Today we do all the things we wanted to do in Porto the first time we visited, but weren’t able to due to the crowds. Unfortunately, though, the weather doesn’t look like it will cooperate for our entire itinerary, but we’ll work it out.
Starting out, we walk down to the Sao Bento train station – past great old houses and an old building under renovation (we think) that had every window boarded up, but on those windows were replicas of paintings that are inside the Soares dos Reis museum (one of our planned stops for this afternoon). A wonderful way to display artwork and convert a dilapidated building into something special.
Entering the train station, we are immediately taken with the azulejos – over 20,000 hand painted tiles that tell the story of important moments in Portuguese history. This is what everyone comes here for – if you aren’t actually taking a train that is – and is evidenced by the numerous tours standing around basking at the tiles, listening to their guides. We of course don’t have a guide, but no matter – we don’t need anyone to help us enjoy the gorgeous stone arched architecture and beautiful tilework.
From here, it is an easy walk up to the Cathedrale, allowing for a great view back down the street to the Ingeja Santo Antonio dos Congregados (again with beautiful Azulejos, and hidden behind Metro construction barriers at street level) with the majestic clock tower of the Porto City hall in the background.
Continuing up the hill, we reach the Se do Porto – the Porto Cathedral, one of the oldest and most important monuments in the city. Built in the 12th Century at the highest point in the city, its walls are adjacent to the walls that once protected the city. It has ben rebuilt and renovated numerous times, and it shows with the mix of Baroque and Gothic and Romanesque styles.
Definitely perched above the city, there are great views out across the old town to the Clerigos tower – the bell tower built in the late 1700’s – and beyond. You can see how the walls of the cathedral look almost like battlements.
Once we find the entrance – the main entrance is no longer open, there is a side door you have to find, which isn’t very well sign-posted – we buy tickets for both the Cathedral and the Bishop’s Palace (in for a penny, in for a pound) and wander into the interior of the cathedral. It is stunning. And huge. And filled with gilded statues, wall carvings and stained glass windows. The cloister is lined with more Azulejos. Very much a sight to behold.
We can climb to the upper levels, outside to a patio above the courtyard and then up into one of the bell towers for some great shots across the Douro and the red tiled roofs of the old city.
Then it is onto the Bishop’s Palace. All we can say is there is way too much money in this church business. This place is enormous and filled to the brim with gold and precious artwork and frescoes and Coats of arms and throne rooms and more opulence that any one place really deserves! Ok. Rant over.
It is stunning – but still. Once that little tour of excess is completed, we hit the café, which is a total disappointment. Cold cappuccino – and not ordered as cold. But it had started to rain, so we wanted somewhere to sit and hang out until maybe it would stop? At least we could reconnoiter – and the rain did let up enough for us to head off on our way to the Mercado do Bolhão – the historic 2 level market housed in a neoclassical building. Dalila said the market was closed for years for renovation and modernization, and just recently reopened. We love a good market! But this place is more upscale food products and food stalls with minimal seating and high prices. And not even picture-worthy as we didn’t take a single shot. Ringing the balcony upstairs are a bunch of restaurants just getting ready to open, but none that are really appealing. Pooh. Plan B.
It is now raining again, but we are in luck, one of the original local restaurants serving Bifadas – another traditional Porto creation made of thin pork slices in spicy sauce served on a bun – is only a couple of blocks away. We don’t even need our umbrellas to get there. And this place is great. We walk into the lower level, where all the locals are lined up at the bar eating, and are shown up to the 2nd floor where a few tables are already occupied. After perusing the menu, we order our beer and wine (OMG! I’m coming here for wine all the time! The glass I get is almost as big as Ed’s beer and it is only 2.50 Euros!!!) and then decide to split a Bifana Especial com Queijo as well as an assortment of croquettas – and a cup of vegetable soup for Ed. Fantastic lunch! The food here is just fantastic – and filling! As we sit enjoying our meal, the place starts filling up. There are 3 levels here as well and by the time we are done, they are sending people upstairs to the 3rd floor dining area. Crazy busy this town is – apparently all the time!
Stuffed from our meal, we decide to try to walk to our next stop – the Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis – but the rain quickly changes our mind. Instead, we stop at a little coffee shop for cappuccino and pastel de nata, then call an Uber to take us a quick 6 minutes over to the museum. Bummer on the walking, but far more comfortable in the dry interior of a car!
The Soares museum was created by King Pedro IV in 1833 and enhanced over the years by his sister, Princess Maria Isabel de Braganca (remember them from Petropolis in Brazil?). Housed in a former royal residence, the museum is the oldest public museum in Portugal with a huge collection of both cultural objects and paintings from different artistic movements through Portuguese history. It is a massive place – in which you could spend hours wandering through the different rooms and exhibits. Some of the more fascinating objects include a fish tank from the late 1700’s made of ceramic with inlaid glass panels. Totally cool. There is gold jewelry from the 2nd and 3rd C AD, ivory inlaid chests and tables, amazing portraits that look like photographs (the Silva Porto oil “Broken Bowl” from the late 1880s is one of the best), clay statues and bronze statues – it is a fantastic museum and great way to spend a rainy afternoon in Porto. The only disappointment is that there are also amazing – and huge – gardens surrounding the museum that we will definitely not be partaking in today.
Oh well – nothing we can do about that! The rain has abated when we are ready to leave the museum, so we decide to walk back to the apartment via the Ingrejo do Carmo, the Universadade do Porto and the Livraria Lello – the bookstore that supposedly inspired J.K. Rowlings’ Hogwarts and Diagon Alley. But sadly, the rains – and the wind – start up again in force as we circumnavigate the Universidade gardens. We end up hiding from the rain on the loggia to the Universidade – gazing out at the idiots are standing in line to get into the Livraria. Really? In the rain? This is what happened the first time we were here in Porto – the line stretched down the street forever and we thought, “nothing is worth that wait.” Now? OMG people, you are standing in wind driven rain to get into a bookstore? Unh uh. We’re out of here. Uber it is – back to the apartment to dry off and spend a nice warm and quiet rest of the afternoon. We have beer. We have wine. We have snacks. We are happy.
Later in the evening, after the rain has abated, we venture out into the city again – this time heading straight to Tapas ‘n Friends where we have a delightful meal – ordered by number written down on a miniature clipboard – and served by the most adorable waiter! Beer and wine – but of course – and an assorted meat platter of local sausages, then meat croquettas, followed by Ovos Rotos which is translated into English as “torn eggs with chorizo.” Basically fried eggs over top chorizo and French fries, but the best part is the waiter who comes and “tears” the eggs for us – all the while talking and chatting and asking about what we like about food! Too much fun! Then we finish off the evening with Folhado Queijo – goat cheese with nuts in a puff pastry drizzled with honey. Perfect dessert. And perfect ending to our Porto explorations.
Tomorrow we are off to Pinhão with a winery lunch and garden tour (hopefully not in the rain). Fingers crossed the weather dries up.
Andiamo 