Dia 10: Vineyard Views and Porto
To Porto We GoWe leave our tranquil resort and board the bus for Porto. There is a bittersweet feeling in the air for we are now realizing this is the last time we will roll our bags out to the bus, our last bus ride together. We make a stop halfway through our journey and we pull alongside the beach. We are at Forte de São Francisco Xavier, otherwise known as Cheese Castle because of the of the wedge of rock it sits upon.
Porto Food TourWhen we arrive in Porto, we split into two groups and immediately join a food tour. Our guide is Ricardo. We are on what is called the foodies guide for Porto for the next 2.5 hours. We begin by visiting the market. In 1974, they received money to do a renovation. The project finally started two years ago. They have an humanitarian effort in this city called SAOM that provides "social support for the elderly and young people."
Stop #1 - Bolhão Wine HouseRicardo takes us into the Bolhão market and we see the fishermen and butchers, dried sausages hanging from the ceiling and whole pig heads in the case. We turn the corner to see tables set for us. We are served ceramic dishes in the shape of sardine cans. Inside is smoked duck and cheese for the carnivores, sardines for the pescatarians. This is accompanied by crisp vinho verde.
Bolhão Market in PicturesDid you know ... The Portuguese have nicknames for people that live in big cities. In Porto, they are called Tripeiros, or tripe-eaters. This comes from the Age of Discovery in the 15th century when shipbuilding took place on the Duoro riverbanks. Meat supplied the fleet going into battle in North Africa. The entrails and organs were left behind for the city's inhabitants to enjoy. Stop #2 - TascöOur next stop is to a trendy restaurant called Tasco. We are led upstairs to a room with cheery red place-mats and festa dinnerware. We are served metal crocks of pesticos - Portuguese for tapas. First is a classic - Pataniscas de Bacalhau or codfish fritters. These are large pancake-sized, made with a batter of egg, flour, onion, salt & pepper. Flaked codfish is added and then they are fried in olive oil for four minutes on each side. Next we have alheira, Jewish sausage made with wheat bread, chicken, duck and rabbit. It is smoked for 5-7 days and eaten 2-3 weeks later. It's the white version of sausage, very smoky and soft. Lastly, we eat tomato rice. Onion, garlic, fresh tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, water and rice are simmered together to make this soupy risotto. They call it "naughty rice". Reservations are a must for this popular restaurant.
Did you know ... In Portugal, everything has a sex - meaning a gender. Lisbon is feminine and Porto is masculine. |
Tour GuidanceWe had a blitz food tour of Porto that provided a great orientation of this city. The places we visited were strategically situated so that we were able to discover Porto to jump-start our time here.
Back Door DiscoveriesWe stood with locals and rooted on Portugal in the football game against Morocco.
What doesn't kill you fattens you up
The items we tasted and drank on the food tour provided a great way to learn about what people in Porto typically eat. Our favorite were the fried cod, big fritter-like patties dipped in batter and filled with flaky sweet bacalhau. The tomato rice, made simply with fresh tomatoes, rice anad water was also very good.
Fale em portugues, por favorToday's word is pesticos = Portuguese small plates or snacks. It is pronounced peh-TEESH-koosh.
Lessons LearnedDON'T wear long necklaces on days when you are wearing the whisper devices. They get caught around each other and create more issues than they are worth. DO attach a strap to sunglasses. There is a lot of taking them off/putting them on and it's more efficient if they're attached to a strap versus tucked away in a bag. Grande Hotel do Porto is our last stop on this tour. It is grand indeed - a very large, formal hotel on a pedestrian-only street. We are split up on this stop - Mark and Amy are in the older section, with a drab dark brown room. Caryl is in the newly renovated section with a sweet room in periwinkle and white wood. The air conditioning is weak and loud, making for a difficult night's sleep. But the location is so convenient and we will be home in our own beds in no time. There is a rooftop terrace with a 180-degree view of the city.
Adeus CarlosWe say adeus - goodbye - to Carlos, our bus driver who transported us from Lisbon to Porto without incident.
Victorious!Passionate fans gather on the square, proudly wearing shirts in red and green, waving their country's flag. They are enthusiastic, simultaneously groaning and cheering as the black-and-white ball moves across the field from one net to the other.
Dinner on our OwnWe took Cristina's recommendation and dined at a place around the corner from our hotel called Restaurante Abadia do Porto. Our waiter spoke no English and we had some trouble with the menu. Fortunately, he had the manager come over to assist. We had two specialties - roasted goat and octopus in olive oil. Both dishes were delicious. Our service was top-notch. We thanked the manager for our meal and he inquired about our visit to the city. When we told him Cristina recommended his restaurant, he smiled broadly, said he knew her and to give her a kiss.
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Stop #3 - Padaria Ribeiro
Our next stop is to Padaria Ribeiro, a bakery opened since 1878. Ricardo carries a stack of pastry boxes, each with a sample of mini sweets and hands them out one-by-one.
Detour
We bring our desserts over to a square where scores of locals are gathered to watch Portugal play Morocco. Big screens are broadcasting the game in real-time. There is music booming out of big speakers to get the crowd revved, as if they need it. People are climbing onto shoulders to see the action. We are caught up, rooting for Portugal, the excitement palpable. When Portugal wins, we shout in jubilation. Cristina hands us masks printed with Renaldo's image and we race over to an elevated area with a vista to the city for a group photo. We are all Cristiano Ronaldo today.
Stop # 4 - Prova
Our last stop is to a wine bar called Prova. Here we sample baby sardines with caramelized onion and a plate of pork shoulder cooked with potato and green olives. These are paired with a variety of wines.
Porto in Pictures
Boat Cruise
We meet up with the rest of our tour and head down to the waterfront. There are outdoor cafes and a bustling promenade. Buildings are painted in pastels, giving it that distinctive European vibe. We queue up near the dock and board a barge-like vessel. We climb metal stairs and take a seat at the top to enjoy the panoramic view. We cruise slowly down the river while an informative if dry narration plays through the speakers.
We see rabelos, a reference to the old boats that transported wine from the Duoro Valley. We sail under the double-decker Ponte Dom Luis I bridge, designed by a protégé of Gustave Eiffel and see the influence in the metal arch. The upper level services the metro; the lower level is shared by cars and pedestrians. We next see the oldest bridge in Porto, the Maria Pia built by Gustave Eiffel himself. It is no longer in service but is considered a monument. Behind it is the São João Bridge, the futuristic-looking railway bridge that replaced the Maria Pia.
The hillside along the river contains crumbling structures, buildings with hollowed-out interiors, vacant windows gazing hauntingly at the water, telling tales of a time long gone. High above these cliffs the city bustles with energy, the chugging of a train in the distance reminding us that life moves on.