Our first day exploring Porto!

Our first full day in Porto couldn’t have started any better. We woke up to a crystal clear sky and sunshine pouring in… but wow, it was freezing. After breakfast and bundling ourselves up, we headed out the door, completely unaware that the day ahead would rack up more than 24,000 steps.

Our accommodation sits just a little outside the city centre, not too far, but far enough to enjoy a proper stroll. And honestly, it was a lovely walk in. The streets were charming and we ducked in and out of little shops just because they looked too cute to pass by. We grabbed a photo at the Porto sign, wandered through a nearby market, and then decided it was time to head toward the river.

We crossed the Dom Luis Bridge, Porto’s iconic double deck iron masterpiece. We walked along the top level with the trams, and the view was unreal, endless rooftops, the glittering river, everything. But it was high. Like… really high. Even my toes were tingling. And Dad, honestly, if you’d been there, we’d probably still be on the Porto side comforting you while you refused to take a single step onto that bridge.

Once we made it across, we wandered over to a park with the most beautiful views of the river and the city. We sat there for a while, soaking in the sun and the scenery, before grabbing some lunch to bring back. I got an acai bowl and Jayde grabbed a couple of hotdogs from a local vendor and they turned out to be surprisingly delicious.

After lunch, we made our way up to the monastery, which rewarded us with even more panoramic views. Porto really doesn’t hold back with the scenery. Then we headed down the hill and strolled along the river promenade. The day had warmed up by then, so the whole walk felt relaxed and easy, with people everywhere enjoying the sunshine. When we’d finished on that side of the river, we crossed the bridge again and walked the promenade on the Porto side too.

By the time the afternoon hit around 3 p.m., we looked at each other and realised we still had an hour’s walk home. But it turned out to be a lovely stroll, legs tired but spirits still high from the day.

Back at our place, we rested for a little while before Jayde jumped up and cooked us dinner. And it was so good!! This man has a million talents, and he keeps managing to surprise me each day and cooking is definitely up there!

After dinner we showered, crawled into bed, and called it a night, ready to do it all again tomorrow.Read more