After finishing my time in Lisbon, I headed up north to Porto. Unlike Lisbon, I’d never been to Porto before, and I was excited about exploring a new city with a different vibe. It’s about a three hour drive from Lisbon to Porto, and after showing my negative Covid test to check into the hotel by Estádio do Dragão, I was ready to hit the town!
Exploring Porto
My first day in Porto, I ended up having to uber into the city as there was a strike on the metro that had closed all but one line (and of course, that one line didn’t go through Estádio do Dragão). It was only 4.89€, and it didn’t take too long to be dropped off at Trindade, though. From there, I did the 15 minute walk to Igreja dos Clérigos. This is a large Catholic Church, but the real reason for visiting was to climb the tower (I can’t resist a tower climb)! It’s 197 steps up (and back down again, of course), but there’s also a museum before you start the big climb so you don’t do it all in one go. Tickets are 6€, and while I wasn’t entirely interested in the museum, the view from the top of the tower was absolutely worth it. By sheer luck, I got to the top of the tower for sunset, and got to watch the sun dip below the horizon with the roofs of Porto beneath me. The tower has two outdoor viewing areas, and you can spend as much time as you want while up there. The tower also has night tickets you can get to climb the tower at night.
I wandered around after my arduous climb trying to find dinner, and was surprised to learn that Porto leans towards Spanish hours for dinner! Looking around at 6:00pm, very little was open, which was very different from what I’d experienced in Lisbon! I did eventually find a nice restaurant on Rue das Flores around 7:15pm, and had my favorite: bacalhau à braz.
On the last day of 2021, I started my morning bright and early with a trip to get a Covid test in preparation for my return to the UK. The testing center was right next to the Livraria Lello, known as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. It’s rumored to have inspired Hogwarts, but even if it didn’t, it’s worth the visit just to admire the interior. Tickets cost 5€ online, 6€ at the door, but if you purchase a book inside, you’ll get the 5€ back in the form of it being taken off your total. You’ll have to wait in a queue as they limit the customers inside, unless you purchase a more expensive priority ticket to skip the queue. I purchased my tickets while waiting for my Covid test, and I saw many people purchasing them while waiting. I found the queue moved fairly quickly, and then I was inside! You’re greeted with ornate ceilings, a spiraling red carpeted staircase, and so many books. It’s a functioning bookstore, so I bought myself a Livraria Lello edition of Pride and Prejudice, which I was able to get stamped with the Livraria Lello stamp – a unique souvenir I think!
After admiring the bookstore, I thought it was time to check out the Dom Luís I Bridge that spans the Douro River. There are several bridges along the river, but this one is definitely striking. I accidentally initially ended up on the riverfront (in the Ribera neighborhood), which wouldn’t allow me to cross the top level of the bridge, so ended up taking the Funicular dos Guindais up. This funicular isn’t covered by the Andante card (the card you use on public transport in the city), so it is an additional cost, but given there aren’t any funiculars in London, it’s worth it to try at least once.
From the top, it’s a bit of a walk before you can get onto the bridge. The upper level is reserved for pedestrians and the metro, so you don’t have to worry about car traffic. You get beautiful sweeping views of the Douro River stretching out on both sides, and the hills of Porto. The bridge crosses you over into Gaia, and on that side of the river is where you’ll find all the port makers. There’s also a cable car you can ride! I ultimately crossed back over to head back down to the Ribera neighborhood for lunch along the river. After lunch, I found Gelatopia while wandering – a gelato chain that served pastel de nata flavored gelato! I couldn’t say no to that!
As part of my last day of the year, I went to catch a glimpse of the beautiful tiles in the São Bento train station. Half the entrance is under construction, so I couldn’t get the full effect, and I can only imagine what that would be. I watched the final sunset of 2021 from the viewpoint just outside Igreja do Carmo before heading back into the center for dinner. All New Year’s Eve festivities had been cancelled due to the pandemic, and you could tell in how few restaurants were actually open for dinner. Even the restaurant where I ate said they were endeavoring to close the place down by 10pm! I do wonder though if that was down to there being no public events, rather than how it typically is on New Year’s Eve.
With no celebrations, I rang in the new year in my hotel room, with the sounds of fireworks ringing out from across Porto.
A day trip to Aveiro
With January 1 being an observed “holiday” in Portugal, nothing was really open in Porto in the morning. As such, I opted to do a little day trip to Aveiro, about 57km south of Porto. Aveiro is also very close to the coast, and during the summer I hear is a bustling tourist city! Upon arriving, the city was very quiet, with very few people milling about, and much seemed closed. By the time I’d finished lunch though, it was clear that the city was waking up, and things were opening. By the time I left, it felt very crowded, and I can only imagine what it’s like in the summer!
One of the must-dos in Aveiro is to take a boat ride on the river. There are several different companies all along the river, so you can pick the boat that speaks to you the most! The tour lasted about 45 minutes, and you get to not only get a lay of the land (as it were), but also see the bridges, and locks along the canal. We got a bit of history about the salt trade in Aveiro, but not as much as I would’ve liked.
In line with how the rest of this Portugal trip has played out, I had to finish the day in Aveiro with a sweet treat. Aveiro’s signature dish is something called ovos moles, which has no direct translation, but is a pastry made of egg yolk and sugar. They’re shaped like barrels, and they originate in Aveiro, so it only made sense to try them there! They weren’t as appealing as a nata, but I’m glad I tried one!
Returning to the UK
As much as I wanted to stay in Portugal (the weather for one is appealing – 16 degrees C in January!), work in London was calling. In order to return to the UK, I had to have a negative Covid test taken within two days of departure. I also had to fill out the UK Passenger Locator Form, and prebook a day two PCR test. Porto has an airport, but to get back to Heathrow, I had to transfer in Lisbon. I made it to Lisbon, and the gates were just about to open for boarding when my flight was cancelled, which is exactly what every traveler wants to hear. I ended up having to wait in the Lisbon airport for over eight hours, but that’s a story for another day!
All in all, I had an amazing time starting off my 2022 in Porto, and throughout my whole small holiday in Portugal. I’m very grateful I was able to do it, and I hope I’m able to return to Portugal again one day!
Not Your Average Giraffe 