The city of Porto (about three hours north of Lisbon) is well worth working into your Portugal itinerary. The cityscape is amazingly well-preserved. I like the way that something built in a fleeting-yet-elegant style 100 or 150 years ago can grow old and run-down over a generation or two of neglect and economic doldrums — and then be burnished with a modern love of heritage and affluence. The result is a city twinkling with crusty and fun-loving facades that are filled with an inviting world of shops, cafés, and happening eateries. Just walking the streets of Porto (especially like I get to — with a great local guide at my side, to give everything meaning) is a travel treat.
Porto has its own very strong culture. The local gut-bomb is the Francesinha, a Portuguese multi-layer patty melt smothered in a special gravy. I have to admit, it sounds horrible to me, and I’m trying to eat healthily, so I’ve never actually tried one…until this trip. Sitting at the bar in a popular diner, I snapped a photo of two locals with Francesinhas, who appeared to not be totally enjoying the sandwiches they were choking down.
In Portugal, local food traditions are so strong, they can bend a McDonald’s menu. My guide explained that Portugal is a soupy culture — so soupy that McDonald’s would not survive without including basic Portuguese soups in its menu.
Flying home reminded me of the wisdom that even smaller cities can have efficient airports. While many American travelers in Porto might assume they’d need to return to Lisbon to fly home, remember to take full advantage of “open-jaw” flying from wherever you end up. Returning to Seattle was a breeze: Just a quick hop from Porto’s delightful little airport to Amsterdam, and then the big transatlantic flight back home.
I’m home now for a short break — and to figure out what I’m doing with my beard. (What do you think? Should I keep it?) Stay tuned for part two of my 100-day trip to Europe, beginning with Day 61 in Budapest — and then heading to Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Scotland (where I’m filming three new episodes of Rick Steves’ Europe), and Iceland.
Thanks for traveling with me — and stay around for more travel fun!
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