Rollin' On The River... Portugal: Porto's Duoro!

I knocked out early the previous night, waking up feeling fresh I was ready for my one and only full day in Porto. I knew that I wanted to see the mighty Duoro with that iconic 'Ponte de Dom Luís I/Dom Luis I Bridge', naturally a few drinks needed to be enjoyed to accompany that riverside view! I wanted to look for some Portuguese BBQ chicken, I did try! Porto was so lush!  

Breakfast had to be another 'Tosta Mista' with a lovely piping hot 'Galão' because that would be my final full morning in Portugal, I needed one last breakfast fix! My hostel was located in the historical district of 'Ribeira', serving an abundance of cobbled streets and period Portuguese buildings. After breakfast I headed towards 'Rua das Flores' because the focal point 'building' dragged me towards my first post-breakfast watering hole! It wasn't that early because I had chose to lie in a little bit, who am I kidding? Lunch wasn't near and I had that caipirinha on my mind! The weather was not playing ball, sure I felt a couple of drops but no shower prevailed! I instantly found myself falling in love with Porto's own 'Ribeira' because of its charm. I had to look past the everyday 'Realness' because away from the 'Duoro' things served a certain city spice! My final full day in Portugal had started well, I was ready for everything that stood ahead of me! 'Rua das Flores' impressed me, that building was possibly a former department store, P? 

'Vestir Bem e Barato Só Aqui' was the slogan that had caught my eyes, but what did that mean in English? 'Dress Well and Cheaply Here' spoke to me but I only had one of those executed at that point! Sitting with my first of two mid-morning cocktails, Porto saw me 'Dressed Well and Drinking Cheaply! Yes, I enjoyed those early on cocktails with a few confused onlookers, it was my business, they needed to mind theirs! There's nothing more to say about that part of the morning because I only planned on discovering 'Ribeira' as the previous day I had discovered that I didn't like the taste of Port! Much like being in Lisbon, the feeling of finally being in Porto felt amazing! The previous afternoon had been a very docile one, I decided not to explore nor did I need to consume another alcoholic drink. Choosing Porto's 'Rua das Flores' felt right, I didn't feel the need to pick up the pace in Porto because what the day would be, it would be! Another Lockdown travel plan had come to life after Lisbon, Porto already felt like a blessing! O mesmo!

Lunch desperately needed to happen, those two post-breakfast drinks had hit me! I had lost faith that I was going to find any 'Ferry Street' style BBQ chicken so I opted for another type of chicken to eat! I went into darling looking restaurant that had not yet filled up with lunch diners. I was handed two menus, one being Portuguese for locals and an English version for tourists, I saw what they were trying to do! I put together my 'Drag Race España' level of Spanish with my non-existent level of Portuguese to make sense of the suspiciously cheaper 'local menu'. I was not about to be had over because those other tourists don't care about being ripped off by a few Euros, no way! I ordered the grilled chicken served with rice and a fried egg. My lunch was then accompanied by a lovely bottle of red wine, I didn't go for the larger bottle because I needed to make sense of the day at that point. Yes, I loved watching the new headlines on the television in the restaurant because the story was UK-centric! Eventually, those lunch time punters filed in! 

I knew that I needed a large lunch to get me through the day, of course I wanted to drink more! My lunch arrived just as those tables started to fill up, I had ordered at the right time and I knew it! I loved my lunch, it was filling and delicious! The rice, chicken and egg were just enough, I don't like salad so that was left without one shred of guilt felt whatsoever! That bottle of red wine went down a treat, I needed another drink but knew the streets would be the best place to find one! I always have space for a sweet to end any meal, I ordered a homemade piece of cake that had the name 'França' attached to the label? By any means, the cake tasted delicious and for the price I had afforded myself a bargain two course lunch with a small bottle of wine for a reasonable price! It pays to be savvy when it comes to menus that have different language versions, I really felt glad that I checked those translations against those differing digits! I needed to be back outside, the clouds had gone, I wanted to make my way closer to the Duoro!

The sun had truly come to play, meanwhile I wasn't playing with those drinks nor would I be stopping anytime soon! My lunch spot was located a hop, skip and a jump away from Porto's formidable looking 'Palácio da Bolsa!' Now, I knew that 'bolsa' means 'bag' in Spanish, there goes a Spanish reference from my days as a Merchandise Clerk at EPCOT with my Hispanic colleagues talking so much Spanish! Also, 'palácio' means 'palace?' So, that gorgeous building was the 'Palace of Bags?' I will never know! I took this photo from a shaded platform overlooking that previously mentioned building with a birds-eye view of a lovely patch of grass. A patch of grass? Need I be that rude! Officially named, 'Jardim do Infante Dom Henrique, the square shared the same name. I was impressed by that square as I sipped on my third cocktail of the day, my view was from the former 'Mercado Ferreira Borges' because that 18th century building offered me a public convenience! The sunshine felt like heaven, Porto was shining! I was wavy! 

Those sights and sips were hitting me in the best way, I felt no pressure to see a lot of things whilst in Porto, that day felt easy breezy! Boozing to my hearts content, I knew in the back of my mind that I needed to keep half an eye on my upcoming flight to Brussels, Belgium the following morning. I would tend to the fundamentals of that connection later on in the day, I was in control of my senses but not my urge to drink more! The sunshine and compact nature of Porto's historic centre allowed me to day drink and sight-see with ease. I made my way down to the riverside, well almost because I got lost walking down a really beautiful period alley way. Let me rephrase that because I didn't get lost, I was simply not paying attention to my whereabouts because the essence of that alley mesmirised me! With the banks of the Duoro in spitting distance, I was able to witness the most sought after sight of all! Porto dared me to find my next drink because I hadn't had enough! Getting things in order, the riverside was in-sight! Go on, P!

Those daytime drinkers and lunch-goers were doing the most, the sun shone bright as the legendary Duoro passed me by! My final Portuguese travel documentary scene from a former Lockdown travel show was in front of me, I had to pinch myself for the final time! The waters of that river looked blue, the sky even more so, with that said I made sure I got a desirable photo of that location, location, location snapped before finding another watering hole. I took my time, I luxuriated within that moment because that would be my one and only. I looked over to the southern side of the river, those port houses weren't on my radar because as mentioned previously I didn't quite gel with the taste of the local Port wine. With the 'Ponte de Dom Luís I/Luis I Bridge' in view from that wine-spot, I was able to enjoy a delicious glad of red because four drinks didn't feel like I had drank enough yet! I loved on that legendary Porto view, that moment felt correct, that moment felt very boozy! Those 'Brits' behind me, they made me howl! 

I made sure that another glass of red was seen off before I made my next move, I had enjoyed my time along that river! You already know that it was a special moment for me to experience Porto from that angle! I opted for one final cocktail before I made tracks back to my hostel, I made that drink an 'Aperol Spritz' because I could! Packing my bag, checking into my flight and organising my super early morning airport transfer, I managed to complete everything relatively quickly! I was feeling hungry and you know one more drink wouldn't hurt me, well I would find out about that final choice the next morning! Anyhow, I loved on my local 'fish and chips' spin with a delicious bottle of white wine. The wine was local to the area and I never usually drink white wine, I now know the reason for that! I managed to catch a few hours sleep before my ungodly pick up the next morning, I arrived feeling less than human and departed feeling just the same! Porto was ace, it had been a pleasure! Portugal was what I needed, I was so ready for Belgium! 

P**sed In Porto? Yes! 

Desperately Seeking Adventure