Taking advantage of our close proximity to Portugal while living in Spain in 2012, my friend Jenn and I decided to take a weekend trip to Porto (Oporto), Portugal. While it is the second largest city in Portugal, you wouldn’t notice as it is one of the most tranquil, peaceful cities I have visited. Porto is a gorgeous city located along the Douro River, and is one of the most ancient cities in Europe going back to Celtic and Roman times. It was an important trade port during Roman times, and later contributed to Portugese shipbuilding. We took a Ryanair flight from Madrid and, after making a mad dash in the airport because they had changed the time of our flight but then promptly changed it back without making an announcement, we settled into our hotel which was located almost directly across from the Capilla de las Almas (Chapel of Souls). This beautiful, 18th century neoclassical chapel has all of the intricate Portuguese tile work façade representative of Portuguese culture. You can see many buildings throughout the city like this.
Walking around, we headed to the famous Majestic Cafe. If you are a Harry Potter fanatic as I am you will know the significance of this place. J.K. Rowling lived in Porto for a time, teaching English, and it was here, sitting in Majestic Cafe, that she wrote much of the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. Inside, it is absolutely beautiful. It can be expensive, costing 6-7 Euros for a cappuccino but so worth it!
Continuing our walk around the city the streets are filled with cute shops and beautiful, ancient buildings and churches. The people were very friendly and helpful. I bought a beautiful doll with a traditional Portuguese outfit, and we learned a little Portuguese…like obrigado or thank you. Ok, so that was pretty much all we learned, lol! The streets are lined with great architecture.
Oporto is known as the city of bridges and there are a number of gorgeous bridges that lead back and forth to the port caves across the river and back to the city center.
Porto is also well known for its port wine. Port has a higher alcohol content due to its fortification, so it’s typically served in small servings. We wanted to be sure to check out the port wine caves, which is actually what this area of the Douro River Valley is known for. You have to cross the bridge over the Douro River and the caves are literally along the sides of the hill along the water. There are dozens there but we tried out Sandeman, Croft and Calem. My preference is the ruby and tawny ports.
One last typical thing we wanted to experience was fado music. This is best described as Portuguese soul music. To quote portugal.com, fado is “a form of Portuguese singing that is often associated with pubs , cafés and restaurants…is generally known for how expressive in nature it is, as well as being profoundly melancholic…generally in fado music, the singer will sing about the hard realities of the daily life, balancing both resignation and hopefulness that a resolution to its torments can still occur…can be described by using the Portuguese word “saudade”, which means “longing” and stands for a feeling of loss”. While sampling port we saw a sign for a performance later that night and decided to come back. We literally had to hike down this hill to get to this place, but in the end it was really worth it! Check out some fado music below. It’s hauntingly beautiful.
Continuing our walk around we saw the Statue of Prince Henry the Navigator, built in 1894, and dedicated to the famous Portuguese explorer. It is located in the Ribeira area of Porto, and just outside the Casa do Infante (Prince’s House), which was where Prince Henry was born in 1394 and is the only royal building in Porto.
We ended our brief weekend enjoying the sunset and tranquil views around the city.
I certainly did not see all I would like to see of the charming city! I hope to make it back in the future and spend a little more time there. It was truly one of the most relaxing long weekends I’ve had.
Buen viajes, gnomies!
When is the book coming out?