We enjoyed a few days in Porto before our Camino walk (preparing) and a few days after (resting up). There is much more to explore and enjoy here, so we hope to be back in the area someday when we have a bit more energy.
Food
We ate lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh orange juice, but one thing Portugal is known for the Pastéis de Nata, or custard tart. It is a small pie-like thing, with a thick crust consisting of many layers of flakey pastry and a rich creamy custard filling. Really, really yummy and probably really caloric. Deserving of a nice big photo in our blog:
We even saw some “egg tarts” in a store in Cambodia a few years ago, and I think they had a durian flavored variety… that I didn’t try.
Exploring Porto
We climbed Torre dos Clerigos, a tall tower siting on one of the highest hills in Porto. It also served as water navigation point in years gone by, but now provides a nice 360 degree panoramic view of Porto and Gaia for tourists that climb its 200+ steps, which, of course, we did.
The construction of the Porto Cathedral began in the 12th century and continued through the 16th century. This was the official starting point of our Camino walk, and the place where we got our Credential booklet to collect the stamps along the Camino.
We enjoyed many delicious meals in cafes with tables set up on the sidewalks, such a quintessential European way to eat. Some meals were in Asian restaurants as well, since we like diversity in food. We discovered a bakery next to our apartment building that served really tasty and inventive empanadas. Malvón Mouzinho. Drop by and try one sometime!
Here’s a few more photos from our stay in Porto:
Livraria Lello
And for you Harry Potter fans, J.K Rowling lived in Porto for two years, while still married and working as an English teacher. She started book 1 while living in Porto. Livraria Lello is a beautiful bookstore that was already famous for it’s beauty inside and out long before Rowling lived in Porto. However there are possible connections between the bookstore and the Harry Potter story. The bookstore now appears to be overrun by Intagrammers looking to take this photo, and Harry Potter fans. Oddly, one group that enjoys books, and the other that likely has no interest in them. The bookstore now sell tickets online with timed entry. We did not go in, but photos of the interior look beautiful. I’ve included a photo that Susie took during a trip to Porto in 2016
Sidewalks and Plazas
Even the hardscape in the city has class. Many sidewalks and plazas are made from small cubic shaped white and black rocks. Here are some examples:
St John’s Day, Porto
After finishing the Camino Walk in June, we returned to Porto and happened to be there for St. John’s Day, a holiday street party tradition of Porto. Since our apartment was downtown and even located on St. John street (Rua de São João), we found ourselves in the middle of the party. Lots of live music and drinking of course, plus people in the streets grilling of sardines and other meats, fireworks, people launching paper candle lanterns, and interestingly, lots of toy mallets with squeaking hitting surfaces and people randomly hitting the head of anyone passing by. For some odd reason, Susie got bonked on the head a lot.
We enjoyed Porto and would consider coming back to spend a month or three either in the city, or in one of the nearby beach towns.
Next up: We visit the Portuguese island of Madeira
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