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Mood: Glutinous
Work. Life. Balance. The endless pursuit, with the “life” bit forever losing out to the “work” bit. Sometimes you want to just go away, forget work, forget the gym, forget your diet and go for it.
And if you do, Porto is the place to do it.
Home of Port wine (it’s in the name, isn’t it?) and the gateway to the Douro Valley (one of the world’s oldest and most awarded wine regions), Porto is also home to a booming food scene comprised of hundred-year-old staples and cutting-edge cuisine.
To top it all off, the city hasn’t yet ascended into the tourist trail mainstream, which means everything is remarkably affordable. If you want to let go and be truly glutinous, this is the place to do it.
What to expect:
The city of bridges is laid out zig-zagging up the side of a hill that runs north from the riverfront. No street runs in a straight line and these former donkey paths are narrow, winding and steep.
At the top of the hill is Clergies Church and Tower, the highest point in the city at just a few hundred metres tall. From there, things flatten out and creep into the modern world.
The city is a clash of old and new, though not building-to-build like London or Berlin. Porto has done an incredible job of maintaining – and upgrading – its historic centre while letting the 21st Century creep in around it. People meander here. There’s no urgency in day-to-day-life. Slow food, slow coffee, slow walking.
From the water you look out across the river at Villa Nova de Gaia, a completely “separate” municipality and home to the world’s finest Port houses like Taylor’s and Croft. Gaia isn’t hugely residential and is instead a winding world of caves and tasting rooms ready for you to sample their finest pours in perfectly manicured gardens offering sweeping views back to picturesque Porto. Nothing is more than 20 minutes’ walk away, which is helpful because some walking in between feasting will be very appreciated.
Before Sunset:
Every day has to start with a spectacular cup of coffee and a buttery pastry stuffed to the brim with smooth, silky chocolate. Cafe do Comercio has it covered, but don’t expect to eat before 9am. Remember, this is Portugal.
From there, begin your ascent upward to Clergies Church and Tower. This vantage point offers the best view of the city – a sea of red tile roofs dotted with balconies covered in clothes hung out to dry. Turn your gaze northward and the red fades to modern roofing as the “new city” expands outward. Take particular note of Praca de Lisboa, an angular “green roof” park that sits atop a modern shopping mall (the mall is entirely invisible from street level and above).
After descending, walk through it to Livraria Lello, a historic bookshop covered in velvet and dark wood that was an inspiration to JK Rowling when she was writing Harry Potter.
