We headed to the Atlantic Coast and Porto for the weekend. We left early Saturday morning and arrived to overcast skies (this hasn't been the best spring/summer in terms of weather). Porto is Portugal's second largest city, located at the mouth of the Douro river. While part of mainland Europe, Porto's architecture is very different from the other cities we have visited, with its colorful tiled covered houses and churches. Amazing!
On Saturday we started with a typical Portuguese breakfast - coffee and pastel de nata (a delicious pastry filled with some sort of custard). After filling up we walked around the city center exploring side streets and churches. At mid-day we joined a walking tour and visited popular sights, lookout points and old neighborhoods, including Ribeira, an ancient quarter just uphill from the Douro River full of of twisty alleyways, laundry-laden balconies, and lots of stairs.
After the tour we took the historic tram line 1 out to the ocean. The ride was scenic and the tram authentic - unfortunately it was a bit cold for the beach and it was pretty quiet.
On Sunday we ventured to the opposite side of the Duoro into Vila Nova de Gaia, the capital of port wine. We started with a visit to Sandeman to take a tour and learn about how port wine is made and then to try a few types. Afterwards we went to Taylor's, another port wine lodge for another tour and tasting. Yum!
After a couple of tastings it was time for lunch. We also tried to visit photography museum but found it wasn't open until later in the day. Instead there was a pet market, mainly filled with birds for sale ?? (we made it to the museum later, which is housed in an old prison). We spent the rest of the day exploring the beautiful city.
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