I’m writing this on the train from Porto to Lisbon as we near the conclusion of our trip. Just outside of Porto there are some nice views of the ocean and the dunes but you quickly move inland. We’ve not really commented or posted about Porto itself so here goes.
Porto is the second largest city in Portugal and is across the Douro river from Gaia as the river empties into the Atlantic. The two cities encompass a pretty wide area but feel more compact than Lisbon and less overrun by tourists like us. It may be because there isn’t a port near the main quays that can accommodate an ocean cruise ship. The cities are visited by the river cruise lines but those are much smaller vessels. Nothing against cruises, we’ve done them and enjoyed them, but they do tend to dump off a lot of people for day trips that can make it feel like the tourists outnumber the locals.
That was not the case in Porto, where we did an Air B&B apartment rental for the first time. We thoroughly enjoyed it. The one-bedroom flat was on the fifth floor of a building in the middle of a street that was one block from the back of the Porto Cathedral, one of the main tourist stops. But the tour groups didn’t come our way so it was quiet, except for the guy that set up outside the entrance of the church each day playing his trumpet for tips. That got old real quick.
The flat was serviced by one of those old-fashioned elevators with two doors that you manually opened and closed. Our host’s biggest concern and admonition was to make sure the lift stopped completely before opening the doors, otherwise it would freeze and he’d have to come down and override it.
The area had a neighborhood feel: most of the building’s tenants appeared to be locals. We shopped two or three times at a shop adjacent to the building run by an old Portuguese woman, who unlike most of the younger generations we met spoke no English. But after a couple trips to buy wine, cheese or yogurt, she got to know us. She waved goodbye as we waited for our Uber ride to the train station. That is part of the fun of travel for us.
We were pretty centrally located, with a short walk to the pedestrian bridge to Gaia and around the corner from a funicular that we could use if needed to get up or down to the river. We never did, though to be totally clear the Porto area is very hilly: steeply hilly at that. Now I know how the Portuguese can stay slim eating all of the bread and pastries they seem to enjoy.
We really just roamed around Porto on our own for the most part, but we got to the majority of the obligatory tourist stops. We caught parts of two free concerts on a plaza about five minutes from the flat and hung out on Friday night at one of the many cocktail bars that have sprung up in recent years. The city is generally clean and people were friendly. It was worth the visit, though two or three nights was just right.
It's What We Do 
all in all Portugal looks and sounds like a beautiful place to visit. I love your photos that catch the feel of the place and of course the people you've met. This doesn't sound like a trip for anyone who isn't prepared to walk – wouldn't want to miss the sights. I like the scene that shows just how steep downhill it is to the water. Wish you a smooth flight back home to scenic New JerseyAmorMae
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