Finally, it was time for Porto, the last stop on this OAT adventure. Its name in Portuguese is Oporto, which simply means “the port.” And Porto is certainly a port city, located on the Douro river where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
I’d been here back in 2018, but just for a day so I was eager to see the city again. The drive from Lamego in the Douro Valley took us through the longest tunnel in Europe. I actually slept through the entire 3 ½ miles. I could have tried to keep my eyes open but I probably wouldn’t have been successful. Even a cup of espresso didn’t prevent my eyes from closing once the bus was in motion. I guess I didn’t miss any great sights. I doubt that there were scenic views in the tunnel.
Our hotel was right in the heart of downtown Porto, near its main square with its Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings. It was also around the corner from the most elegant looking McDonald’s I’d ever seen.
The area near the main square looked then what I remembered because it had been turned into a big construction site. This is part of a multi-year project to extend one of the city’s subway lines. Several streets were closed and sidewalks were blocked off. Large construction equipment towered over the tall barriers. Add to that the huge number of tourists and the result was extreme congestion in the center of the city.
Porto was founded as a Roman port 2000 years ago. It was always an important city but it was never the capital of Portugal. With a population of 240,000, Porto is the country’s second largest city, after Lisbon. The city we see today goes back to the 12th century when Portugal gained its independence after battling the King of Leon (Spain).
Our group enjoyed a guided tour of the Palacio da Bolsa, Porto’s impressive stock exchange palace, which faces Prince Henry Square. The statue of the navigator Prince, pointing towards the ocean, stands on a tall pedestal in the square.
The Bolsa was built by the city’s commercial association (similar to a chamber of commerce) in the 19thcentury, when Portugal was becoming industrialized. At the time, the main industries were ceramics and textiles.
Construction of the neoclassical palace began in 1842 but the interior decoration wasn’t finished until 1910. And that interior is magnificent, indeed. The central courtyard is called the Court of Nations and features panels dedicated to the many countries with which Portugal had commercial relations. An octagonal metal and glass dome covers the courtyard.
We visited several rooms in the palace, including the Hall of Justice where commercial trials were held, and admired the paintings, sculpture and furniture.
The most interesting room was the Arab Room, with its exotic Moorish Revival décor. It dazzles because the plaster is covered with 20-carat gold leaf. This room was used as a ballroom in the 19th century, and is used today for important government receptions.
After our visit to the Bolsa, we walked down the steep streets leading to the picturesque riverfront, a popular area for dining, drinking, and promenading.
We made a quick stop at the Sao Bento train station to see the blue and white tiled murals portraying events in Portugal’s history. The crowd of people (mostly tourists, not passengers) inside made it challenging to appreciate the art.
Food wasn’t the high point. At dinner one evening, Natua encouraged everyone to try a francesinha, Porto’s most famous dish. It’s a humongous sandwich piled high with layers of roast beef, steak, ham, sausage, and sliced cheese. Sometimes there’s a fried egg on top. A piping hot sauce of tomato and beer is ladled over everything, melting the cheese. This calorie-bomb is served with a heaping order of French fries. I declined to try it and ordered a round of roasted goat cheese topped with tomato chutney and grilled figs. But since Natua was so fond of the francesinha, I couldn’t resist buying her the t-shirt you see below.
At included lunches and dinners, there was plenty of meat and carbs. I was actually surprised that there was so little fish, although a very salty bacalao with olive paste was served at one dinner.
By the time I got to Porto, I was tired of cathedrals and historical sites. I just wanted to wander around, soak in the atmosphere, and do some shopping. Fortunately, this was quite easy to accomplish. On every walk, I noticed the lovely tilework on the buildings.
I skipped a visit to Porto’s 13th century Cathedral because I’d been there on a previous trip. Instead, I took a walk to the small 18th century Capela das Almas (Chapel of Souls), located away from the main tourist area, to see its beautiful tiled façade.
On an uphill walk to the Vitoria neighborhood, I also found beautiful tilework on the side of a small Baroque church, the Ingreja do Carmo.
This is also the area where the University and the Lello bookstore are located. That’s the bookstore made famous by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. It has a stunning interior but there’s an entrance fee just to go into the store and there was a long line of people waiting to get in. I'm glad I saw it back in 2018.
By chance I came across a lovely covered market, the Mercado do Bolhão, not far from my hotel. I spent quite a while checking out the fruit, the tapas, the sardines, the chocolate sardines (!), and the salt cod.
I found my way to a famous silversmithing workshop, Alcino Pratas, where I bought myself a pair of earrings and a matching necklace.
The steep streets that lead down to the river are filled with small shops. On a leisurely walk down the 500-year old Rua das Flores, I satisfied my desire for souvenirs - and came across this cat on the side of a building.
On a Sunday afternoon, I joined the throngs of people (locals as well as tourists) strolling across the double decker arched metal Luis I Bridge which spans the Douro River, connecting Porto with Vila Nova de Gaia. There were great views from the bridge. The navy was in town, and everyone seemed to be out soaking up the sunshine.
Finally, I spent a few hours on the pedestrian-only Rua de Santa Catarina, Porto’s main commercial street, with its trendy boutiques, department stores, cafés, and ice cream parlors. I even got a pedicure so I’d be sandal-ready for my next trip.
You see, although Porto was the last stop on this trip, I wasn't going home yet. Instead, I was flying to Venice, the starting point for the second of my back-to-back OAT adventures, an exploration of the Adriatic coast of Italy.
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