Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Porto

I remember loving Portugal when I went with my parents three years ago. This time I decided to visit the north of Portugal to experience more. The food, people, and different neighborhoods make this country so special. Porto was much smaller than Lisbon making is very easy to get around and explore the city. Before arriving we checked the weather and saw that the next four days were supposed to rain consecutively- we weren't too trilled about this, but somehow got lucky and saw the sun for the majority of the trip. We stayed at a great hotel in the center. We ate incredibly well- tried bacalao (codfish) four different ways (fun fact: there are over 300 ways to make bacalao in Portugal), drank delicious Portuguese wine, and went wine tasting at the Oporto vineyards. 

Highlights of the trip: 
  • The Ribera (quickly became my favorite spot of they city) is the typical neighborhood of Porto, it is on the lake with the view of bridges and houses on the mountains and across the lake are the Oporto wineries.
  • The wonderful food: we loved the Bacalao, different wines we tasted, the pastries (pastel de belĂ©m was a favorite, and cheese pairings. 
  • A day cruise along the Ribera through the 6 bridges-- it was so nice, especially in the beautiful sunny weather. 
  • Going wine tasting in the Oporto wineries to try the sweet Oporto wines (we also got a free tour of the Croft winery). 
  • Riding the funicular through the city and seeing the pretty views from above.
  • Experiencing the busy nightlife in the center. 
       

La Ribera









Bacalao Feast

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