Porto, Portugal stole our hearts! Neil expertly captured its pretty palette of colours and graceful architecture during our 4 days in Porto. Its enviable position offers stunning viewpoints overlooking the red-tiled roofs of the old buildings, tumbling down narrow streets to the riverside. That way you can relax, soak in the chilled atmosphere and explore its maze of cobbled streets.
We tagged our 4 days in Porto onto the end of our favourite, and by now, regular house sit in Portugal. We got the bus to Lisbon and headed for Oriente Train Station, a major transport hub for the city, which is conveniently connected to the huge shopping mall, Centro Vasco da Gama to grab a bite before a trip. Train travel is definitely our favourite way of getting around, if we can manage it, so we were delighted with the opportunity to see the Portuguese countryside on our way up North.
It absolutely beats the dead zone of airport security and boarding gate queues! We arrived at the Airbnb apartment after a short minute walk from the Metro Station and our friendly host, Inez, met us at the door.
They had the fridge stocked with beer and told us to help ourselves! We settled in, got the camera gear organised and then went for a walk towards the river. The ornate ironworks of the huge bridge, framed by the lovely old buildings rising either side of the steps is the best 'first glimpse' of Porto you can get. Just head for Muralha Fernandina, a huge medieval fortress overlooking the river and go straight down from there.
Keep the easier ride on the Guindais Funicular for your trip back up. We walked along the waterfront of the Ribeira, the tourist hotspot of the city, and found Wine Quay Bar to indulge in some wine and tapas.
