Porto, Portugal - Week 3 Video

Porto, Portugal - Week Three

When we went to the Casa da Música for our tour, they offered a combo ticket with a nice discount to tour and taste at the Graham's Port Caves. How could we say no? I guess we aren't tired of tasting port just yet.

When I described the aging processes for making tawny versus ruby port in my other post, I neglected to mention a third style of port -- vintage. This ruby port wine only ages in the huge oak barrel for a short time, maybe two years or so. Then it is bottled and stored away for many more years before it can be sold. Because the wine continues to age without any exposure to oak or oxidation, it tends to retain its red color and will continue to age and hold its flavor characteristics for many decades. This is the kind of wine that you "cellar", and in fact, Graham's has an extensive cellar full of bottles from various vintages. The oldest bottles of Graham's there were from the 1860's.

Of course, we are no good at "cellaring". Bottles of wine rarely stick around that long in our house. So we opted to just buy a reasonably priced bottle of port. That way we don't have to feel bad about it when it disappears in a week or so.

Later in the week, we went for a guided tour of the Palácio da Bolsa, which translates to "Stock Exchange Palace". At first I thought maybe it was a mis-translation, because why would they put the Stock Exchange in a "palace"? Shouldn't it just be called the "Stock Exchange Building"? No, the Palácio is just that -- a palace. Our tour took us through some of the most magnificently decorated and spacious rooms. This is the "Hall of Nations", seen from above. My photo doesn't really do it justice because the entire room has a domed glass ceiling flanked by paintings of the coats of arms of the twenty nations Portugal did the most business with back in the 1850's. The guide informed us that Portugal used to have two stock exchanges, and trading for the one in Porto was done in this room until it was decided to just have one stock exchange in Lisbon.

This is the Commercial Court Room, where the association used to hear legal cases related to business. Nowadays, this room is used for fancy wine tastings of course. Because...Porto.

The fanciest room is the Arabian Room. It was inspired by the grandeur of the Alhambra palace in southern Spain. 

Arabian motifs decorate the walls. Not because the room has anything to do with business in Arabia, but because it was the height of fashion in the 1870's and 1880's when this room was constructed.

One street over from our apartment, on the Rua das Flores, is a beautiful baroque church that we walk past nearly every day. But the gates at the entrance have always been locked shut. It took us a long time to realize that the church was part of a museum a few doors down -- the MMIPO Museu da Misericórdia do Porto. To see the inside, we would have to visit the museum. The church facade was designed by one of Porto's most famous architects, Nicolas Nasoni.

The church interior is also very baroque in style. Lots of gold leaf and flourishes everywhere. Decorative blue and white ceramic tiles (known as azulejos) line the walls.

The museum celebrates the long history of the Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Porto. This association was created by order of the king and queen in 1498 and has been dedicated to serving charitable and philanthropic works ever since. The society is commited to 14 works of mercy (the English translation of "misericórdia") and there was a helpful explanation of these works as you entered the museum, as well as a beautiful woodcarving of the society's patron saint -- Our Lady of Mercy. The seven spiritual works are to: teach the humble, give good advice, charitably correct the wrongs of others, console the suffering, pardon those who have wronged us, suffer patiently, and pray for the living and the dead. The seven material works are to: free the enslaved and visit prisoners, heal and help the sick, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter travelers and pilgrims, and bury the dead. Many prominent Portuguese families have dedicated their lives and their fortunes so that the society could continue to fulfill its mission even to the present day. The Misericórdia association provides a wide range of social services to communities in need.

The Misericórdia museum has a good collection of religious artworks. The vibrant colors of this oil on copper painting by Josefa de Óbidos were very eye-catching. It was painted in 1678 and it was unusual at that time for a woman to make a living as an artist. She was one of the most prolific painters in Portugal in the 1600's and has over 150 works attributed to her.

After the museum, we had a Thanksgiving late lunch/early dinner. Turkey wasn't on the menu, but it was a very delicious and traditionally Portuguese meal. Followed by a cotton candy sunset. Lots to be thankful for!

Portugal - Guimarães Day Trip

Another town that is easily reachable by train from Porto is Guimarães. Guimarães claims to be the birthplace of Portugal for two reasons. Afonso Henriques (Afonso I), the first King of Portugal, was born here. And in 1128, on a battlefield not far from town, Afonso Henriques won an important battle securing the independence of the kingdom of Portugal. The town motto is translated "Here Portugal was born".

As one would expect, Guimarães retains a lot of its medieval charm. The maze of twisting narrow streets in the city center seems like something out of a history book. One of the oldest streets is the Rua de Santa Maria, which has been in existence since, oh, around the 7th century.

One of the most popular attractions in town is the Paço dos Duques de Bragança (Palace of the Dukes of Braganza). It was built in the 1400's and eventually fell into ruin.

In the 1930's with money and support from the Salazar regime the palace was somewhat controversially "restored", probably in a grander style than it originally had when built. Now it is a museum with lavishly furnished rooms, like this banquet hall.

Up the hill from the palace is a small chapel, the Igreja de São Miguel do Castelo, where Afonso Henriques is supposed to have been baptized.

And just behind the chapel is the impressive Castelo de Guimarães. Inappropriately, my mind immediately conjured up scenes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 

We weren't able to walk inside the central tower/keep, although I think usually it is open to the public. But we were able to walk all along the ramparts and imagine what it must have been like in the Middle Ages to rain arrows, rocks, and cows down on your enemies. "Fetchez la vache!" Just kidding about the cows, probably. Here is Kevin threatening to taunt me a second time.

The old town has a series of squares and plazas (called "largos" or "praças") where you can take your pick of restaurants for lunch or a coffee. This is the Largo da Oliveira. The red building on the right with the arches and statue is the old town hall. Note that the town looks empty because we chose to go there on a Tuesday morning. In November. During a pandemic. But, yes, there were other people around, and the squares got more animated by lunchtime.

We had lunch just through those arches on the other side of the town hall, in the Praça de São Tiago. Kevin has a traditional Portuguese cod dish (bacalhau) and I managed to order myself some not-so-traditional "mystery fish filets". But at least the wine (vinho verde) was good. Saúde!

Porto, Portugal - Week Two Video

 Some highlights from our second week in Portugal. . .

Portugal - Braga Day Trip

Braga is a little over an hour from Porto by train and it is a nice escape from the noise and tourist crowds (yes, even in November during a pandemic there are still tourist crowds). One of the main sights in the city is the Santuário do Bom Jesus do Monte, a shrine on a hillside just outside town.

It is a 17th century Christian pilgrimage site dedicated to the Holy Cross. Pilgrims would slowly climb the zigzag staircase and contemplate how the five senses and the material world contrasts with the spiritual world. On each landing is a chapel and a fountain with water pouring from a statue's eyes, ears, nose, mouth etc. to illustrate the point. 

Today we encountered more health-minded pilgrims who seem to use the stairway and gardens as a place to exercise and walk their dogs. We outsmarted the system and took the old cable car to get to the top so that we could walk down the 577 steps instead of up.

Once at the top, the sanctuary is quiet and peaceful. And the surrounding park has its own artificial grotto.

There are some great views of Braga down below. Braga is much smaller than Porto, maybe 190,000 people compared to Porto's metro area of about 1.5 million.

The history of Braga goes back for millennia; people have been living here since before the Romans came to this part of the Iberian peninsula in 134 BC. There are many public squares and parks, and it seemed like everyone was out enjoying the last of the sunny November weather (it is supposed to get colder and rainier next week).

During the Middle Ages, the city was a main center of Christianity. Around every corner there seems to be a church or a chapel. Behind the city sign is the beautiful Igreja de São Marcos.

Beautiful buildings are everywhere in this town. This is the Palácio do Raio, a private residence originally built by a wealthy merchant. It was designed by Portuguese architect André Soares in the 1750's.

Construction began on the Sé de Braga (cathedral) in the 11th century and the structure has been enlarged and renovated over the centuries. It is a mix of architectural styles -- Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Baroque and Neoclassical.

We took a guided tour of the interior and the guide took us into several locked chapels to see the elaborate decoration and carved altarpieces. This is the Capela de São Geraldo, the patron saint of Braga.

One of the loveliest spots in town was the Jardim de Santa Bárbara (Garden of Saint Barbara). It is a formal and serene space with blooming roses and recently re-planted winter flower beds. It's located alongside the bishop's palace, and the gothic arcade ruins used to be part of a palace wall. So pretty! 

Porto, Portugal - Week Two

The spectacular sunny weather continued throughout last week so we walked across the bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia to sample some more port wines and enjoy the sunshine. We did a self-guided tour at Taylor's, which is one of the larger exporters of port. The oak vats here were the biggest we've seen - you could practically live inside one!

Taylor's tasting room has a very nice outdoor garden where you can take in the scenery while enjoying the port.

We also had a plate of specialty sheep and goat cheeses from Portugal, which went well with the wine.

The next day we took the bus to the Serralves modern art museum. Modern art normally does not appeal to me, and some of the exhibits were a bit underwhelming (piles of everyday objects, like a stack of bricks or cardboard boxes -- it just doesn't seem very "arty" to me). But the museum had an entire building dedicated to works by Joan Miró, so that part was interesting.

The main reason we came to the museum was to see the park. The gardens are beautifully laid out and look particularly colorful with the autumn leaves.

But even outside in the garden you still can't really escape the modern art. Artist Louise Bourgeois designed this creepy larger-than-life spider to haunt your nightmares!

Later in the week we took a guided tour of the Casa da Música. Construction of this modern building was completed in 2005 and it looks sort of like an oversized concrete air conditioning unit from the outside. 

The architect wanted a very modern aesthetic to celebrate the city of Porto being the European Capital of Culture in 2001. The building is known for its fabulous acoustics and is a great place to see a concert because both the front and rear walls of the main Sala de Suggia chamber are made of glass, letting in natural light. We were there for a rehearsal -- normally the glass panel behind the orchestra is uncovered but during the rehearsal they had a dark shade lowered, unfortunately covering the enormous window.

A short walk from the Casa da Música is the Cemitério de Agramonte. This grand cemetery has been in existence since 1855 and many graves and chapels are adorned with mournful and moving sculptures.

After a day full of walking we stopped at one of Porto's well-know food halls -- the Mercado Bom Sucesso. Originally built in the 1950's as a traditional market hall, the building was repurposed more recently to hold many restaurants and food stalls featuring Portuguese cuisine. We like it because they have a nice outdoor seating area so you can bring your meal outside. Bom apetite!

Portugal - the Douro Valley

So far autumn in Porto has been unseasonably sunny and warm. We decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather for a mid-week train trip up the Douro Valley to see the vineyards.

After a scenic two-hour ride, we arrived in the small town of Pinhão, where wine is a way of life.

Our first stop was tour and tasting at Quinta do Bomfim, which is owned by an English family (Symington). The grapes here are used to make port wine sold under the Dow brand name. The winery is located right in town with beautiful views of the Douro River. The Douro Valley is a UNESCO world heritage site. Wine has been produced here for centuries, and the highly-regulated region is the only place in the world where Port wine is produced. The Portuguese pride themselves on conserving the area and preserving the heritage of their winemaking traditions.

Here is a quick summary of how port wine is made: after harvest the grapes are crushed and fermented, then combined with a distilled grape spirit (like a brandy) to stop the fermentation. This leaves some of the sugar in the wine and produces a sweeter wine that is fortified, meaning that it is stronger than typical red or white wine. Various types of port are aged in different ways. A ruby port will be aged in the huge oak barrels to limit contact with the oak and air, whereas a tawny port will be aged in smaller barrels for many years -- oxygenation and contact with the oak will produce a lighter reddish-orange colored wine that can age in the barrel for many decades before being bottled.

Of course the tour isn't complete until you've had a chance to sample the wines.

The grapes are usually harvested anytime from late September to October, so we missed out on the action of watching the harvest and the crush. Instead we get to enjoy the gorgeous fall colors here -- the vines are various shades of red, orange, and yellow, and the foliage on the trees is truly spectacular.

After sampling several great wines, we took a tour further upriver on one of the historic rabelo boats. These are the boats that were traditionally used to bring barrels of wine down into Porto to be aged in the caves. Now they are used to ferry tourists up and down the river to see the vineyards and scenery.

Some of the properties are newer while others look like they have been there for hundreds of years.

We stayed one night in Pinhão, at the fabulous Vintage Hotel right on the river. In the morning, the entire river was covered in a thick blanket of fog that slowly burned off as the sun came out.

We had scheduled one more tour and tasting before we had to catch our train - at the Quinta de la Rosa about a twenty minute walk from town (uphill -- soooo many hills here in Portugal!).

Of course the steep walk meant a spectacular view back to Pinhão from the tasting room. Here are two glasses of port wine -- on the left you can see the light rich color of the tawny port, while the ruby port on the right is a bolder deep red color.

After consuming a few tasting glasses of port, at least our walk back to the train station was all downhill, and very scenic. We had a nice lunch outside in the sunshine before catching our train back to Porto.