Porto

Carlota was our guide for the “Back to Porto’s Roots” walking tour of the city. She was so full of knowledge, and enthusiasm, not only originating from Porto herself, but she also studied history at Porto University 😃 This was a fabulous way to get a feel for the city, it’s history, and our bearings early on in our stay. 👍 Shame the weather was rubbish though 😟 Interesting to hear about world influences on the development of Porto (e.g. tiles inspired by seafarers journeys to the Netherlands), and the ease with which different cultures, nationalities and religions coexist in the city, in harmony (now, as opposed to the past). Portugal really does appear to live up to its international reputation of welcoming foreigners 👍😃 Was also interesting to hear about the regeneration of the city over the past 20 years, primarily through tourism, and huge reduction in youth drug use through their national legalisation and rehabilitation policy. This too has had an extremely positive impact on regenerating parts of Porto. 

Typical Porto houses built into the old city wall in Ribera district - the UNESCO listed part of Porto

Interesting year markers on the door frame of the height of the Douro flooding each year. Less so in recent years due to greater active management of the river

Former "white collar" prison (now a photography museum) for writers & intellectuals during the dictatorship of 1933-1974

Traditional Pastel de Nata - delicious 😉
Originally created by monks using left over egg yolks after starching nun's habits with egg whites!

Amazing chillis and garlic at the Bolhao Market

Newly renovated Bolhao Market

Lovely wine bar for a pre dinner glass of Douro wine 

Headed back to a small restaurant recommended by Carlota - truly amazing prawns!

Dinner followed by traditional almond and pumpkin cake - quickly becoming one of our favourites 

The following day was a washout, quite literally - don’t think we’ve ever seen rain like it before 😃 No point in venturing out early - and even Rubes didn't want to brave it! And it carried on like this ALL day and night 👎

Fortunately Dave was prepared to venture out in the rain and came back with breakfast - think this will keep us going for some time 😂 The pastries were delicious 

Later on, and complete with full waterproofs we raced across the city to visit the Igreja de Sao Francisco - an imposing gothic church build in the 14th century by the Franciscan order of monks. What is particularly interesting here are the numerous catacombs located in the basement where the Franciscan monks and members of Porto’s wealthiest families are buried. Room after room lined with catacombs, mainly from the 1800s, and many topped with skulls 😧

Catacombs

Catacombs

Even more weird is the ossuary where the bones of probably the less wealthy people lie, and these can be seen through a glass window - all very weird 🤨

The Ossuary

Our final dash through the flooding streets of Porto was over the river to Gaia to visit the Calem Port House. This area is where all the major Port producers store their wine, for ageing, having been produced downstream in the Douro valley. All the well known British producers are there, Cockburn, Taylor’s, Grahams etc, but we opted to visit the Portuguese cave of Calem. Interesting to visit the caves, hear about the production, and of course enjoyed the tastings 😃

Calem Port House 

Calem Port 

Porto from the Port Houses of Gaia opposite

In spite of some of the lovely experiences we have had, I think it’s probably fair to say that visiting Porto has not been one of our travel highlights so far. Obviously the constant rain didn’t help, but I think it was more about the degree of mass tourism, and the feeling at times as if you are on a tourism conveyor belt. We are obviously mindful that we are also part of and are contributing to this mass tourism 😃 Sometimes it has felt difficult to maybe get an authentic experience. Having said that, we did have some lovely encounters with a few local people, all of whom went out of their way to be kind and friendly 👍 Despite being reassured that locals feel positive about the transformation of the city through tourism, we do wonder at what cost, and to what degree this is sustainable? And perhaps finally, being in Porto really did not work for Ruby - she was absolutely terrified! She barely left the apartment the whole time - I guess we sometimes forget that her world is the likes of Stoney Middleton (or north west Scotland 😃), and she really does become quite distressed in large cities, with loads of people and lots of noise 😟 So, going to leave Porto now and head into northern Alentejo for a bit of tranquillity 🤞😃