For me, it is a pleasure to write about somewhere awesome we had been or would like to go. In this post, I will write about all those magnificent places we have seen during our stay in Porto and will start with the first day.
Day one (14th Feb 2015)
We arrived at our hotel at about 1:30 pm, in bright sunshine, after leaving our things we went out straight away and guess who was waiting for us? the rain of course :) It rained all afternoon, but we laughed and had fun even in the rain. So, on our first day we visited:
1. Igreja do Carmo (Carmo Church)
We haven't stopped into this church, we just viewed from the outside, and like most churches in Porto, it was so beautiful from outside.
2. The Livraria Lello & Irmão bookstoreI love books and could spend hours browsing so, when I found out about this "Lello & Irmão bookstore", I was ecstatic that would have this opportunity to visit this corner full of books. When I first entered in Livraria Lello, I thought that I have entered in a church instead of a bookstore. It was opened in 1906, Livraria Lello is an old bookstore, but it has certainly aged well over the years. It is consistently named one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.3. Narrow/small alleysPorto's old town, the Ribeira, is the place that I really loved for its narrow alleys and colourful houses. Main streets were busy with tourists while these small streets were quiet and completely empty. Old town is the most picturesque place and here I took lots of unique scenes.
4. Chez Lapin Restaurant This restaurant, right on the Douro in Porto, we found it when we both were freezing and weren't able to find a normal place to enjoy our Valentine's dinner. The food was fabulous, good choice of wine, unusual decoration. We took the 'tourist menu' at €19. Wonderful Salmon with vegetables (for Sashka) and meat with salad(for me). Included was a bottle of wine, a plate of tasty appetizers and dessert. Plenty of food for this price.
5. The Dom Luis I BridgeThis is the main bridge in Porto and it is the most photographed thing. All tourists want to take pictures with this huge and beautiful bridge. On first day, we saw it only from riverwalk, but on next day we walked on it and enjoyed all the spectacular views of the city.
Day two (15th Feb 2015)
The day started good, the rain stopped and we continued to explore the city centre, so, we started with the old town.
6. Ribeira District and Douro RiverThis area is a very charming part of the city with old narrow alleys and with lots of restaurants and cafes. This historical (UNESCO protected) is well worth a visit. We enjoyed the stroll along the riverside, the touristic atmosphere and the lunch we had there. Porto is a beautiful city because of the Douro river, I love water and all the time had the idea that if a city has a river it gives extra points, even though it is a small town.
7. Francesinha And Super Bock BeerFrancesinha is the typical dish of Porto. Everyone who is there should try this huge sandwich prepared in a Portuguese way. The francesinha tasted great and the place where we ate it was beside the Duoro river. Before our trip, I have read about all those spots that should see or do in this city and thought I must give a try to Super Bock beer and I did, and liked the taste.
8. Vintage Tram
We took a nice trip with an old-fashioned single carriage tram along the river bank which turned into the ocean coast at a certain point. The journey from Porto to Foz district costs only 2.50 euros per person. It was like a trip into the past. This was a fun ride even though the carriage was full of tourists.
9. Foz Do Douro
Foz do Douro, is situated at the end of the Douro, where the river and sea join. Along the riverwalk there were small fishing boats, nets and pots. I loved all those beautiful scenes. Here in Foz, the sun was shining and it was quite warm. Foz has an atmosphere that is different to Porto, it is a wonderful place for walks and for listening to the sound of the waves.
10. Crystal Palace Gardens
We visited the gardens on our way back to Porto. We haven't taken the tram on our way back to the city. The entry to the gardens is free. The palace itself is not worth to visit. It's all about the gardens, people are coming for these beautiful gardens and for gorgeous views over the Douro and Arrabida bridge.
Day three (16th Feb 2015)The last day of our stay. It was a lovely day, with a few brief showers in the afternoon.
11. City Park (Parque da Cidade)
It's the biggest urban park of Portugal. We loved this park because it is so different from the others. In this park Sashka has taken all the photographs from my previous post.
Parque da Cidade is directly connected to the Atlantic Ocean and because of this, it so unique. If you visit Porto, please, dedicate a time to visit this amazing park.
12. Matosinhos
We had a nice Italian lunch just beside the Atlantic Ocean. It was so relaxing eating and drinking at the edge of the Earth. There is a lot of choice of bars/restaurants in Matosinhos area and the prices are very affordable.
Here is our short video from this trip :)
Have you been to Porto? Where do you dream of travelling to next?
Keep yourself happy!!!
Much love
Liuba G
xxx
