejos in São Bento train station.

Display of azulejos on the facade of the Church of Saint Ildefenso.

One of my most anticipated stops was the Bolhão market, an open-air food and flower market operating since 1850. It was also the perfect place to have my first glass of port wine...even if I was a bit disappointed to find out that the locals rarely drink it.

Fruit and vegetable stand on the upper floor of the market.

Fresh fish stand complete with football posters and religious icons.

At the Bolhão market, the average vendor age had to be 60+. I loved to see the vendors watching their daily soap opera in the back corner of their stand or getting the latest gossip from their clientele. Just another day at work. All that walking around food made us hungry, so we decided it was time to try the Portuguese specialty sandwich, the Francesinha. 

Bufete Fase, a restaurant which serves only this specialty sandwich, lived up to the hype. The Francesinha consists of bread, ham, sausage, and steak covered in melted cheese and a hot, thick tomato and beer sauce...of course with french fries served on the side.  Calories don't count when you're traveling, right?

Ready to dig in!

Starting to get the meat sweats...

Although I could barely move after that huge meal, it was time to continue the city tour. The next stop was the Livraria Lello, one of the oldest bookstores in Portugal and also named one of the most beautiful in the world. An extra bonus for you Harry Potter fans, rumor has it that the central staircase served as J.K. Rowling's inspiration for Hogwarts. 

Top floor of the Lello Bookstore.

The central wooden staircase that dominates the bookstore.

As the sun started to set on the first day, we headed to the Douro River, which has its outlet at Porto. The economic crisis in Portugal can definitely be felt as you walk around and see many boarded up buildings. Many young people have left to find jobs abroad, but with new tech companies and pop-up shops I hope revitalization is around the corner.

Continuing to soak in the architecture on the way to the river.

The Douro River and the Dom Luís I Bridge.

Six bridges hang over the Douro River in Porto. While the Dom Luís I bridge (pictured above) is considered the most iconic, there is another popular wrought-iron bridge, the Maria Pia, that was built by Gustave Eiffel in 1877. Practice for a tower that would be built ~10 years later?

Still having no room in our stomachs after the Francesinha we traded in a traditional dinner for gelato...not a Portuguese specialty, but still delicious. 

For our 2nd day in Porto, we headed to the nearby Atlantic ocean by taking a vintage tram to the Foz district. 

Boarding the the heritage tram Line 1.

The weather was a bit too cold and windy to enjoy the beach, but the fresh air and impressive waves crashing against the sea wall made the trip worth the effort. Plus, every time I look out on the Atlantic from this side I like to pretend I can see the US in the distance. 

The Farol Molhe do Douro standing tall against the waves.

I think I can see New York from here!

Beautiful sunset peaking out from the stormy clouds.

With one more night in Porto before heading back to France, it was an easy decision on what to do for dinner. Time to try bacalhau, a dried, salted cod. Even though the bacalhau is sourced from Norway, Iceland, or Canada, it is still the treasured Portuguese national dish. Coupled with fried potatoes and onions, I gave it two thumbs up!

  

Bacalhau and potatoes!

Before leaving for the airport Sunday morning, we took some time to explore...the hotel. It turns out the Pão de Açúcar Hotel is not only a nice hotel in terms of cleanliness and service, but it is also a "vintage conceptual hotel" decorated with 20th century memorabilia. I loved the eccentric spirit and walking around each floor to see the vintage toy cars, gas pumps, televisions...I also couldn't help trying out the bumper car!

Preserved bumper car from the 1970s.

I can definitely say that both Panos and I fell in love with the city of Porto and its people. And with the reasonable prices on hotel, transport, and food (e.g. bottled water for 0.12 euros), Porto is a great and highly recommended getaway destination!

Obrigada!

Danielle