We arrive back to Porto by train from Guimaraes. We’ve booked a 2 bedroom apartment in central Porto in anticipation of Nick and Irene’s arrival, our friends from the Mercy Ship.
For you romantics out there, Nick and Irene actually first met in January when they both were volunteering to serve on the Mercy Ship – the hospital ship berthed in Dakar, Senegal. They were picked up at the same time from the airport; Nick from the UK was volunteering as an electronics technician and Irene from Canada was working in the dining room. They have been pretty much inseparable since they met. Their romance was under the microscope while on the ship and Irene left mid June to go back to Canada and Nick for the UK soon after. I’m happy to report that Irene has since joined Nick in the UK and plans to stay until November. We are lucky they could join us for a week in Portugal.
So, back to Porto where we enjoy 4 more days of exploring, eating and drinking our way around the city, getting out along the waterfront and enjoying ´Porto by night’ on our last evening in this cool little city.
So, we keep hearing and seeing menus with the famous ‘Francesinha’ on it. The Franceshina is a Portuguese sandwich originally from Porto, made with bread, wet-cured ham, linguiça, fresh sausage like chipolata, steak or roast meat, and covered with melted cheese and a hot and thick spiced tomato and beer sauce. It is typically served with a fried egg and french fries, so not for the faint hearted….so Irene takes one for the team (minus the egg and fries, but with beer of course!!)… Go Irene!!
Speaking of iconic things, a visit to Porto isn’t complete until you’ve had coffee at the famous Majestic cafe, found on Santa Catarina – the main pedestrian shopping area of Porto.
The Majestic cafe opened for business in 1921 and is one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau in Porto. So, we can’t pass up an excuse for more coffee and cake.
So, back to buildings…the tower of Clérigos is an eighteenth century complex commissioned by the Brotherhood of the Clerigos in the old town, where executed prisoners were buried. The tower stands 76 metres and we climb the 200 steps to get amazing views of the city.
One of our other stops is to the famous (well at least in Porto…) Livraria Lello. This beautiful little bookshop, built in 1906 combining the eclectic and Art Nouveau styles, is one of the oldest in Portugal. Some say that the bookshop was a direct inspiration for J.K. Rowling and her Harry Potter books.
As you enter the bookshop you are greeted by the crimson staircase, the majestic stained glass ceiling, 8 metres long by 3.5 metres wide and the various busts of some of the most important Portuguese writers.
We couldn’t pass up a chance at some Port tasting so we head off to Calem for an evening of port tasting and Fado music.
Calem port has a long history; when Antonio Calem set his goals of crossing the Atlantic and exporting wine to Brazil, little did he realise that one of the brands would become the #1 port wine in Portugal. The caravel, the little sailing ships used to transport goods across the Atlantic, is used as the Calem logo.
We sip our port and listen to the traditional Fado music played with both Spanish and Portuguese guitars, and known for its melancholy expression.
On a fine day, we walk the 8 kilometres along the waterfront and enjoy the sun.
Porto by night is pretty special… here are a few photos of our last evening there.
So, we wrap up our Porto sojourn, and we head up the coast for the last days of Nick and Irene’s Portuguese holiday.
Great stuff guys just luvin these stories and great pikkies. Keep it up I’m enjoying your journey
Fabulous story telling guys…..loving every word you write. It’s gonna take weeks for you to tell us of all your exciting travels when you get home. Enjoy and safe journeys wherever you may be. Lots of love, Liz and Rod. 💟❣️🌈
Can’t wait to share our adventures with you when we finally arrive back home. We will definitely need a vino or two after our quarantine time !
Wow again. More amazing photos and love Irene and Nick’s story.
Yes, just shows you love can happen when you least expect it! But we both know that EH! 💕