Day 1: Porto

     On the mid-way point of this trip, I woke up in the magical city of Porto. Also known as Oporto, Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. Located along the Douro River in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centers and its core was proclaimed a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1996. The western part of its urban area extends to the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. Its settlement dates back many centuries when it was an outpost of the Roman Empire. Its combined Celtic-Latin name, Portus-Cale, has been referred to as the origin of the name Portgual, based on transliteration and oral evolution from Latin. Additionally, Port wine, one of the country's most famous exports, is named after Porto, since the metropolitan area and the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia were responsible for the packaging, transport and export of fortified wine. 

     I began my day with a hearty breakfast at Floresta Cafe. I had the All Brunch #2 that included avocado, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs with milk, parsley salad, fermented red onion, roasted tomato, bread with jam and butter, natural yogurt with fruits and granola and a cafe latte. Needless to say, it was absolutely delicious!  Thereafter, I met a walking tour from New Europe Tours. This almost three hour long tour was a wonderful introduction to Porto city center that took us through twisting ancient streets with several viewpoints that offered stunning views of the Douro River and the iconic Dom Luis I Bridge (built by Eiffel's protege Seyrig).

One of the major highlights of the tour was the Sao Bento Railway station. Tranlated as Saint Benedict, the station has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and as a National Monument of Portugal. The building began construction in 1904 and continued over a number of years based on plans by architect Jose Marques da Silva. The large panels of around twenty thousand azulejo tiles (551 square meters) were designed and painted by Jorge Colaco. The murals represent moments in the country's history and the multicolored panels depict rural scenes showing the people of various regions.  The tour ended at Cais da Ribeira, the riverfront promenade along the Douro in the vicinity of the Dom Luis I Bridge. With its colorful and wonderfully decorated facades, the promenade is one of the most beautiful and liveliest districts in Porto's historic centre.  A short walk from the riverfront, I headed to Adega Sao Nicolau for a late lunch. I did not have a reservation, but got there just in time for the last available outdoor table (complete with an overhead heater). I had the octupus salad, salted codfish croquettes, "Lagareiro" style grilled salted codfsh with potatoes and Super Bock (Portuguese beer). I cannot stress how tasty it all was!  After lunch, I made a quick stop at the Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines. The variety of sardines are beyond extensive and the cans each have an interesting fact associated with the year they depict. However, almost every can is overpriced. Funny enough, there is now a sardine museum in NYC!       Just before sunset, I visted Clergios Church. Translated as "Church of the Clergymen," this is a Baroque church with a 75 meter tall bell tower known as Torre dos Clergios. The church was built for the Brotherhood of the Clergy by Nicolau Nasoni, an Italian architect and painter who left an extensive body of work in the north of Portugal during the 18th century.  Construction of the church began in 1732 and was finished in 1750, while the bell tower and the monumental divided stairway in front of the church were completed in 1763. The main facade of the church is heavily decorated with baroque motifs (such as garlands and shells) and an indented broken pediment. The central frieze above the windows present symbols of worship and an incense boat.  The monumental church tower is located at the back of the building and dominates the city's skyline. There are 240 steps to the top of the tower's six floors. At the tower's upper most platform, the views of the city are nothing short of spectacular.  I ended the tour of the church with a light show. Entitled "Spiritus," it was an audiovisual experience that paired light, music and architecture in the heart of the church. 

For dinner, I made reservations at Cantina 32 on recommendation from our tour guide earlier in the day. I had the squid and shrimp stew and quid in curry sauce. The food was a tad disappointing and not memorable.     Before heading back to the Airbnb, I stopped by the riverfront to enjoy a glass of wine and Super Bock.

Day 2: Vila Nova de Gaia & Matosinhos

     Unfortunately, the weather was not the best for the entirety of this day. As a result, some of my plans had to be adjusted as per the level of rainfall throughout the day. I went to Garden Porto Cafe for breakfast. I had the eggs Benedict (yes, my fav), while my partner had the eggs muffin. As we sat waiting for the weather to clear up, we also had a glass of port wine, a Bohemia Super Bock and pasteis de nata. This Portuguese custard tart is inspired by an original recipe called Pasteis de Belem, which were created before the 18th century by Catholic monks at the Jeronimos Monastery.      After breakfast, I headed to Vila Nova de Gaia via the Dom Luis I Bridge. This iconic and imposing bridge is a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the river Douro between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova da Gaia. The upper deck carries the light rail and pedestrirans, while the lower deck is used for vehicle traffic. The construction of the bridge began in 1881 and was completed in 1886, making it a testament to the engineering prowess of that era. The bridge was named after King Dom Luis I, who ruled Portugal from 1861 to 1889 and left an indelible mark on the country's history. Designed by Theophile Seyrig (a student of Gustave Eiffel), the bridge showcases intricate lattice ironwork that adds to the bridge's visual appeal while also ensuring its stability and resilience against the strong river currents. The bridge is also a great spot for cityscape photos of Porto and the Douro River.

As soon as I crossed the bridge, the rain picked up. I sought shelter at Casa Portguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau. Billed as somewhat of a tourist trap, the Casa is a work of art with exceptional decoration featuring large chandeliers, a library and the wonderful accompanimet of music from a pipe organ. The menu is focused on the star of the house: the codfish cake. These crispy and golden dumplings are made with the finest selection of codfish, complete with a mixture of potatoes, onions, parsely and traditional spices. Each cake is prepared with expertise by someone crafting the cake in the most showmanship ways. I got the combo of one codfish cake and a glass of wine that came with a complimentary keepsake glass holder. The cake was delicious, albeit a tad salty.      At this point, it was still raining and the sky had become cloudy. I hung a bit at Casa Portuguesa hoping for the weather to clear up, but no such luck. To help pass more time, I headed to Port Calem for a wine tour.  In 1862, the Portuguese government passed a law that meant all of the port wine companies from the surrounding Douro Valley region had to move their aging cellars, storage and export processing to Vila Nova de Gaia. This allowed the government to clear space within the centre of Porto city and made it easier for them to keep a closer eye on the popular port wine industry. As a result, you're spoiled for choice when choosing a wine tour in the neighborhood. I opted for the premium Calem tour with three wine tastings because it came highly recommended by a fellow traveler I met during the walking tour the day before. The ticket included a guided tour of the interative museum and port caves where you learn about the history of port, along with the growing and aging processes of the wine. My favorite of the tasting was the Tawny port. Ruby and Tawny are two basic types of port that have a alot in common. However, tawny spends more time aging in wood before bottling, specifically smaller sized barrels, which permits slow oxidation and significantly affects its appearance, aroma and taste.  By late afternoon, the weather had barely improved. As a result, I decided on an early dinner at Casa Serrao Mastosinhos. I took the metro from Mouzinho Silveira to Mastosinhos (Praia). As it was my final dinner in Porto, I splurged on the grilled sardines, the octupus a Lagereiro, mussels and sopa de peixe (fish soup). Everything was absolutely scrumptious.

Day 3: Porto to Lisbon

     On my last day in Porto, my breakfast included leftovers from the night before, accompanied by a bottle of wine left by the Airbnb host. 

     I forgot to mention I had KFC at some point.

Upon checking out of the Airbnb, I still had some time before my train from Porto to Lisbon. So I headed for coffee and cake at Combi Coffee Roasters. We met a cute dog friend while at the cafe. 

     Re-energized by way too much coffee, I boarded the Alfa Pendular at 2:30 p.m. By 5:22 p.m, I arrived at Santa Apolonia station in Lisbon. From there, it was a short walk to my Airbnb as I chose to stay in Alfama - a quaint, charming and medieval district that is the oldest neighborhood in Lisbon and the second oldest in Europe. Its winding and tiled streets survived the earthquake, fire and tsunami of 1775 and has remained in the same format as before the disaster until this day. Alfama is also famous for fado music. For dinner, I headed to O Sophinas. I had the peri peri chicken, creme de marisco (creamy seafood soup) and chourico assado (a Portuguese cooking technique that involves grilling traditional pork sausage over a boat shaped terracotta bowl called assador).  I cannot stress how wonderful everything tasted. Also, the atmosphere was quite fun as 2022 FIFA World Cup was being played in Qatar. I don't recall which teams were playing that evening, but as our server said, it was "good football."

    Before heading back to the Airbnb, I stopped by Koa Lisboa. The rainforest decor was very inviting, as were their selection of craft beers. 

   I must add, Lisbon is quite beautiful at night. 

Day 4: Lisbon

     After a good night's rest, I headed to Dear Breakfast Chiado for brunch. I had the avocado toast with poached eggs, pickled onions and beet hummus while my partner ordered the salmon on brioche with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce with potatoes. Both dishes were delicious as we enjoyed the occasional passing of the tram from our balcony seating. 

On the way to meet the walking tour, I made a quick stop at Ginjinha Sem Rival to have a shot of ginjinha. Described as a "must try" in Lisbon, ginjinha or simply ginja, is a Portuguese liquer made by infusing ginja berries (sour cherries) in alcohol and adding sugar together with other ingredients, e.g. cloves and/or cinnamon sticks. Ginja is served in a shot form with a piece of the fruit in the bottom of the glass. It was so delectable, I had a second.

I also stopped by another shop to snag some pasteis de nata (my new favorite custard tart). Didn't take a photo of the pastry, but here's a photo of the line outside the shop.

Around 11 a.m., I met a walking tour at Praca Luis de Camoes for a two hour tour of Lisbon. As we crossed the winding hilly streets of Lisbon (and I do mean hilly!), our guide treated us to stories of Portuguese explorers and their respective voyages, along with an indepth history of how the 1755 earthquake helped shaped the town. We also learned of the hardships faced by the citizens during the Portuguese dictatorsip and the eventual peace that prevailed. Have I mentioned how steeply hilly Lisbon is?

The tour ended at Praca do Comercio - the large, harbor facing plaza in the capital and is one of the largest in Portugal. After the 1755 earthquake, the plaza was completely remodeled as part of the rebuilding of the Baixa during the reign of King Jose I. From the 19th century onwards, the plaza became the seat of the some of the most important Portuguese state departments.  At this time, it was after lunch and I had already accumulated over 10,000 steps. Hence, I headed to lunch at Le Petit Cafe. I had the seafood rice and lemon basil ice cream with marinated apple slices. The food was okay, but not memorable.       Thereafter, I headed to Castelo de Sao Jorge for the remainder of the afternoon. Translated as Saint George's Castle, the castle has been classified as a National Monument since 1910. Human occupation of the castle hill dates to the 8th century BC, while the oldest fortifications on the site date from the 2nd century BC. The hill on which the castle stands has played an important part in the history of Lisbon, having served as the location of fortifications occupied successively by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans and Moors, before its conquest by the Portuguese in the 1147 Siege of Lisbon. Since the 12th century, the castle has served as a royal palace, a military barrack, home of the Torre do Tombo National Archive and now as a national monument and musem. The castle stands in a dominant position on the highest hill in the historic center, providing spectacular views over the city and the Tagus River estuary.  I enjoyed the sunset views over the city and made new peacock friends. 

On my way to dinner, I briefly stopped at the Christmas Market in Rossio Square. The market was a tad too crowded, so I had some gluwein and left for dinner.  Since I had an amazing dinner the night before, I found my way back to O Sophinas. This time around, I had mussels "Marinheira" style and squid "Algarvia" style. Once again, the food was absolutely delicious! 

Day 5: Sintra 

     I woke up to a wonderful sunrise with magnificent views of the city and ocean from my window.  Since this was going to be a long day, I had an early morning hearty breakfast at Quase Cafe. I had the avocado toast with poached eggs, while my partner ordered the Quase Benedict, which was bacon toast with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce sprinkled with fresh spinach. We also had coffee, beer and a granola bowl. This breakfast was probably the best I had in all of Portugal. 

     After breakfast, I got the train/bus combo ticket for Sintra at Rossio station where I boarded the train for an hour long journey to Sintra. Upon arrival at Sintra station, I got on the 434 bus to Pena Palace. Sintra is a town and municipality in the greater Lisbon region located on the Portuguese Riviera. The area includes the Sintra-Cascais Nature Park through which the Sintra Mountains run. The historic center of the Vila de Sintra is famous for its 19th century Romanticist architecture, historic estates and villas, gardens, royal palaces and castles, which resulted in the classification of the town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sintra's landmarks include the medieval Castle of the Moors, the romanticist Pena National Palace and the Portuguese Renaissance Sintra National Palace. My first stop was Pena Palace. Unfortunately, it was quite cloudy when we visited, so my outdoor snaps are not the best.  Pena Palace is a castle that stands on the top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains above the town of Sintra. It is a national monument and constitutes one of the major expressions of 19th century Romanticist in the world. The palace is one of the seven wonders of Portugal. The castle has quite an extensive history, which you can read here. Today, it is used for state occasions by the President of the Portuguese Republic and other government officials. Afterwards, I explored the surrounding the gardens and park of Pena Palace. Spread over 200 hectares, this lush forest and dense woodland is a purposely designed landscape that sits harmoniously within its surroundings and complements the Romantic architecture style of the palace.  For lunch, I took the bus from the bottom of the park to Tascantiga. I had the cod dumplings, roasted chorizo, octupus blades "Lagaeiro" style and potato wedges. The dumplings were quite tasty. From Tascantiga, it was a short walk to Quinta da Regaleira. Located near the historic centre of Sintra, the quinta (traditional term for estate in Portuguese) was designed and built in the late 1800s. The property consists of a Romantic palace and chapel, and a luxurious park that features lakes, grottoes, wells, benches, fountains and a vast array of exquisite constructions. The palace was designed by Italian architect Luigi Manini.       The most interesting part of the estate were the Initiation Wells (or inverted towers), which are two wells that better resemble underground towers lined with stairs. The wells never served as water sources. Instead, they were purportedly used for ceremonial purposes. Of the two wells, the larger one contains a 27 metre spiral staircase with 23 small niches on the side. The nine flights of stairs could be linked to the Knights Templar, which had nine founders. They may also symbolize the nine levels of Hell from Dantes' Inferno. At the bottom of the well is an inland stone compass with the Templar cross. The tunnels between the stairs connects to various caves and other monuments located around the park.      Bodies of water can be found in several places throughout the park.     Also, many exotic plants and animal statues.  By this time, the sun began to set so I left for the bus back to Sintra station. An hour later, I was back in Lisbon. I was a bit bummed that I didn't have enough time to trek to The Moorish Castle, but you can read about it here. For dinner, I made reservations at Taberna da Baixa. I had the grilled octupus and codfish in cream sauce with tawny wine and Super Bock. The codfish in cream sauce was so good!

Before heading back to the Airbnb, I stopped by Trobadores - Taberna Medieval. I spied this medieval style tavern on the first day we arrived in Lisbon and knew I had to give it a try. The tavern is cozy with wooden tables and the ambient music takes you back to the times of kings and knights. The mead was quite refreshing. 

Day 6: Lisbon

     On my last day in Lisbon, I was a bit spent, so I slept in. I skipped breakfast and headed to Belem Tower in the afternoon. Translated as the Bethlehem Tower,  or officially the Tower of Saint Vincent, it is a 16th century fortification located in Lisbon that served  as a point for embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. The tower symbolizes Portugal's maritime and colonial power in early modern Europe. It was built during the height of the Portuguese Renaissance and is a prominent example of the Portuguese Manueline style. The structure was built from lioz limestone and is composed of a bastion and a 30 metre four storey tower. Since 1983, the tower has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Jeronimos Monastery.  After spending some time at the tower, I headed for dinner at Lisboa e Linda. Luckily, I was able to get a table without a reservation due to the extremely lovely host. I had the deep fried asparagus, confit codfish fillet with potatoes and shrimp in Indian curry sauce. Completely content with a hearty dinner, I made my way to Pink Street. This Instagram-worthy street is painted pink and covered in colorful umbrellas. The street is quite lively with the entourage of bars and hole in the wall snack joints. 

On the way back to the Airbnb, I rode the famous 28E tram. This classic tram is easily recognizable from its quaint yellow color and riding it is truly an experience as it rattles and screeches as it travels the narrow streets of the city, and I do mean narrow!       After a good night's sleep, I headed to the airport for my flight home. Over the course of 10 days, I had averaged approximately 25,000 steps per day (not forgetting that day in Barcelona where it was almost a marathon). Surprisingly, I never felt (too) tired. Perhaps all the wonderful food and glasses of wine kept me well fueled? Funny enough, despite eating almost three times a day with various snacks in between, not an ounce was gained! In final, I had an amazing time and would definitely revisit both Spain and Portugal as I've only barely scratched the surface of either country.