P is for PORTO

Feb 28-March 3

Portugal. It always seemed so exotic, truly foreign among other countries which were merely not my own. Now that i've been there I know my perception was more accurate that I could have guessed. Tucked into the far corner of Spain, furthest from anywhere, Portugal is beautiful and distinct. Arriving at the Porto Airport, far larger and nicer than a city of a quarter million should have, we hopped the metro and were in downtown minutes later. It was late, we had no map, and the narrow cobblestoned streets seemed labyrinthine. And then, from the doorway of a tiny corner market came a little old woman. In a gesture symbolic of our whole Portuguese experience, she closed her shop and guided us down darkened narrow streets very nearly to the door of our hostel. We were taken aback at her kindness and courtesy, especially after being immersed in the French culture for the past several months. It really set the mood for the next several days.

Porto, Portugal's second largest city, hangs on hills overlooking the Rio Douro in the north of the country, just in from the coast. There we wandered old streets twisting steeply up the banks of the river and ate amazing grilled local delicacies in restaurants recommended by locals. We crossed the river and took tours of a few of the more than 40 port wineries, including Sandeman, tasting their products and truly enjoying life. We had drinks 17 stories above the city in Porto's tallest building, and wandered the pedestrian streets filled with galleries and boutiques. On the last day we took a port-fueled stroll through an lush old park where I was nearly assaulted by a peacock, then later rode the bus along the river out to the beach and watched the sun set over the Atlantic while the choppy surf crashed against an ancient stone pier. Porto was completely different than our previous destination, and a total surprise in general. We had picked it on sort of a whim without knowing a thing about it, but it proved to be a idyllic place to let both the mind and feet wander. It was absolutely beautiful; I hope to have the chance to visit again.