Porto, Portugal

On a Sunday October 1st our private driver/guide took us to Toledo, Spain for a church service and a tour of the historic old city before we had to go to the airport for our one hour and 15 minute flight to Porto on Iberian Airlines. Toledo is the former Spanish capital of Spain. Today, the rich cultural legacy of Muslims, Jews, and Christians is reflected in Toledo's historic buildings (including its stunning cathedral) and museums. I bought a beautiful pendant souvenir that symbolized the once positive relationships between Muslims, Jews, and Christians. It worked out well to have our driver take us to the airport.
We arrived at the most amazing hotel in Porto late in the afternoon. Actually, it wasn't Porto where our hotel was located, but Gaia just across the river. I'd stay at Vincci Porto Hotel again in a heartbeat! While in Porto, we were looking forward to sampling some port wine. While Scott talked with our concierge about plans for the next few days, I was mesmerizing by the surroundings of this beautiful hotel and its location, as well as learning a little Portuguese from some of the help behind the desk. We had taken a free tour in Madrid of the city, and we thought we'd try that again in Porto. Our guide did an amazing job and was very knowledgeable about the area. For our last two days, we booked a Portuguese driver/guide "Roy" to take us the Douro Valley for some port tastings and other important sites within two hours of Porto. It was about a two drive to the Douro Valley from our hotel. We visited one winery in the Douro Valley and had a relaxing boat ride on the Douro River. The wine was tasty, but we were a little disappointed as we only had one port to try. We loved the small town, Guimaraes. It's where Portugal was born in the 12th century. Very beautiful medieval area in which you could just imagine what life might have been like . We were thankful they were restoring this important part of history for Portugal. We took advantage of a short 3D video of what life was like during the 12th century at this site. We had lunch at Braga, a nearby town. Again, it's a cute old historic town. Portugal is noted for its filigree jewelry. Filigree is an art form with roots in jewelry design dating back 5,000 years. Found in Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures, the craft became popular during Roman times. In its truest form, filigree is composed of gold or silver wires interwoven to create a delicate, lace-like structure. History tells us that  this magnificent jewel, which is shaped like a heart, was created at the end of the 18th century, when Queen D. Maria I (1734-1816), who, grateful for the birth of her male child, asked that a gold heart be made in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus . Our guide introduced me to this art form, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to purchase a small gold filigree pendant as a souvenir from Braga. Later, I would buy a silver filigree heart pendant in Lisbon as I had heard perhaps my original gold one had been made from a mold. Overlooking the city of Braga in the north of Portugal, located on the slopes of Mount Espinho, this cultural landscape, called Dom Jesus do Monte, evokes Christian Jerusalem, recreating a sacred mount crowned with a church. The buildings on this site were built in the 14th century as a pilgrimage for believers to demonstrate their faith.
There were many highlights in Porto. We loved the city. From the way they made your gelato ice cream into a flower shape, putting a macaron on top to the city's famous bookstore that brought Harry Potter to life. And you can't leave Porto without trying their famous sandwich known as the Francesinha. After the bookstore, we found a small little cafe to try this yummy filling sandwich. I had to try it again while in Lisbon... no comparison, hands-down Porto's was much better. After a wonderful four nights in Porto, we were eager to take the train to Lisbon, where we would meet our friends from Arizona for a few days before heading home.Read more