It's been a while, and I hope you had a great summer!
Mine was INTENSE, and I think that's still a weak word. But what I am sure of is that it ended wonderfully with a 4-day trip to Porto which did me a lot of good.
I am putting the link to the Porto vlog which will allow you to visualise everything in this article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch7yzSiI7SM
VISITS & ACTIVITIES
1. The Ribeira district
Not to be missed, beautiful, splendid, peaceful, especially in the evening, to enjoy the sunset, and the incredible view! Really a big favorite! Don't hesitate to sit at a terrace among all the restaurants along this area, to enjoy the view while eating or drinking.
2. City Bus tour
Having a short stay, we opted for a city bus tour of the city, so as not to miss anything beyond what we had already seen while walking around. We did this with the Yellow Bus Sightseeing Tours company, taking a ticket with the option of a city tour (valid for two days), as well as the possibility of taking a cruise, visiting the Porto Calem wine cellars, and doing a wine tasting there.
I recommend this city bus tour, it was a great experience, especially as there were headphones available to hear the history of the city; and it was very interesting!
3. Boat cruise
As mentioned above, we had the opportunity to take a relaxing 50 minute boat cruise. We then sailed along the entire Ribeira district, including the history of some of the buildings, another informative moment!
4. The cellars of Porto Calem
It is true that our ticket originally included a tour of the wine cellars and a wine tasting. But once we got there, there was no more room available for the day, so we went to the wine shop, where we could do a wine tasting. An instructive moment too!
DISHES / RESTAURANTS
1. Traditional dish "La Francesinha
I dare you to leave Porto without seeing this famous "Francesinha" on a poster! I saw it so much on my first day that I asked a restaurant owner what it was. It is a traditional dish, a croque-monsieur revisited, bread with ham, sausage, covered with cheese which is then melted. The whole thing is bathed in a tomato sauce made from beer and chilli.
I recommend you try this dish, because it is good for the culture, but to be honest, we didn't like it very much.
You can eat it ANYWHERE, as almost every restaurant offers it. Don't hesitate to give me feedback if you try it.
2. At Lapin
This is a restaurant located in the Ribeira district. We chose it a bit at random, looking quickly at the menu, and seeing some interesting dishes. It was a pleasant and peaceful moment. Feel free to count the number of times the word "peaceful" is written in this article...)
I will remember this restaurant for its good sangria!
3. Majestic Café
It's a café, a very, very nice café, very chic. The story goes that the author of the Harry Potter books used to go there regularly when she lived in Porto.
We ate there on the last night of our trip, it wasn't the best meal we had either but it was still good to be there.
4. Pastéis de Nata
Big favorite of the trip (side by side with the Ribeira district)!
If there is one thing you must eat before going to Porto, it is this pastry! A pure delight, and again the word is too weak. I recommend the bakery "Manteigaria" which makes them extremely well! However, if you start eating them in this bakery, chances are you won't want to eat them anywhere else...
That's it, that's all I could say about this trip. It was a beautiful trip and Porto will have marked me for the peace I found there throughout my stay (hence the title of the article). I hope to go back one day, and as mentioned at the beginning of the article, if you want to see the journey in videoHere is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch7yzSiI7SM
With love,
The Christianista
