Sipping early morning coffee, sitting air-side less than an hour from leaving home, chauffeured by our daughter, was definitely a first! It was a miraculous start to our Portuguese adventure. Our charmed journey continued to our hotel, just a short walk from the Trindade tram stop, where we luckily checked in early. Looking up there were sneakers on the ceiling! Playful décor played with our senses, carpeted lifts, upside down wallpaper, ceilings as floors. What was the name of the quirky hotel – ‘Gravity’ confirmed by the theory of gravity in mirror writing, and a vertical pool!
Despite an air of well-worn dilapidation, with the obligatory collapsed roofs, Porto charmed, as we explored the winding, incredibly narrow cobbled streets, passing iconic tiled buildings, down to the river Douro. Tiles and cobbles being historically easier to maintain apparently. There was some recent European money as the infrastructure was being remodeled, causing confusion.
We sampled the famous Pastel de Nada at the beautifully ornate baroque Majestic café, sitting on carved leather and wood seats – the first of many locations inspiring J.K. Rowling whilst writing Harry Potter.
Late afternoon found us hot, hungry and tired, sitting on the opposite bank, in the shade sipping Vinho Verde, before sampling the Portuguese staple, bacalao ( plus a great vegetarian alternative. Good job as it was a long steep walk back up to the hotel. I was not up to the heights, so we re-traced our steps over the lower Ponte Luis bridge. It was a long time since we’d seen our bed!
Photos - just my snaps!
Porto
Our ramblings through Porto
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