Porto, Portugal

We are back in Porto after a year’s absence, and the place is more beautiful than ever. Porto is the town that gave Portugal its name. I visited the twelfth century Franciscan Church, and we were given a general tour of the city before going to a tasting of port wine. This wonderful sweet wine was invented when shipments of wine sent to England spoiled on the way. Winemakers found that by adding a little bit of liquor to the wine, the fermentation process was stopped, and shelf life could be extended indefinitely. There arose such a taste for port in England that it has remained popular there ever since. In fact, now whenever British naval officers toast the health of the Queen, they always do so with a glass of port wine.

One of our passengers asked the guide when Portugal separated from Spain. The guide said that Portugal was never part of Spain. Portugal has been a single, united country since the twelfth century. Spain did not become a single country until the end of the fifteenth century. Portugal is a beautiful blend of the old and the new. There are parts of the city of Porto that are lifted right out of a medieval painting. Nearby are new apartment buildings, an oil refinery, and a city with all of the accommodations one would expect.Read more