When Nate booked our whirlwind week in Lisbon, Portugal, he insisted we also go to Porto. This was a 3-hour train ride that required we stay the night. There’s so much to see and do there that I was all for it. Truly, Porto is BEAUTIFUL and right on the water. The biggest draw for me was Taylors, the port wine maker. It was also right on the water and a destination I insisted we visit.
But…this amazing trip to Porto almost didn’t happen. I have since learned something about European travel…there could be a transportation strike at any moment. You roll the dice and hope for the best when touring these incredible countries. However, we were blessed with a travel miracle and had an unforgettable adventure in the historic city of Porto, Portugal.
Our train was at 9am. We arrived to discover that there was a train strike and that no trains were running. We went out to the platform completely confused and in disbelief… what if we can’t get there? We had a fabulous boutique hotel waiting for us and and an 8-course Valentines Day dinner at Chama reserved with a deposit down to hold our table (so if we can’t get to Porto, we lose our deposit). We simply have to get there. We went to the main ticketing counter and they had no answers for us. Absolutely no trains were departing as far as they knew. And, the strike was expected to go on for many more days. The lady we spoke to suggested we book another train ticket for the later train and get a refund on the 9am train tickets just in case the later train would actually depart. So, we did that and crossed our fingers. My husband took this photo below of the empty train station.
When we came back to the train station (we went across the street for a pastry and coffee), there were many others hoping to get on the 10am train. We went out to the platform again and saw that there was no train there. As we waited and prayed for a travel miracle, it actually happened. A train appeared…the 10am train to Porto. Nate and I looked at each other like, is this real? Should we get on? Is this a trick? Am I imagining this? Are we seriously going to get to Porto today?
Yes. That was the ONLY train that day for Porto and we were on it. I still don’t know how it happened with a train strike going on? But it did. A bonafide travel miracle. Don’t we look happy? 🙂
It was 3 hours to Porto. While on the train, Nate says “I booked us a flight coming home tomorrow. I don’t want to risk getting stuck in Porto because there are no trains running.” He’s amazing, my personal travel Sherpa. What he did was the right thing to do and a travel tip to anyone relying on trains to go far distances. Be prepared to think fast and get a flight when needed. The flight back to Lisbon was maybe $20 more than the train ticket. Flying around within Europe is actually quite inexpensive compared to the ridiculous flight costs here in the states.
Start the Clock! 24-Hours Begins Now…
You can absolutely do Porto in just 24-hours! After the trauma of the early morning train fiasco, I was ready to get there, get to our hotel, and start exploring. We had a lot to see and do…the clock starts now, Let’s go! Here are 5 things to see and experience…
1. The Food
Of course. That’s always my #1 reason to go anywhere, really. The food here is exceptional. Portugal is known for seafood so we made a point to order the fresh fish or octopus (yum!) everywhere we went. Lunch was Branzino… always so good. Dinner was a pre-fix 8-course dinner at Chama which included many things and all prepared impeccably. If you are a food-venturer, this is the place for you. Warning: it is a LOT of food, maybe skip lunch that day! Our lunch the following day before we left was a traditional roadside cafe where we ordered ‘sandwiches’, essentially a ham and cheese wrapped in dough and smothered in brown gravy. The Portuguese know how to do it!
2. Taylors
If you’ve never tried Port Wine, do so. It doesn’t taste like traditional wine, it is very smooth and tastes like caramel (but not too sweet, I don’t do the sweet wines). Taylors (Taylor Fladgate) is one of the oldest port wine makers in the world! It was founded in 1692 and has amazingly delicious 10 year, 20 year, and 30 year old Port.
We did the tour of their facility in Porto and then stayed for a Port wine tasting. We discovered that we prefer the Tawny 20-year old Port. We really enjoyed this and highly recommend a visit here!
3. Livraria Lello: The Place for Harry Potter
Are you a Harry Potter fan? My husband is which meant that we HAD to stop at the gorgeously historic Livraria Lello. It is a very old bookstore often referred to as the most beautiful bookstore in the world. It opened in 1906 and is still here open to the public, although today you have to buy a ticket.
The inside is carved wood and stained glass with floor to ceiling books. It is known that J.K. Rowling spent time in this library and it is rumored that the inspiration for Harry Potter and Hogwarts came from Livraria Lello. I could certainly see the possibility with the cavernous ceilings, windy staircase made of hand-carved wood, and the beautiful windows. I expected a child-wizard to appear any minute. We absolutely walked out of there with a Harry Potter book. For more information about this must-see destination, here is a short-and-sweet article that I found very interesting!
The Churches
You can’t walk a block without running into a church. Yep, there’s many. And, they are beautiful beautiful beautiful! If you are a fan of ornate architecture, the churches in Porto should be on your list. We toured the inside of one of them and took the stairs all the way up to the roof look-out. It is always amazing to see architectural details done by hand. Quality was 100% back then…today, we slap together homes and buildings overnight. We’ve ‘valued engineered’ the quality and elegant distinction (and pride in our work) right out of literally everything. So when we travel to old, historic locations, we make a point to see the architecture.
5. City Walking
This is a city begging to be walked, photographed, and appreciated. Here are some of my favorite photos… (be prepared for hills! Wear comfortable shoes)
This is the view from the other side of Porto…it is where the port wineries are. The walk is about 30-45 minutes and uphill, but worth it!
This dark emerald green fountain supposedly inspired the House of Gryffindor!
A Day Full of Memories
This day spent in Porto couldn’t have been more perfect and wonderful…from miraculously getting a train to our destination when NO trains were running, to walking this city and making memories. We capped off the day with an unforgettable dinner at Chama (my husband made reservations a month and half out!) I was so full I could barely walk…exquisite dining plate after plate after plate. We stayed in a boutique hotel that was right up the hill from all the action. And then coming home back to Lisbon, we caught a short flight that had us walking into Hotel Baixa in no time for a hot shower and dinner in Lisbon.
We hope you carve out vacation time to fly to Lisbon and take a train (or plane) to Porto! So much history and such a beautiful country. A local told us that we were wise to travel and explore Portugal now before it becomes a top destination like Milan and Paris. We also picked off-season dates in February. We were told that the crowds are unbearable in the summertime. More and more people are traveling to Portugal and I imagine it is because of the food, the culture, and the AFFORDABILITY of this trip.
We are living our dreams…are you living yours??? Book your flight and GO!
Safe and happy world travels!
Heather and Nate
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