Porto, Portugal - Week One

 Our first week in Portugal has been amazing -- even in November, the sun is out, so we have been able to explore the city of Porto as much as possible. 

We oriented ourselves by taking a walking tour and an open-air bus tour this week. Portugal is unique in that many building exteriors are covered in colorful tilework. The tiles are supposed to keep the buildings more insulated -- cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Even indoors, tiles are used as art pieces to decorate the walls, as seen here in the main salon of São Bento train station.

Traveling during the Covid pandemic has been a challenge, but here in Portugal, mask wearing is common. The Portuguese population is 87% vaccinated and masks are required inside all buildings and on public transit. We have spent the first few days mostly exploring the streets and parks outdoors and taking in the city views. If you haven't guessed, it's quite hilly here so we are definitely getting a workout just walking around.

We also took a short boat cruise to see the bridges along the Douro River. Across the river on the southern bank is the town of Vila Nova de Gaia, which is where all the port wine caves and tasting rooms are located. From Vila Nova de Gaia, you get great views across the water to the riverfront district of Porto (Ribeira).  

While we were across the river, we stopped in at the Caves Cálem for a tour and tasting of port wine. Port is a sweeter fortified wine and the Douro River valley is where the grapes are grown. After harvest the casks of wine are brought to the town of Vila Nova de Gaia to be aged and exported. They used to be brought by the traditional boats, called rabelos, but now I'm sure they use modern means of transportation. On the tour, a light-hearted display reminded us that masks were required except when sipping the port.

To the west of Porto is the town of Foz do Douro ("mouth of the Douro"), which borders the Atlantic ocean and has a lovely beachfront promenade. The most scenic way to get there is by historic tram. Porto has three tram lines still in operation. Riding one is like stepping back in time to the 1870's. 

We actually walked the four miles from Porto to Foz do Douro since the outbound trams are usually crowded. Then we walked along the seaside to the iconic Pergola do Foz, had lunch in a beachfront cafe, and caught the less-crowded tram 1 back into town. 

One of Porto's most visible landmarks is the baroque tower of the Dos Clérigos church. It is the highest building in the city and was completed in 1750. You can climb to the top for views of the city, but after all the walking we've done this week we opted to just sit and admire it from ground level.

For the rest of this weekend, we plan to just enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery, and maybe catch a sunset or two.