Porto II

 

April 14 and it was moving day again.  I had no desire to get on a plane again so soon so I chose another apartment in Porto for a week.  The Uber driver took me from the eastern part of the city (I would later learn that that was considered the old section of town) to the western side of Porto.  The new place was located on a busy main road that was under heavy construction.

I was deposited on the sidewalk to wait for the host.  Luis arrived soon after, a friendly man who helped me into the apartment.  This place was a studio, not my first choice of places, but it was all that was available at the time for a decent price.

I gotta say that this is the strangest studio I’ve ever seen.  And I thought the last place had a weird layout.  The place is spacious – except when it isn’t.  The living/dining area has plenty of room, but the bedroom and kitchen are tiny and hidden by the same set of sliding wooden doors.  It wasn’t such a problem in the kitchen to cook while the door was open.  But trying to slide by that door to get to the bed was an act of contortionism.  Good thing I’d had that massage the day before.

At the very least, the apartment didn't have the same issues with damp and cold as the last one.  Located on the 6th floor, it even had a decent view.

Upon first entering the place, Luis sat me down at the small dining room table with the map of Porto already laid out.  Since I told him I’d already been in the city for a week, he said he would test me on what I had seen.  I had been to most of the places he’d mentioned (while not actually going inside any of the churches).  When he asked about Livraria Lello, I groaned.  I’d been by that place twice, wanting to see what all the fuss was about, but the lines to get in were so stupidly long that I just kept walking.  Luis laughed in understanding, saying I should still stop by to see it when I can.

He explained that this was a quiet area as opposed to the area where I had previously stayed and the area around the riverfront which he dubbed “Disneyland” because of all the tourists (can’t blame him on that assessment).

He gave me numerous recommendations for restaurants and sites to see, following up with a long text containing even more info.  I do love when hosts provide info like this.  Luis is obviously a man who loves his city and knows it backwards and forwards.  I like that.

I mentioned the construction on this street, but it wasn’t limited to just that area.  There are cranes and crews working all over the city.  Streets are blocked off, sidewalks are replaced with wooden planks, and there’s the sound of saws and hammering everywhere.  Even above my head.  The banging usually started around 8 a.m.  A fun accompaniment to my breakfast every morning.

The power went out one day as I was making breakfast.  I figured it had something to do with the construction, so didn't think much of it.  Breakfast was done enough so I ate it and left for the day, assuming the power would come back on shortly.  Cut to 5 pm and the electricity was still out.  A quick message to Luis and he had me switch a lever in the circuit box.  It was probably my bad.  I had the A/C, the microwave, and the electric kettle on at the same time.  Good thing I changed my mind about doing the laundry that day.

It takes about an hour by foot to get to the touristy part of the Douro.  There are buses and the metro system to get people around, but as the weather had been gorgeous – 75 degrees and sunny – I had no problem getting on the good foot.

At my host’s suggestion, I stopped by a local pizza parlor for lunch that was just a few doors down from the apartment.  This was another one of those deceptively large restaurants – just walking by the storefront, you’d think it was just a tiny place with a few tables. But once I stepped inside, I realized that there was an upstairs, a downstairs, and a back patio.  The spaciousness of these places never fails to amaze me.

The menu lists a bunch of baseline pizzas to which you can add more toppings for a fee.  The food was good and the entire experience was made all the easier thanks to the tablet ordering system.  I’ve seen similar electronic methods of ordering before (namely the Olive Garden in the U.S.) but this was more comprehensive than any I’d ever seen.  Nothing is ordered from a human – from the first course to the last, it is all done on the tablet.  The waitstaff bring the food and clear and that’s it.  The only thing you can’t do at the table is pay.  You can order the check, a waiter brings it, and then you pay at the front.  The restaurant is called Pizzaria Luzzo and has several locations around Portugal.  I highly recommend it.

Another one of Luis’ suggestions was the Mercado Bom Sucesso.  Also located near the apartment, this is an extensive food court sans the mall (that’s located across the street).  You can find sushi, tacos, a wine bar, a beer bar, and lots more.  A very popular spot for the locals at lunch time.  I went there a couple of times, wandering around and being overwhelmed by all the options.  I ate at an empanada place one day (of the three I ate, the cheeseburger was the best) and an Italian restaurant the second time.  There’s a bar there that serves a delicious Cosmo.  Another place I recommend when visiting Porto.

Continuing to follow the list of Luis’ suggestions, I took the rather long walk across the Douro to the World of Wine complex.  This is a confusing maze of museums, restaurants, wine caves, and cafes all scattered around multiple buildings.  There were wine tours, tastings, and interactive displays mixed in with numerous shops where you could buy any of the wines you tasted.  Since I’m still not a big wine person (other than my beloved green wine which I suck down every night) I skipped the tastings.  But for those who are really into wine, Porto will ensure that you are not disappointed.

I found one section of the complex that was particularly pretty.  You can get your drink on while surrounded by greenery and birds.  Just like at the Lisbon Zoo, the peacocks run this place.  I don’t know if the birds are native to this area or just exotic pets that are kept in Portugal, but I’m always thrilled to see them.