On our way to Porto, we stopped at the town of Penedono, to see the very small (by castle standards) Castelo de Penedono.
The castle wasn’t hard to find in the tiny town.
We were permitted to explore the castle on our own, with the understanding that if we hurt ourselves, it was our own damn fault!
We had the place to ourselves and spent a fun hour exploring and seeing the view from the top.
We stopped for a roadside picnic and then continued driving past farms and through small towns as we headed toward Porto.
The mountain roads were narrow and twisty, and coming around one turn, we suddenly saw a beautiful river below. We had reached the Douro Valley! It was a pretty drive through terraced vineyards and olive groves.
We finally pulled into Porto and our first impression was that it was kind of crowded and dingy. We parked the car and hauled our luggage through steep, stone-paved streets to our tiny rental apartment with a loft bed. We began to question our plan to stay for a week, as this might not be a great stop.
We couldn’t have been more wrong!
Our first evening we took a walk, looking for dinner at a restaurant by the river. We walked down pretty streets with impressive buildings, passing a statue of Henry the Navigator, and seeing the largest McDonald’s ever! Honestly, those are golden arches on the umbrellas! (Later, we were told that locals call McDonalds the “American Embassy.” Too funny!)
The restaurant was busy, but the manager greeted us warmly, asked us to sit on the stone wall by the river, and brought us wine as we waited. Eventually we sat at a riverside table, enjoying the loveliest view and some delicious Portuguese food.
After dinner, we walked back through lively streets filled with music from street performers, families enjoying the evening, and bubbles from a little girl with a bubble toy on one of the balconies. We were charmed as we sat in a café for some wine and to enjoy this evening scene that would repeat itself every night for the whole week!
Besides walking on our own, we spent the next few days getting to know Porto with help from some local experts. First we did a walking food & drink tour with Marta, a local guide, and another delightful couple from Australia. We walked the city, stopping to taste salted cod, sardines from those little colorful cans, a Bifana pork sandwich (two thumbs up), a Francesinha sandwich (not so much), and pineapple soda!
Another day, we explored by Tuk-Tuk with Fabio, another local guide. He drove us up and down the hilly streets to see landmarks, churches and beautiful vistas throughout the city. Both guides were extremely proud of their city and its rich history.
Our city tour guides also spoke about J.K. Rowling and the time this author had spent living in Porto. We saw the cafe where she sat and wrote some of her books, the university where she taught English, and places and things that supposedly inspired much of her Harry Potter stories, including a book shop, the train station, and the black robes worn by university students.
During our week in Porto, we also traveled to the other side of the river to Gaia, the place where many of the Douro Valley wineries store and bottle their wines. We first visited Graham’s for a tour, tasting and lovely lunch at their restaurant with a wonderful view.
Then we walked down the road to the village of Gaia and had port-infused mojitos at a fun rooftop bar, again with beautiful views over the water.
One rainy morning adventure included a trip to a local laundromat, where a former NJ native (currently living in Japan and vacationing in Portugal) helped us figure out the machines, and then we paid it forward by helping a young man (from England, but living in Australia and currently vacationing in Portugal) get his laundry started as well. It was easily the most interesting laundry day we’ve ever had!
We ventured back to the Douro Valley on a tour with three other couples, stopping first in Amarante, a cute town known for its beautiful church and local pastry that is made into an, um, interesting shape.
Then wine tasting and lunch at Favaios Winery. We enjoyed the port wines more than we expected!
And then on to Sogevinus Winery for another tour and tasting.
We wrapped up the visit with a beautiful boat cruise on the Douro River. It was fun to be on the water!
On a sunny Sunday we took a trolley ride along the river to Passeio Alegre to see the lighthouse, fort, and gardens there.
Our last night in Porto we had wine by The Cube (O Cubo) fountain and dinner by the river. As we returned to our apartment, we saw that a band had set up across the street, so we poured more wine, and enjoyed the impromptu concert!
Porto is a city that locals tend to treat as its own country (sort of like a New York City attitude). The tourism logo is the city name followed by a period (Porto.), as in “Porto is everything you could ever want or need. Period.” After exploring Porto, we see their point. What an awesome place!