With about three weeks left on our Asia itinerary it was becoming imperative that we book a flight to Europe as soon as possible.  We were looking forward to our two week break back in the States but we didn’t want to lose our travel momentum.  However, we were having a really hard time deciding where we wanted to start.   Our first stop in Europe would coincide with Dan’s birthday which upped the pressure to make it somewhere good.

We had heard rumors that Portugal was fun and relatively cheap so that seemed like as good a first stop as any.  We originally thought we’d fly to Lisbon but ultimately decided on Porto when we realized we could get a cheap flight using credit card points.

That somewhat random decision ended up being a great one – we loved Porto! I’ve been to Europe a handful of times now and there are certain things that most ancient European cities have in common (cobblestone streets, grand cathedrals, etc.)  Porto has those things but it also has a lot that makes it unique.  Here are a few of the things that make Porto special:

The Azulejos (and tiles in general)

When we first climbed out of the subway in the center of Porto the first thing I saw was a beautiful little church that was completely covered in intricately painted blue tiles.  It was gorgeous and I had never seen anything like it.  However, as we started walking through town it became apparent that this church wasn’t unique – we encountered at least four more churches covered in azulejos (the Portuguese word for these painted tiles).

And it’s not just the churches! Tiles cover almost all of the older buildings in the city. Some have intricate designs and others are just bright solid colors but all contribute to Porto’s unique aesthetic.

Port Wine

One of our best days in Porto was Dan’s birthday.  We spent it tasting port wine in Vila Nova de Gaia, located just across the Douro River from Porto.

We started with a tour of Taylor’s port cellars and learned all about how different types of port are made.

From there we wandered down to the waterfront for a picnic lunch while enjoying the gorgeous view of Porto across the river.

Then it was on to two more tastings.  I have to say, I had probably only ever tried port a few times before that day in Porto but it is now one of my favorite things.  It is such a delicious little after dinner treat and pairs perfectly with a piece of dark chocolate.

Incredible Views

Porto tumbles down a hillside above the Douro River.  Getting down to the river itself involves navigating a series of steep winding staircases.  This means that walking around Porto is a serious workout but the payoff is the incredible views which seem to pop up at every turn.

Francesinha

In Porto we took an awesome free walking tour with Porto Walkers.  Our energetic and hilarious guide, Gonzalo (aka Speedy Gonzalez), ended the tour with the most eloquent and hilarious description of francesinha, Porto’s iconic sandwich.  I sadly didn’t record it so I’m going to do my best to quote him:

“The francesinha is a tower, built of layers of bread, cheese and every type of meat you can imagine (and some you can’t imagine).  And what does every tower need on top? A figure.  On the francesinha the figure is a fried egg.  And then of course there must be a fountain, in this case a fountain of melted cheese running down the sides.  And what does every fountain need around the base? A pool (of gravy, that is!)  Will you dive into this pool? No, of course not! But your french fries will.”

Well obviously we had to try a francesinha from one of Gonzalo’s favorite spots.  We decided to split one, which was the right call.  As you could probably guess, it was incredibly rich and definitely not a meal you want to see the nutrition facts for.  It was also pretty delicious and made a great lunch on a rainy afternoon.

We really enjoyed our time in Porto and it ended up being the perfect first stop on our Europe trip.  Porto has only recently been ‘discovered’ as a tourist destination, meaning it still feels like a real city where people live and work, rather than a place designed for tourists.

That meant it was easy for us to buy our own groceries and eat at small restaurants frequented by locals.  We could at least get a small sense for what it’s like to actually live in Porto, something we are striving for as we travel but that can be very difficult in popular destinations.

Plus there were a lot of peacocks.