A few days off work means it’s time for a city break! This time, Momma Wood is joining me for a trip to Porto – the second largest city in Portugal. Since we had a late flight from Manchester, we decided to arrive in the area early to explore Quarry Bank Mill, a National Trust site. It’s one of Britain’s greatest industrial heritage sites, featuring a rare surviving eighteenth-century cotton mill surrounded by 400 acres of beautiful woodland and countryside along the River Bollin. There was so much to see, and the two hours we had really wasn’t enough. With a latte in hand (after some not-so-subtle glares at the queue-jumpers) we headed to the mill. There’s 5 different floors to explore, and it offers an immersive and informative experience, with so much machinery and live demonstrations by volunteers. We also had a mooch along the river and soaked up the last of the autumnal colours before heading back to the car for the short drive to terminal 3.
After driving around for ages, we finally found a space in the car park and made our way to the terminal building. Security was surprisingly quick, except for the woman in front of me who had to take out 1001 items from her coat pocket. We had our obligatory cheeky squirt of the most expensive perfume in duty-free, and smelling like a tart’s fart, set out to find some food. We opted for a burger in the pub and ended up sitting next to a very inebriated guy who was excitedly slurring that he had never been on a plane before. I wouldn’t be surprised if that remains the case for him! Our flight was (obviously) delayed by half an hour, but all was well as we know how a Ryanair pilot likes to put their foot down, and we landed on time. Momma seemed to be taking a while at passport control, but was delighted to tell me that it was because the officer at the desk thought she looked younger than her photo—what a flirt!
Thanks to my Genius level on Booking.com, I managed to arrange a free transfer from the airport. The lovely Eduardo picked us up in his massive Mercedes and took us to our hotel. It took us a while to figure out how to get inside (as doors are locked after 8pm) but we were buzzed in and greeted by the most enthusiastic receptionist, who was excited to share all the wonderful things Porto has to offer. He even showed us on the map where he was born! It was refreshing to see someone who truly loves their job. We settled into our room, indulged in our complimentary Nata, and caught up with “Strictly” before heading to bed, ready for a full day of exploration ahead.
We had packed for the glorious forecast of 22° and sunshine. But lo and behold, we woke up to a thick blanket of fog, rain, and a chilly 14°. After demolishing all the cheese and ham at breakfast, we donned our warmest clothes and set out in search of an umbrella. Luckily, we found one at a souvenir shop for €5. I opted for a jumpsuit, but as it’s a Cider special and made for someone who’s 6ft, wearing it in the rain turned into a soggy adventure as the long legs soaked up half of Porto. A quick outfit change back at the hotel was therefore required into something a bit less absorbent. Momma was serving Asda realness as she paraded around in her bright green poncho.
São Bento – the train station that is currently surrounded by lots of construction. Inside, the walls are covered by 20,000 painted tiles, by Jorge Colaço, which illustrate episodes from the History of Portugal. It opened in 1916 and is considered one of the most beautiful train stations in the world.
Igreja de Santo Ildefonso – an 18th century baroque style church, with approximately 11,000 azulejo tiles covering the façade. Momma was getting incredibly annoyed at the amount of people who just walked in front of her while trying to take a photo!
Chapel of Souls – definitely in a tile-counting competition with the previous church, boasting around 16,000 tiles covering the façade. Our plan to take shelter inside was slightly thwarted as we were crammed into the back and rather close to the flickering candles—making us somewhat concerned about how flammable Momma was!
The Twin Churches – between the two churches of Carmo and Carmelitas lies the narrowest building in the city. This tiny house was built to make all contact between the nuns and the monks impossible. Another particularly difficult photo stop – at least we can now erase people from pictures 😉
Miradouro da Vitória – a free viewpoint of the city and full of edgy graffiti. This added an artsy touch to the place making it a fascinating spot to explore. Reviews suggest that it is usually rammed here, so at least the gloomy day came in handy!
Chocolataria das Flores – now feeling peckish, we found this little café down a side street. We placed our order, which arrived with the addition of a (very dry) giant chocolate cookie. As we don’t speak Portuguese, and they didn’t speak particularly good English, we decided against questioning the additional treat. Especially as we noticed other tables had one too. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a complimentary snack and we did have to pay for it.
Porto Cathedral – one of the city’s oldest and most important local Romanesque monuments. Adjoining the cathedral are the cloisters, and the architectural style is quite eclectic. It’s decorated with Baroque azulejos representing the life of the Virgin Mary. Underneath the poncho, Momma was rocking Portuguese tile chic and blended in nicely.
Ponte de Dom Luis I – the most famous bridge in Porto, with the mastermind behind its design being a protege of the famed Gustave Eiffel! It has an upper and lower deck and spans along the world-famous Douro River, and as we had a bit of time to kill before our exciting evening plans, we decided to take a stroll along the upper deck. There wasn’t a dramatic sunset, but the twinkling lights across Porto & Gaia still made it very atmospheric.
Fado – this evening I booked an absolute treat! A glass of Port and a Fado show. Momma wasn’t initially keen, but at 13 quid each, it would be silly to not experience this. Fado is a traditional Portuguese folk music genre known for its soulful melodies, expressive vocals, and melancholic character, and often reflect themes of lost sailors, broken hearts, bittersweet romance, fate, reunions, and the passage of time. The musicians were fantastic and the singer had an impressive set of pipes. It’s hard not to feel touched by the performance, even though we had no idea what she was singing. Considering this was the first time they had all sang/played together, they really did put on an excellent show.. although we both agreed that an hour was long enough.
Mcdonald’s – said to be one of the most beautiful McDonald’s in the world, we obviously had to check it out. The Golden Arches took over in 1995 in the space previously occupied by a famous Portuguese coffee shop, which was an icon in the 1930s. The building retained many of the original Art Deco features including the ornate ceilings, chandeliers, and a large stained glass wall, and along with the giant eagle at the entrance makes it the poshest I’ve ever visited! They had a great selection of different food (although lukewarm) and the whole place was so clean. We also realised that we are both obviously lovers of green patterned trousers…
We’ve had an incredibly packed first day in Porto! Here’s hoping tomorrow treats us to blue skies…
The Travelling Ginger 