The Pastéis de Nata were outstanding, and the white wine sangria was also delicious. After some more strolling, we returned to our hotel.
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about
Porto:
Porto, also known as Oporto, is the second largest city in Portugal after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropolitan area, with an estimated population of just 248,769 people in a municipality with only 41.42 km2 (16 sq mi).[1][10] Porto's metropolitan area has around 1.8 million people (2023)[1] in an area of 2,395 km2 (925 sq mi),[11] making it the second-largest urban area in Portugal.[12][13][14] It is recognized as a global city with a Gamma + rating from the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.[15]
Located along the Douro River estuary in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centers, and its core was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996 as the "Historic Centre of Porto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar". The historic area is also a national monument in Portugal.[16] The western part of its urban area extends to the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. Its settlement dates back many centuries, when it was an outpost of the Roman Empire. Its combined Celtic-Latin name, Portus Cale,[17] has been referred to as the origin of Portugal, based on transliteration and oral evolution from Latin.
Port wine, one of Portugal's most famous exports, is named after Porto since the metropolitan area, particularly the Vila Nova de Gaia cellars, was responsible for the packaging, transporting, and exporting of fortified wine.[18][19] Porto is on the Portuguese Way path of the Camino de Santiago. In 2014 and 2017, Porto was elected as the Best European Destination by the Best European Destinations Agency.
Sunday, September 22, 2024
I awoke at 07:00 to a loud alarm I had set the day before. After showering, shaving, and dressing, I waited for Inna to get ready, and then we walked downstairs to floor 2 for our breakfast.
We decided to sit indoors since the outside weather was cold and cloudy (with significant street noise). After looking at the à la Carte menu, we decided to order the following:
- Appetizer:
- Croissant and small rolls
- Cheeses: Azores, Cottage Cheese, Goat Cheese
- Ham: Iberica Ham
- Boris
- Omelet with tomatoes and mushrooms (served with tomatoes & mushrooms on the side)
- Cappuccino
- Inna
- Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon
After breakfast, we walked a few blocks to Carris Hotels on Rua do Infante D. Henrique, where we ordered a Bolt ride to Parque e Jardim da Fundação Serralves.
Inna had pre-ordered tickets to Yayoi Kusama's exhibition. We arrived at around 10:00, before the crowds, and were able to walk around and enjoy all of the beautiful paintings and sculptures.
After we finished, we exited the museum and walked around the beautiful gardens, stopping by to do a Tree Walk.
Once we finished with the park, we ordered another Bolt car to take us to Do Norte Cafe (by Hungry Biker). After waiting for 10 minutes, we were assigned table 32. All of the staff spoke Portuguese, English, and Russian, and we ordered the following items:
- Drinks: Hot Tea, cappuccino, Lemonade, Water
- Shrimp Salad
- Savory Waffle with egg, hummus, and salmon
We enjoyed our Savory Waffles and Shrimp Salads! Service was quick and friendly, and we were surprised that everyone spoke Russian.
After lunch, we met our Harry Potter tour guide, Vinicius Otaviano (from Brazil), at the São Bento Station (between train platforms 3 and 4). He was holding a small magic wand. He took us around many sites in Porto where J.K. Rowling lived and worked.
Inna had reservations at Livraria Lello (where special first editions of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books are kept), and we visited the ornate bookstore. It is the most beautiful (and the busiest) bookstore I have ever visited. We purchased a fancy version of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
Our Gran Cruz Hotel made dinner reservations at Adega Dona Antonia, a few minutes away. We arrived and were seated in the downstairs cellar. After reviewing the menu, we ordered the following:
- Appetizer: Mixed Salad
- Boris: Veal, White wine
- Inna: Octopus, White wine
Inna's Octopus was fantastic - tender and delicious (and not chewy). However, my veal was a bit tough. It should have been more tender.
After dinner, we decided to walk to
Torre dos ClérigClérigose a daily light show is held. However, when we arrived at 21:00, we learned that the last show for Sunday was at 21:00. We decided to try returning the next day at 21:45 for the previous show.
While wandering around, we heard loud fado music and saw some dancers. We investigated and noticed a large stage with people seated in chairs, all outdoors. It looked like a free fado performance, and we sat down to listen. It turned out to be an excellent show with three separate fado singers. I especially liked the last female singer, who sounded professional.
Here is a short
video clip:
We stayed and listened for one hour (until the show ended at 22:00). It was a rare, unexpected treat to see an excellent fado show for free!
Monday, September 23, 2024
We were exhausted from the previous day's activities and woke up late, at 08:30. I took a quick shower and dressed. We walked down two flights to our usual prepaid breakfast at Gran Cruz House. We were the only patrons in the restaurant and were quickly served fresh orange juice along with fresh rolls and croissants.
We ordered the following items from the à la Carte menu:
- Appetizer:
- Cold Cuts: Iberico Ham, Turkey Ham
- Cheeses: Azores, Sheep, Ricotta Cheese
- Boris: Pancake with Honey & Ricotta, Cappuccino
- Inna: Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms and Tomatoes, Cappuccino, Hot Tea
After breakfast, we walked to the nearby
Palacio da Bolsa. Unfortunately, the 10:45 English tour was already sold out, so we purchased the 11:45 tour. Since we had over an hour before the tour, we visited the nearby 12th-century Porto Cathedral.
We purchased the tickets (3 euros/person) and entered the cathedral. We expected to see a long queue, but there was none (perhaps it was closed for restoration). There was not much to see in this ancient cathedral. We climbed up the towers with a beautiful view of the city below. After taking photos, we returned to the base of the cathedral and explored the surrounding area.
Eventually, we decided to head back to
Palacio da Bolsa. We checked in and waited for our tour to begin. Our English-speaking tour guide began at 11:45 and led us through several chambers of the palace. The last room—the gold-leafed Arabian-style room—was the most impressive.
After the tour ended, we stopped by for a bite of Pastél de Nata and a bottle of water (for 2 euros)! The Pastél de Nata was so delicious! Since Igreja de Santa Clara was closed until 14:00, we decided to skip it and continue to see Capela das Almas da Santa Catarina. This church had beautiful blue-and-white tiles covering the walls. The nave was short, and actual worshippers were praying inside.
From here, we walked to the nearby
Majestic Cafe, which was ranked among the most beautiful cafes in Portugal. We queued up to get in and waited for our turn. Once seated, we ordered
French Toast (highly recommended) and two black teas. Initially, we thought about ordering a typical lunch. Still, the online reviews were unfavorable (except for a few specialty items like French Toast), and we did not think the high sandwich prices were justified. We liked our
French Toast, and our tea was excellent. The cafe reminded us of the many Viennese Cafes we had visited, with its rich, luxurious interior and mirrors.
We decided to eat a standard lunch at the nearby Mercado do Bolhao. After walking there for a few minutes, we were impressed by the quality of the produce, the market's cleanliness, and the reasonable prices. We ordered a small sandwich for 3.50 euros. It was not bad (though I would have liked something spicier).
There were many mushrooms, vegetables, meats, and fish for sale. Everything looked fresh!
Inna discovered an excellent cafe nearby —
Delta The Coffee House — that also baked Pastél de Nata. They were freshly made, right out of the oven! Who can resist that? She ordered two lattes, a croissant sandwich, and two Pastél pastries. The two
Pastéis were fantastic!
After a brief rest, we decided to head to the Crystal Palace Gardens. I ordered a Bolt car, and we were quickly driven there. We walked around the gardens, taking photos of roosters, peacocks, ducks, and other birds. We liked the grounds and the beautiful vegetation. After walking around and inquiring about the concerts being held there, we headed to the entrance to catch our Uber to our next destination—a marina for our upcoming sunset cruise on the Douro River.
We had real difficulty getting a taxi with both Uber and Bolt because of a strike and heavy rush-hour traffic. We managed to snag an Uber car, arriving about 7 minutes late. We boarded our small Bavarian sailboat, and the captain started the engines.
We cruised to the Ponte Luis I Bridge, but had to turn around because of its low clearance (our sailboat had a very tall mast). From there, we sailed into the Atlantic Ocean. While on the boat, we were offered wine, port, and some small snacks. The wind was light, and the motor sail was relaxing, with excellent weather and visibility. We were fortunate!
The crew shared some interesting facts about how the port-making companies operate. They all moved across the river from Porto to Gaia to avoid paying taxes. They thought that Sandeman made the best port.
For dinner, we asked the receptionist at Gran Cruz Hotel to make a reservation at
Mistu for 21:30. It was later than we intended, but it was the only time available. After walking about 10 minutes from our hotel, we entered and waited to be seated. Once seated, we were offered the Tapas menu, and we ordered the following:
- Appetizer: Bread with
- Drinks: Sparkling Water, Hot Black Tea
- Tapas:
- 3 Scallops
- Oriental Salad with Duck
- Sea Bass
- Dessert: Dulce de Leche Fondant
The Oriental Salad with Duck was excellent (and a generous portion was provided. The Sea Bass was also quite delicious. The scallops were tasty but relatively small (I expected them to be larger). The Dulce de Leche Fondant was exceptional, too (though we waited a very long time).
Porto Trip Review
Highlights
Lowlights
-X3.jpg "Do Norte Cafe (by Hungry Biker), Porto, Portugal")
