PORTO, PORTUGAL

2015-11-23, 19:36, JASON

STAY: EASYHOTEL PORTO

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The only reason we chose to go to Porto was because we had some EasyHotel credits leftover from when we stayed at easyHotel in London. Not to our surprise, easyHotel London was the cheapest option for us to stay at while we looked for more housing. When we booked our week there, we found out we got housing the day we booked. Instead of giving us a refund, sneaky homies gave us credit. Part of that we used on our hotel stay here. The rest? Hungary, over half a year later. Read our Budapest post to find out more.

In the meantime, let's do a rewind. We just finished Madrid. Caught a bit of the travel bug. I refuse to use the word wanderlust, it makes us sound like fairies. But, that's what it was, we wanted to travel, and use up these credits. So, Porto. We had no idea about Portugal, looking back. But, turned out to be one of my favorite places.

We have a bit of trouble finding our hotel when we get in. We see these two drunk girls and decide to ask them for directions. They look at us nicely and say, "..we have no idea where that is. But, follow us, let's look for it together!" I don't know if it was the drunk talking but that was the first contact with Porto-ans and it was pleasant. They just chatted and walked along while we followed them. Eventually, we found it. Then, slept.

The next day, we take a walk around the city. A bit cloudy. We get caught in a rainstorm. But, that doesn't deter us from checking out some of the other sites. The town itself is oldish, with a lot of gutted houses. But, the architecture is still cool. As any other European city, pigeons everywhere. The layout of the city is split by the Douro River: with Gaia on one side and Porto on the other. Gaia is the side that gets a bit more sun, and so, that's where all the port wine cellars were. We had no idea Porto was famous for their port. But, after one tour, we were HOOKED.

Here's how it goes: You go on a tour. When we went, all of them were 5 Euro. We refused to go into the one that was 10 euro. 5 Euro's not bad, it's actually very decent. You get a tour of the cellar, and a two samples of Port at the end. More or less, the story becomes the same, so you're paying really for the sample at the end, but it's fun walking down the river and picking out places you want to get drunk. It's like Napa, without all the rich pompiness, or effort. You can tell these Portuguese just breathe a wine culture; there isn't anything too snobby 'bout it. At one point, we were so hooked, we even joined a Spanish-speaking tour just to get to the end for dem free samples. Actually, strange enough, you would think this aged Port wine would be expensive, but the prices are pretty reasonable. We walked away with a bottle for about 15 Euro, relatively small. We decided to chug the bottle that night while having some bread and sausage that we bought at a local market. 

So, most of the first touring day was pissin' it down, we decided to go for a romantic cable car ride when the rain wouldn't let up. It took us back down to Ponte de Luis so we could cross back over to Porto-side where our hotel was. 

As -insert deity here- would have it, the day before was shitting cats, but the next day was GAWJ. So much sun. So, we checked out the main square, as well as made our way to a church tower. It's famous, but I forgot the name of it. Did some other general exploring around the town, and even came across this cute indoor market where people were drinking and chatting. There are also a lot of statues of, what I would imagine are religious figures, hanging around most buildings. Of course, on top of their heads: pigeons. Pigeons everywhere.. 

Thorin is dreaming of dat Port.Quite possibly one of the best things about Porto, and what made it so memorable, was the Ribeira, or, the riverfront. There are nice little shops lined up across that sell glasses of wine and food. It's a tourist getup, but, it's nice to chill by a river. Porto, and specifically the Ribeira, is where we discovered three things about Thorin and me as travelers: (1) If your city has a river, USE IT. They perfectly capitalize on that riverfront atmosphere, and since Porto does get its fair share of sunshine, it's relaxing and just chill. The people are nice too. (2) For myself, at least, this is where I discovered espressos. Shots of espressos are the most budget-friendly drink in Porto (and, largely in Europe, unless it's beer!) and they love their coffee. You just put a dash of sugar in it, and drink it whenever. Since this trip, it's really all I drank while traveling throughout Europe. And, lastly, (3) Port wine is f*Xing delicious. Get some if you can. It's sweet and fruity and that's just how we love life.

Anyway, that's the sum of Porto. One last thing, they have a dish they're known for: Francesinha. It's kind of like a grilled cheese sandwich, but think with more ham, sausage, tongue, drenched in a cheesey tomato and beer sauce. Sound disgusting to you? Well, try it. It'll blow your your skirts off and reveal your francesinhas to the world. Have it. 

Go enjoy the city! easyJet and Ryan probably fly here on a budget. Good for a weekend bit. Beautiful city, beautiful people (one of the reasons I started leraning Portuguese..) and, beautiful wine. Reverse importance.