I fell in love with Porto almost instantly. It was such a beautiful city with so many excellent aspects. Porto reminded me a lot of San Francisco, but with more history, cooler buildings, nicer people and a much better beach. My love for the city may also have been related to it being the first destination of my solo adventure, but it really is a gem of a place. I stayed at the Andarilho Hostel. It was so funky and fun, and the staff was so laid back and welcoming. I would certainly live there for a long time if I could. The hostel had maps available, so I grabbed one that was put together by locals and pointed out the secret spots that make Porto so great. I saw many of the destinations. I was so impressed by the beautiful tile work all over the city, but the mosaic in the Sao Bento train station was by far the most magnificent. I was also amazed with one of the bookstores in the city. It was the most gorgeous bookshop I have ever seen. The map also pointed out a sushi restaurant, so I headed to it for lunch, but it was outdated, because the restaurant had closed down. So I went to another restaurant on the map. Luckily this one was still open. There I tried the Francesinha, a heart attack of a sandwich. It is two pieces of bread stacked with linguica, ham, sausage and steak, smothered with cheese and a beer and tomato sauce, topped with an egg and served on a bed of fries. It was so disgustingly delicious. An experience that just has to be had when in Porto.
I also very much enjoyed Porto's beach. It was quite a way outside of the center of town, so I hoped on a bus out there. The beach was very pebbly, but I loved the texture of the "sand." It felt so good to walk around on. There was a nearby park that I spent a lot of time in just relaxing and enjoying the beautiful day. I walked all the way back in to town at a nice stroll (it was at least two miles). I ended my time in Porto relaxing at the hostel with the staff and other guests. One of the staff had family visiting, so they made a big meal for everyone. We had a tasty soup and a really great fish/potato/egg/carrot/greens dish that was somewhat like a casserole. I don't remember the name, but it was very good. And the company was excellent. I really enjoyed just relaxing at the hostel with everyone. I was so sad to leave Porto.
No comments:
Post a Comment