But first stop was a cafe close to where we would meet our tour guide, high on the top of Porto’s first hill. Just when we thought we had left the climbs of Lisbon behind, Porto proved it had a few tricks up its sleeve. We slowly made our way up and ordered coffee and breakfast - I chose the beef croquette option, which proved to be a great choice.
Following breakfast, we met Andre our guide outside the former prison that has now been converted to the Museum of Photography. For three hours we wound our way around the streets of Porto, enthralled by the tales Andre told us. Next time you see me, ask about the Portuguese flag and I can tell a little story about its design.
We had running commentary about history, about places, about political regimes, ruling monarchies, republics and democracies. All with views of the beautiful Porto monuments and skyline.
Andre recommended a delightful tapas restaurant for lunch (Bia) where we enjoyed shared tapas plates and a white port and peach cocktail. They have perfected the “portonic” - a cocktail mix of port and tonic with other flavoured liqueur added in. Very refreshing and a lovely flavour.
We had hoped to walk across the Dom Luis I bridge and do a river cruise and cable car ride in the afternoon, however with the Invictus Airshow starting at 3.30pm, the bridge, river and highest points in the city had all been closed to accommodate the show.
So we booked a Fado tutorial and show for the early evening and made our way across the Douro by Metro to Gaia, where we found ourselves a quiet spot on the grassy hill to watch the acrobatics of the airshow. It ran from 3.30pm-7.30pm - we stayed for about an hour then went back to our apartment to freshen up for our evening’s entertainment, making a quick pit stop at Manteigaria – Fábrica de Pastéis de Nata - deemed to be one of the best makers of this national treat. They did not disappoint!
Fado is a Portuguese music genre characterised by mournful tunes and lyrics. The Portuguese guitar is used in this art form - a 6 double-string guitar with the musician only using the thumb and index finger to manipulate the strings. It was a beautiful evening of music and learning, punctuated by the planes still spiralling overhead!
Dinner was at a little restaurant just down from our apartment- “Intrigó” - more tapas, this time more croquettes (possibly the best I’ve ever had), cod fish (Portugal’s national fish dish) and aubergine. Served this time with cider for me, it was the setting that made this an amazing find - looking out and across the river from the top of the hill as the golden hour started to kick in. Not long after we went the long way home via the gelato store where the banana dulce de leche was a great way to end the evening.
Tucked up in the living room watching a movie before bed, I am so grateful for the opportunity to travel and experience these beautiful cities. Portugal was never really on my list, but it’s firmly there now for a return visit and further exploration.
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