Stepping into Porto, Portugal was like stepping back into old Mediterranean Europe. One of Portugal's most internationally famous products, fortified port wine, was named after the city because it was originally shipped from the area. Old Porto is the hub for sightseeing, port wine and river tours. Amidst the narrow streets that wind their way through town lie several stretches of pedestrian-only cobblestone streets (though they are hard on the feet when you aren't wearing thick soled shoes!).
Unfortunately it rained almost the entire time we were there! Apparently they only get rain one month of the year, and April is it! durrr. In any case, we made the most of it and visited some grand old churches covered in decorative blue and white tiles, catacombs beneath a church, did some shopping and visited some 'port caves' to try authentic port wine. One of the best places to walk and see Old Porto is down by the Douro River - called 'La Ribera'. The walkways meander past side streets and are tucked in alcoves that open up to hidden bistros and restaurants that seat guests on quaint balconies overlooking the river or small courtyard gardens. The Dom Luis I bridge below was engineered by a disciple of Eiffel - can't you tell? The bridge links Porto wiht Vila Nova de Gaia (where the port caves are located). The pier on the lower right is a remnant of a suspended bridge that was dismantled in 1887.
Porto felt like a town of caves because even the restaurants and shops along the Douro river were shaped in alcoves that felt like caves or cellars. Of course the port wine cellars on the other side of the river bridge (in Gaia) were called 'port caves' and we visited a few so that we could get a taste. I must admit that before I came I wasn't a port fan, as I didn't enjoy the taste of brandy in my 'late harvest wine'. But these tours changed my mind, especially in relation to white port - which is harvested from white grapes and is really quite nice (and tasted the least like brandy). I bought a bottle from Sandeman (one of the best advertised/branding of ports) for us to enjoy.
The first night we were there we went to a sushi place called Akodai for late dinner. It was a very unique experience, where we sat at the sushi bar and had personal service from the chef who has been making sushi for 34 years! There was no menu, and he served us many tasty appetizers such as gyozas (dumplings), marinated ahi tuna pieces, and some veggies. Our main sushi boat was amazing. We tried sardines for the first time and really enjoyed them, and the unagi (eel) was the best we've ever had. He also gave us a salmon maki sushi topped with strawberry, and it was heaven. To top it off, it was a really affordable dinner, including wine and (free) sake, so if you enjoy sushi - GO there!
Observation: the food in Portugal is very simple. Lots of salt, limited spices, and simple preparation. What this meant is that there wasn't much care put into removing bones (or even skin) from any of the fish or meat dishes. So, when Syd and I ordered a chicken soup at a fancy restaurant we were soon turned off by the fact that we had to 'pick' at our soup before enjoying it. We then soon realized that our wild boar stew had the same fate (and highly salted to boot) that we swore off of Portugese cuisine for the rest of the weekend!
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