Port, Porto, Portugal
Since Tereza and I decided to cut our Camino a few days short and visit the coast, we had a bit more flexibility. We each had flights out of Santiago in four days and we were sick of the rain in Fisterra. "Where should we go?" we contemplated. We did about five minutes of research, checked the bus schedule, packed our bags, and headed out.
Four hours later we found ourselves in a beautiful city set alongside the Douro River, carved with narrow winding alleyways and covered in rust-orange rooftops. Porto, Portugal is a gem on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula.
It was dark by the time we arrived and we were keen to drop our packs off and grab a bite to eat, so we headed in the general direction of what looked like the city center and looked for signs that said "hostel." At this point, we had been used to traveling in Southeast Asia and Latin America where you can rock up to any town and find a bed, no problem. Apparently a lot more people go backpacking through Europe because the first three hostels we poked our heads into were all full! Luckily a very kind receptionist at one of the hostels made a few phone calls and found us a place to lay our heads just up the road. We decided to book our rooms for the weekend right then and there and ended up staying in three different hostels for our three nights in Porto! Tereza is just as flexible and easy going as I am, so this event caused zero dramas.
(Side note: You'd think I would have learned a lesson there, but I ended up repeating this process in Barcelona, Munich, Berlin, and Tetouan. I am a wanderer, and I accept the sacrifice of not knowing for the reward of adventure.)
So we explored, taking advantage of our last few days traveling together.
A free walking tour is one of my favorite ways to get to know both a new city as well as new friends. Notice Tereza is wearing sandals- her feet were still healing from the massive blisters incurred on the Camino.
And one of the best ways to explore hidden nooks that we wouldn't otherwise find. Our guide was telling us that if we speak Spanish with a Russian accent, we will almost be speaking Portuguese. That semi-worked for me. Luckily I knew quite a bit of Portuguese from my previous (and current) desire to live in Brazil. However, I threw a lot of Spanish in there and the only time the locals got angry with me was when I said "gracias" instead of "obrigada" when thanking them. A tough habit to break. Apologies for upsetting anyone.
Although a bit too chilly to swim, we took one afternoon to enjoy watching the surf lessons from the beach, tossing the frisbee, and petting all the sand covered dogs that ran our way.
Look, I found a big K!
Porto's world wide claim to fame is, of course, Port Wine. The valley upriver from the city is prime climate for Port vineyards. In addition to decadent fortified wines, Portugal is the world leader in cork production. Tereza and I couldn't leave without taking a wine tour and visiting some of the most famous Port Wineries.
Relaxing on the riverside with a glass of port, giggling and reminiscing about our adventures was the perfect way to spend our last day together.
The last thing we did that night before passing out in food comas was fill our hungry bellies with the famous "Francescinha" sandwich, made of unknown parts of various animals (such as pig and cow I think?) topped with an egg and cheese and smothered in gravy, swimming in chips. Worth the 45 minute wait outside the dive cafe. Yes, way worth it.
One last quick look at the city from the bell tower before getting back on a bus to continue our travels.
Obrigada, Portugal, I'll be back.
