Quick Porto Impressions – 30 & 31 Oct

Just passing through

• faded and magnificent
• tired and vibrant
• many stores – bookshop, restaurants, bakeries in family for generations
• loved the food – fantastically seasoned salmon at a the Brazilian joint next door, the savory pastries so good at the neighborhood bakery (Padaria Ribeiro, Praca de Guilherme Gomes Fernandes 21, founded 1920s) I went back and got some to share with Guylene in France, FRESH VEGETABLES at all meals, after lovely soup and salad lunch desert of practically perfect baked apple…
• being a waiter is important, white jackets, NO self service.
• much as I like Porto, I find I am exhausted. Hard to decide where to start when there is SO much. Huge section of town a world heritage site
• 30 old port wine cellars on the opposite side of the river
• One of the most amazing bookstores in the world – Livaria Lello/ Lello & Irmão.
• comforted when saw arrows marking the camino portuguaise (the pilgrims route to Santiago that goes through Portugal). Someday I’ll come back and follow them!

• the tiles on the buildings. Each building delineated from the next by different tiles. I love them but they are barely visible under layers of city dirt.
• smoke from chestnuts roasting on the street corners. Hot chestnuts delicious.
• Everyone in the streets till late at night – including children in Halloween costumes