Porto
Tuesday December 28, 2021
I keep thinking I should have come here when I was visiting Portugal in 2017. Even though my first day in Porto was wet and miserable, I got lucky with the forecast on the second day and I got to walk around in the sun. The city is absolutely beautiful, I love those orange roofs and white façades adorning the cliffs overlooking the Douro River, the smattering of greenery in amongst the buildings and the magnificent steel arches of Pont Luis I. Even though the temperature was only around 15 degrees, it was warm enough to walk around with jeans and t-shirt, and a welcome change from the icy slush and bitter air of winter in Canada.
It wasn’t easy to get here. After doing my PCR test on Thursday morning, I thought that would be that and I’d get the results the next day with plenty of time to spare. Unfortunately the technician didn’t screw the cap on the sample correctly and it leaked, so I had to visit the pharmacy again on Friday to redo the test. I was a mess of anxiety because I knew it normally takes 24 hours to get the results and I’d have to leave for the airport in 27 hours. I kept calling LifeLabs to request an expedite and ensure they knew there was a deadline.
After helping out with cafe and the Christmas Eve service, I still had no idea whether I’d be allowed on the plane or not, and I was feeling a bit dejected about the whole situation. We went for Korean BBQ though and that cheered me up immensely.
On Christmas morning, I was up early because I couldn’t sleep; every time I woke up I looked at my phone to see if anything had come through during the night. Finally at 7.30am, the test came back - negative! - and immediately a wave of relief just washed away all the stress of the previous week.
Sarah and Emilio were kind enough to drop me off at the airport after doing pancakes for the community at cafe on Christmas Day. Pearson was not as busy as I was expecting and I made it through security with no problems. The flight was very short, but I did pass out for a good four hours out of seven. I didn’t even have a chance to watch any movies! I transited through Lisbon smoothly, and then I passed out again on the flight to Porto.
After checking into the hostel, I began to walk around town. Though the rain was heavy, it seemed like a fashion faux pas to wear this obnoxiously touristy poncho I used in Peru, so like the locals, I opted for a €5 umbrella for the day. I wandered around the area where I was staying, Bolhao, spotting some amazing bakeries and Amorino, one of my favourite dessert places that crafts their gelatos into flowers. I continued on past Trindade, the central transport hub of the city and made my way to the Crystal Palace where I found the “Porto” sign - apparently this moves from place to place so I feel fortunate to have stumbled upon it by chance. I needed a break before dinner so I walked back to the hostel and chilled out for a bit before grabbing a feed at O Afonso, a place that sells Porto’s famous francesinha sandwich. I couldn’t resist getting some wine with it, but I wasn’t expecting such a massive pour of rosé for €1.50, and on top of that, they gave me some port on the house as well. Great start!
The next day, I was out the door at 9.30am to pick up some pasteis de nata from Porto’s finest, Manteigaria. I walked to Ponte Infante Dom Henrique for a magnificent view of Pont Luis I, then followed the south bank over to Jardim do Morro. I crossed back to the north side and walked up to the cathedral, then back down to the riverfront, following the road all the way to the lighthouse overlooking the mouth of the Douro River at the Atlantic Ocean. I was planning to walk back into town for lunch but conveniently the old tram was about to depart from Passeio Alegre, so I rode that instead.
Lunch was another mega meal that I wasn’t able to finish. I needed to walk it all off, so I wandered around town again, seeing a bunch of the famous churches and buildings that I had passed by in the rain. I went up the tower of Igreja dos Clerigos which boasted a magnificent 360 degree panoramic view of the city. As night fell, I visited the Crystal Palace again to view the Christmas lights, then stopped by Porto’s oldest chocolatier, Arcadia, to pick up some port wine dark chocolate, and then a local patissier to pick up some breakfast for the next day.
I walked down to the river front to see Pont Luis I lit up at night, and got some dinner in the area. Honestly I was still kinda full from lunch but I powered through the Portuguese specialty, bacalhao, and finished off with a glass of port and a delicious egg custard meringue. Food in Porto is very rustic, hearty and home styled, with big portions, and of course, the wine is absolutely fantastic, even if I can’t handle that much. I’d love to see some of the countryside and do a wine tour if I come back, which will hopefully be a summer trip.
Posted by Jeremy at 8:46am on Tuesday December 28, 2021 :: 0 comments :: 