Arriving in Porto

We took the train up to Porto for a long (relatively) stay - 4 nights. Train travel is so luxurious compared to flights. Arriving 15 or even 10 minutes before the train leaves and getting right into the heart of the city is a nice benefit. After dropping our bags at our AirBnb, we ate at yet another traditional Portuguese restaurant for lunch. It seems that the big meal of the day is lunchtime including soup, main dish, french fries, salad, dessert, wine, and coffee all for a modest price of just about 10 euros. I got a giant salad with tuna. I’ve been craving vegetables.

We arrived in time to take “The Worst Tour of Porto” conducted by this wonderful architect fellow who showed us the some quirky and “real” places in this city. A few highlights included how the tiles on the exteriors of the buildings were great for both the hot, dry climate of southern Portugal and the wet northern parts of the country. Designs were modified from old Moorish tile work. He spoke about the political expansion of Porto with the central area starting as a Roman walled city, then an expanded Medieval walled city, and then on to the larger area controlled by the Jesuits who once ousted converted all those monasteries and convents into municipal buildings. After the Roman’s ruled, their wall and road stones were used to construct homes leaving that history behind.

He showed us these homes that were called home islands - they took generally narrow homes and converted the alleyways that accessed the backyards to a narrow passageway with little homes with shared bathrooms. I would compare these to tiny homes of today. Of the 500 “islands” located throughout Porto, only 6 have been upgraded in the last 5 years. Slow going. These islands also shared a outside laundry area with pools of water, washing stones, a flow of water for rinsing and areas to hang laundry. In this climate, it works.

We also learned more about the rule of fascists in the 30’s through the first liberation on April 24, 1974 and the second liberation 30 years later when the country finally became a more stable democracy. It’s complicated. This is the kind of tour you would never get from a regular tour company. What a treat.

We finished the day getting into our lavish apartment with two floors, two suites each with its own bathroom and a beautiful garden. Photos to come. It was too late to get food so we shared the bottle of wine provided by the host and nibbles we have accumulated in our shopping travels. Plastic-wrapped croissants were involved.Read more