After a few days exploring Lisbon, we woke up and packed our belongings. We called an Uber to take us to the train station to board our train to Porto! We were headed to Porto to celebrate my friend HaNa’s 30th birthday.
At the train station station, we searched for some bread to accompany our leftover deli meat for lunch. The little convenience stores in the station didn’t have any, but just as we were heading towards the train, I spotted a bakery and decided to stop for buns. Saz went ahead onto the train to claim our seats. While I stood in line, a group of girls ahead of me took their sweet time, and was afraid the train would leave without me! Luckily I made it on with moments to spare, and we enjoyed yummy sandwiches on our train up the Portuguese coast. The train ride was pleasant and comfortable, and there was even onboard wifi!
Upon our arrival in Porto, we hopped on a local bus to ride to our Airbnb. Unfortunately, on the short walk from the bus station to the Airbnb, I tripped and fell flat on my face due to an uneven sidewalk. Thankfully, I only scraped my knee as my front pack prevented my face from smacking the ground. I easily could’ve knocked out my front teeth, so I’m very happy that the front pack was there to protect me.
We reached our Airbnb, which was a two-story duplex with a spacious kitchen, patio, and living room. It had four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a clocktower visible from the windows. We settled in, enjoying the view of the city’s orange roofs and a seagull pecking at our windowpane.
After taking some time to relax, we ventured out to find a grocery store for dinner supplies. We picked up some drinks and snacks to stock up the house, and waited for HaNa and her girlfriend Danielle to arrive. They finally arrived at the Airbnb, and we caught up for a while. Danielle’s flight had been one of the thousands of cancelled United flights, so she ended up having to get rerouted on a new airlines at the last minute. Needless to say everybody was pretty exhausted that first day. We decided to head out for dinner and drinks and went to meet Dylan and Kristine, two friends of HaNa’s. They’re a married couple who met HaNa in the Bay Area, and all 3 of them have since moved to Colorado!
Our group went out to a restaurant recommended by our Airbnb host for dinner. I ordered a delicious grilled chicken dish while Saz opted for pumpkin soup and bread. We had a nice dinner chatting and catching up!
After dinner, we took a stroll down to the river, mesmerized by the charming and picturesque streets of Porto. It was a bit chilly in the evening, but the beauty of the city captivated us with its tiled buildings, street decorations, and stunning castle-like structures. We walked around for a bit and headed home early, since everyone was exhausted from the travel day.
The next morning, Saz woke up feeling extra sick and exhausted with a bad cough. She had been feeling various levels of under the weather since Lisbon, and the cold seemed to be lingering. We decided to have a relaxing morning in bed while the rest of the group went for brunch. The morning was spent leisurely, working on blog posts, sharing photos, and renewing our travel insurance. The others came back in the early afternoon, and we had a laid-back afternoon at the Airbnb, chatting with HaNa and Kristine, enjoying some beers, and playing Kings Cup with UNO cards.
Later, we left the accommodation (with sickly Saz staying behind) and went to a rooftop beer garden. The atmosphere was cool, with lush greenery and fantastic views. We got beers and sangrias and chatted while the DJ played some techno tunes. We also got a free dance show from an older woman dancing provocatively near us.
After one drink, we left the bar and headed to a cocktail bar. The ambiance was delightful, and I ordered a spicy margarita with tajin on the rim, which turned out to be fantastic.
The rest of the crew went out for dinner, but I bought some groceries and went home to make dinner for poor sick Saz! Everybody came home, and we spent the evening chatting on the patio!
The next morning, Kristine and Dylan joined a Porto biking tour, and HaNa and Danielle went for a run (insane behaviour, I know) so we were on our own! We strolled through the narrow streets, enjoying the vibrant and lively atmosphere. Our walk led us to a prominent castle on a hill, where a talented violinist played “Until I Saw Her” nearby.
I decided to fly my drone for aerial shots of the city from a quiet alley next to the castle. I got some great shots, but as I was flying it back to land, a swarm of massive seagulls started circling the drone, which was a bit of a scare. Luckily, I landed safety and we continued exploring, browsing through boutique shops along the way.
We wandered across the Dom Luís I Bridge to the other side. The other side of the river was very cute and charming, with stalls, musicians, and bars lining the streets. HaNa texted that she was coming to join us, so the 3 of us strolled around the little stalls, and eventually settled at a bar located directly on the bridge. The atmosphere was wonderful, and we ordered a couple of beers.
During our time at the bar, we saw a group of kids climbing onto the side of the bridge and jumping into the waters below! It was at least 15 metres up and the current was really fast, so it didn’t seem like the safest past time but all the kids jumped and made it to shore.
We returned to the Airbnb to meet up with Danielle, Kristine, and Dylan. The rest of the group left for dinner around 7 pm, while we stayed behind to cook at home (backpacker budget problems!). We made plans to join the others later for cocktails. We had a yummy homemade dinner, and watched some Queer Eye. As we were mustering up the energy to get ready to go out, HaNa texted saying that they were too exhausted for drinks and would be coming home soon! We instantly got cozy in our PJs and settled in for the night. Score!
Another one of HaNa’s friends, Ilana, was coming to Porto just for the weekend. She arrived at the Airbnb before the rest of the gang got back from dinner, so we let her in and chatted in the kitchen until the rest of the group returned home.
The next morning, we woke up and said goodbye to everyone as they headed out for a river cruise and port tasting tour in the Duoro Valley, which was out of our budget. It was another beautiful day in Porto, so we decided to check out the beach! It was about a 5 mile walk one way to the ocean, so we set off on our journey.
There was a really nice walking path along the river that led us all the way to the water, which made the stroll very pleasant. We passed by many museums, stores, galleries, and small little neighbourhoods on our way.
Our long walk had worked up an appetite when we arrived at the beach, so we found a little stall that served suckling pig sandwiches (a Portuguese delicacy) and enjoyed them at the picnic tables.
We continued our walk towards the lighthouse at the end of the pier, and got splashed by the freezing cold water of the Atlantic. The beach was underwhelming (or maybe we’re just spoiled after spending 5 months in Southeast Asia), but the area and views were beautiful.
After walking around the area, we started our long return trip. It had gotten way hotter and we had gotten way tired-er, but we just kept trudging on until we finally arrived back home. In total, we walked over 10 miles.
We made a quick dinner at home, and the rest of the group returned from their Port tasting tour. They had been sitting in the sun all day too, so everybody was pretty exhausted. We settled in for the night and watched “Mamma Mia” in anticipation for our upcoming trip to Greece.
The next morning, we woke up and said goodbye to Ilana, who had to leave a day early due to the riots in Paris. Saz was feeling worse, experiencing increased coughing, congestion, a stuffy nose, and fatigue. Still, she pushed through and we went as a group to Livraria Lello, a bookstore rumoured to have been JK Rowlings inspiration for some of the Harry Potter sets.
Inside, the place was packed with people, and the grand staircase in the middle definitely evoked a Harry Potter vibe. The bookstore was beautifully constructed, with stained glass ceilings and beautiful bookshelves. The others bought some books, and we took some pictures.
We returned to the Airbnb for an afternoon siesta, then got ready for our Graham Port Tasting! We walked the steep streets to Graham’s, enduring the heat and navigating some winding roads.
The tour took us through the wine cellar, filled with casks and barrels, and gave us a little spiel on how port wine is made. They led us through the fermentation process and gave us some history about port and the winery in general.
Finally, we reached the tasting portion, which included three types of wine along with chocolate truffles, cheese, and custard pastries. At first, Saz couldn’t taste anything due to congestion, but the tawny port wine cleared her sinuses towards the end (alcohol kills germs, that’s science).
The chocolate was superb, and for a non wine drinker like myself the wine was surprisingly good! We spent about an hour tasting the port, eating the snacks, and browsing the winery gift shop.
Feeling exhausted, Saz decided to head home while the rest of us walked to another bar to enjoy more drinks. The weather was absolutely beautiful, and we enjoyed a nice cold sangria overlooking the river. Afterwards, we went to the Mercado Beira-Rio for dinner.
The next morning, it was HaNa’s birthday! We woke up and prepared for the day’s activities. We walked with the group to Boahao Market, a large open-air market offering food, desserts, and knick-knacks.
After the market, we headed to the Jardins, also known as Crystal Palace, a beautiful botanical garden.We spotted a peacock displaying its tail, and wandered through the other parts of the park. We discovered an amazing lookout point with a stunning view of the city.
We saw signs for a “Romance Museum” and decided to check it out, but our plan was thwarted as it was closed. Since Saz was still feeling unwell, we split from the group and returned home for a siesta before dinner.
We stopped at a few gelato places in search of a birthday cake for HaNa but settled for raspberry and vanilla pints from Haagen-Dazs.
Later that evening, we pregamed our dinner plans by singing happy birthday to HaNa as she blew out her candles.
We then left for our dinner reservations at a fancy restaurant. HaNa and her friends are major foodies, so while we stuck with steak and potatoes, the rest of the table got octopus, fish, beef tartar, and some other little appetizers.
After dinner, we went to a cocktail bar and ordered drinks. The bar was completely empty (we’re on US party time, not European party time I guess!) but played a few rounds of “Heads Up” which was a lot of fun.
One of my friends from college, Jimi, happened to be in Porto at the same time and came to join us! He came with his girlfriend Michelle, who was Taiwanese! We chatted, drank, and had a lovely evening.
We returned home around 11 pm and packed for our early flight the next morning to Greece!