Over tuition for a Professional Level exam (Business Planning: Taxation) in March 2022, I went to Portugal. I spent the first weekend in one of my favourite cities, Lisbon, with my boyfriend, before heading up North to Porto for the following week. Although I love Lisbon, there are way fewer tourists in Porto and the food is infinitely better (in my opinion, Lisbon and the south of Portugal offer the worst food in the country as it isn't authentic and is instead catered to tourists) so I was excited to head up north.
Porto
I had college from 9.30am until 4.15pm during the week, meaning that I'd only be able to properly enjoy the city in the evenings and on the weekend, which was perfect as it is a city I am familiar with (as one of my cousins studied in Porto and has lived there for four years) so I didn't feel the need to see absolutely everything this time around.
Porto is famous for its francesinhas and despite only arriving at 10pm, we headed straight to Brasão Coliseu to have one. I'm quite fussy with francesinhas as the sauce can vary between restaurants and is the make-or-break factor, however I really enjoyed the dish here (see the central picture above). The restaurant had a great vibe and is also a brewery, providing for a perfect dinner.
On the weekdays, we explored the city immediately after college, and despite the mixed weather throughout the day, we were mostly lucky and got some sun on our walks. There were only three places that I really wanted to visit, all of which we managed to tick-off early in the week: the Ribeira, Manteigaria, and Livraria Lello. The Ribeira (or riverside) is by Porto's famous bridge (Ponte Luís I) which connects Vila Nova de Gaia with Porto's old town. The other side of the river features many of Porto's famed wine cellars, where wine tasting is encouraged, however my favourite part about the Ribeira is that musicians will often perform in the evenings so you can enjoy the sunset views to some music. Furthermore, it is located close to the centre of Porto and it is possible (albeit expensive) to ride a funicular up the steep hill to the city centre if you don't fancy the workout. Manteigaria is a 'pastel de nata' (or custard tart) factory and although there are various shops throughout the country, the one in Bolhão, Porto makes the best pasteis de nata that I've ever had (and trust me, I've had a lot), and is a must for any trip to Porto. Each time a new batch comes out of the oven, a bell is rung in the streets so that passersby can grab some fresh pasteis. Finally, Livraria Lello is one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, with a gorgeous forked staircase down the centre and it's rumoured to be J.K. Rowling's inspiration for the library in Hogwarts. Although nowadays you have to pay an entry fee (€5 or €6 depending on whether you buy online or in person respectively), the fee is discounted from any book purchases in store. The bookstore stocks various classics in many languages and features its own gilt-edged collection of novels, although be warned that books are fairly expensive in Portugal (most books cost around €20). Although not the most exciting, I bought A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens from Penguin's Clothbound Classics series.
We also visited the 'Jardins do Palácio de Cristal', which is a park full of tulips, peacocks, and even the 'Porto.' landmark, which offers a lovely view of the river and an arena, and on the Sunday we took a stroll to Porto's main park: 'Parque da Cidade'. This park is gigantic and features several lakes and gardens. Conveniently, it is located near Matosinhos beach and provides a scenic escape from the bustling city. It's also possible to get a city tram from the city centre to the riverside for €3.50 (one way), which is a 30-minute ride. The seats can be moved to face the direction of travel (which was cool, although my cousin was convinced that we'd head in the opposite direction so moved all of the seats around, meaning that everyone was backward-facing throughout the journey) and to indicate that you wanted to get off at the next stop you had to pull an overhead string like in the olden days. It's also worth visiting Clérigos Tower, which offers a spectacular view of the city, and Liberdade Square, which is the main square and is where a massive Christmas tree is put up each year over the holidays.
Other things to visit include the WOW (World of Wine) museum in Vila Nova de Gaia, the Casa de Música (House of Music) and Serralves (an art museum). I'd also recommend 'O Diplomata' for pancakes, 'Zenith' or 'Nicolau' for brunch, and 'Guilty' for burgers and desserts.
The week was very wholesome and as my cousin knows that the key to my heart is through food, we made a lot of new recipes, including a quiche and risotto, and cooked a lot of Portuguese dishes (including authentic Madeiran foods, such as bolo do caco, which is Madeira's version of garlic bread, and carne da panela). My cousin also bought some of my favourite snacks for my arrival, including pão com chouriço and an Oreo Milka chocolate bar, which was a highlight, and I finally used my Bolt Food credit from almost six-months beforehand, when I went to Latvia. We also managed to run a 10k along the river in the sun, which was such a contrast to my London runs in my local park and was exhilarating.
Braga
One of the main reasons that I wanted to go up North was in order to visit a city that I'd been wanting to visit for years: Braga. I'd planned to visit last summer, however due to Covid I wasn't able to. Nonetheless, I was intent on exploring this beautiful city.
Braga is the third biggest city in Portugal (after Lisbon and Porto) and it’s known for its abundance of churches and cathedrals. Although we’d been planning on getting the train, my aunt and uncle decided to join us and offered us a lift, which was extremely appreciated as it ended up raining the whole day. One thing to know about Portuguese people is that many don’t leave the house if it’s raining and frequently plans are cancelled, which as a Londoner is shocking. Nonetheless, the four of us set out headed for Braga in the pouring rain.
We drove straight to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro, and although it's my aunt's favourite building in Braga, due to the fog I couldn't fully appreciate the exterior; the interior however was beautiful. We then went to the little café by the sanctuary to try some local delicacies, which I enjoyed greatly. Following this, we visited one of my favourite landmarks in Portugal: the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte. This complex is huge, offering views of the city and even featuring a small cave which reminded me greatly of Hobbiton (see the rightmost picture above). The Baroque-style sanctuary sits atop 577 stairs (seen in the leftmost picture below), along which there are various depictions of stories from the Bible, alongside statues and water fountains. I really enjoyed this complex and despite not being very religious, was impressed.
After stopping for a lunch of 'vitela assada' (which was so much more flavourful than anything I'd eaten in Lisbon), we explored Braga's city centre, touring the abundance of religious buildings, including Braga Cathedral, which features the tombs of several Portuguese Archbishops, and the Arch of the New Gate, which is an open gateway that leads towards the historical centre of the city. As it happens, if someone leaves the door open in Portugal, it is a common idiom to ask if they're from Braga, due to this arch. Braga was lovely, and filled with flowers and plants (including cabbages!) and I would definitely recommend visiting if you're in the country!
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