248.3 - Oh, Porto!
Hey there, ! Gonna slow down on some of these recaps as I realised I had way more to write; though I will try to be concise.
Porto was a place that was recommended by a number of people across the years - saying that it was a better alternative to Lisbon, and that it was just more pleasant.
After my time there, I can see why.
For starters, it's a beautiful and accessible place. It's a smaller city, easily walkable from one side of the city to the other, with just as much history and beautiful architecture packed into the streets like the sardines they sell on every second corner. In typical European fashion, there are hills and steps and ups and downs and lefts and rights, but it's not that bad for a relative youngling like me, and the main areas you want to go are easy to head up and down to.
Though I'd already been to Paris and Berlin by myself, this was one of the first touristy, solo travel places that I went to. I signed up for a walking tour for the first time here which helped me socially thaw out - having to interact with this ragtag bunch of Americans, Dutch, Canadians, Germans brought together by the lure of a 'free walking tour' (tips optional but definitely expected). We saw the fancy McDonalds (the city wouldn't allow them to move in unless they kept all the existing architecture, chandeliers, stained glass and mirrors), the tiles of the Sao Bento train station (first-time architect who then went on to design the facades of half the notable buildings in Porto), the view from the Luis I Bridge, and a random food warehouse that sold us 'nata from heaven', a custard-y dessert (it was truly heavenly).
As you may have noticed (and will keep noticing) I love bookstores. I could spend a whole day browsing a bookstore or library without actually reading anything. If I had unlimited funds I would just be pulling things off shelves willy-nilly, but since I don't, and extra baggage is a fee on airlines, I usually just mark down the title and author on my Notes app, hoping I'll buy them when I get home (I don't). In Porto, I was able to get to Livraria Lello - purportedly 'what JK Rowling was inspired by' (she's never been there), and purportedly the most beautiful bookshop in the world (it was). It's hella beautiful but, as we'll see is another key theme, it's impossible to get a good shot because of all the TOURISTS. I thought I was okay with crowds but this was only a taster for what was to come in other cities...
The food was spectacular - the scope of Portugese cooking was deeper than I expected, perhaps because my knowledge of it started and ended with Portugese tarts. The types of food that they had - the decadent francesinha, the super tender roasted octopus, the tastiest bacalhau (cod) I've ever eaten, the delicious fried sardines, the snacky cachorrinho (kinda like a hot dog - which was one of my favourite meals due to vibes), the classic bifana (a beef sandwich), and of course, the Portugese tart (sorry all, I still love HK egg tarts the best - portugese ones are just too sticky and sweet! We are all about the not-too-sweet desserts :D) - a wonderful gastronomic tapestry that had some really interesting intersections with cuisine I already love; seafood and spice being some strong drivers of deliciousness. I tried my best to have something different every single meal to make sure I could cover as much as possible.
Without anyone else to go with, I nearly didn't go to try any of the port in Porto - but with any solo holiday you just make some spontaneous decisions. Did you know that just like how champagne isn't champagne unless it's from Champagne, port isn't port unless it's from Porto? I didn't, until I went to a touristy port cellar (Calem) and then learned more at a less touristy one (Bom Dia) regarding wine and barrels and aging and the difference between tawny / rose / white / vintage and how extremely expensive some wine can be, and why Porto sits so close to some really good soil (the Douro Valley). I promise I'm not just listing these terms like it's the end-of-year exam but I just love trivia.
Chat soon :)