April 21 - 24, 2017: Porto, Port Wine & the Douro Valley

After spending all these days with Luis, we feel he is one of us on our travels.  In typical manner, Luis does not just drop us off at our Hotel in Porto, he takes the time to drive us around the old town, pointing out places of interest and how to get around.  It is difficult to leave Luis but we exchange Facebook contacts and wish his Soccer Team good luck (Luis loves his Soccer Team and I promise to only drink the beer that supports his team!!). 

Thank you Luis for watching over us and being our friend and guide to this wonderful country!

Porto is an entirely different City than Lisbon and Luis drives around the center before dropping us off at our hotel right on the big city square in the middle of the city. And the city is beautiful! We love this place right away but arriving means we must say good-buy to Luis who has been with us for the past few days. Thank you Luis - you have been a good friend and gone way beyond just a guide and driver to make our visit so special. The hotel is a special treat for us and the folks are very professional but very warm and welcoming. It feels really good to have all the comforts of a first class hotel. We cannot wait to have a look at this city so after a quick check in, we set off for the shopping district and street for a look. This is the week-end so people are out and it is fun to mix with them to check out the stores. We are a bit tired and so we decide to eat at the hotel and it is a lovely room to enjoy without having to trek about looking for a restaurant and walking back. Tomorrow we have scheduled a walking tour of the city.

Our guide Sara has brought along a young student also called Sara. The younger Sara is considering working as a guide to supplement her income as she studies business at the University. The younger Sara is sweet and helpful as we walk and learn about the sites.

Of course Porto is known as the birthplace of Port Wine and sits right by the River Douro. The City is also known for it stately bridges and the medieval district with narrow and cobbled streets. It is also known for the many churches as it was founded by a priest. The most famous of the churches is the San Francisco built in the 14th century which is something you must see to believe.

No pictures can be taken inside the San Francisco church and giving a description is impossible. Just know that everything is covered in gold and intricately carved and presented. The church is not done in the typical format of a cross but in a line with a very formal front. It is a beauty but did suffer some damage from the time of Napoleon who did not care much for churches and kept his horses in the churches. The soldiers also used some of the beautiful carved wood for a fire to keep warm.

The City is, of course, built on a hill so that the tourist get the thrill of walking up and down steep hills. Honestly I cannot imagine waking the hills in the heat of Summer! The city has earned, rightly, designation as a UNESCO World Heritage City. The city dates back to Roman times when it was an outpost for the Empire. Porto has been discovered by tourists and has been elected the best European destination in 2014 and 2017. There are some here that are worried that the City will lose some of its appeal with all the attention and tourist and some of the street art points out the fact.

Another draw for the city is the popularity of the "Harry Potter" books and movies. J.K. Rowling spent time in the city and the rumor is she was the unhappy bride of a local. Not happy at home she spent a great deal of time in the wonderful Lello & Lrmao library and in fact was inspired by the staircase and capes and clothes of the University Students for her Harry Potter books. Getting a tour inside the library takes a ticket and couple of hour wait in line so we settle for a camera shot from the entrance and move along on our tour. There is a lot to see in the city but perhaps it is enjoyed best by just strolling its streets for all the various views of the river and towers and statues. And of course the wine and Port. We are going to take a closer look tomorrow.

Jim and Tina make arrangements for Sara and a car to check out the famous Douro Valley while Krim and I opt for a change from a van to a train trip up the valley. We all had a wonderful day with different experiences.

Jim and Tina not only visited a Winery making Port, they also stopped by a small village boasting the butcher, the baker, but alas, missing the candle stick maker. They had a great time and scored some outstanding bread and meat which they shared with us.

Krim and I had our adventure and it was a great experience. We found the right train and set back to enjoy the view. All of a sudden a bunch of little kids jumped on the train - little people no more than 4 or 5 all dressed up with cute little white hats. They were so excited we thought, "Oh this could be bad" but it was not!. There were SO cute and settled right down. We were amazed by the staff and teachers as they touched their little faces, kissed them and spoke to them with such kindness. But the kids knew they had to behave. The view outside the window got better and better as winery after winery appear on the hillside and the river winds it's way up the valley. We finally arrive at our stop where we find the folks that make many of the best Ports in the world for a delightful tour and tasting. In typical fashion the Portuguese claim the Douro Valley is the most beautiful wine country in the world and they may have a valid claim as the area is just beautiful. 

Oh yeah, the Port is amazing and we are making sure we get some home with us.