Bem-vindo a Porto! What a cute little city, a day and a half was just about the perfect amount of time to spend there. The town itself is verrryyy chiquito, bisected by a river that flows in from the ocean, with the city center on one side, and a lot of port wineries on the other. Even if Porto itself hadn’t been so darn charming, with narrow cobblestone streets winding up it’s many hills, lots of parks with blooming trees/ flowers, and brightly colored tile facades on the buildings, I still would have loved it solely because I am always happier just being near the ocean.
My friend and I took a short flight to meet up with Scott, visiting from San Diego (whom I’ve known since birth), and two of his friends from London. Once everyone arrived and got organized, aside from exploring the center and the river front, climbing up the Torre dos Clerigos to see the view, and logging in some beach time, we also sampled the Portuguese cuisine (lots of fish), pasteries, and of course, the Port. I learned that I don’t particularly care for Port, but that it’s pretty serious business, after visiting two tasting rooms I was about ready to be put to bed.
Now I just have to make it through three days of culture week (my kids are singing a song about recycling to the tune of ‘Respect’), and then bright and early Thursday morning it’s off to TURKEY for 10 days. I love being a “teacher.”
Taking the Long Way 