Skip to main content

Porto, Portugal


Ahhh Porto, where to begin? The people were lovely, the place was stunning and the food was exceptional. This was a much needed break after university and the realities of grad life. We started our trip flying with TAP Portugal which is one of the nicest airlines I've ever used.. we got free wine!

Once we'd landed we got on the metro to our hotel in Balhou. Porto's metro is like a much nicer tube; it's spacious, air conned and very easy to understand. When coming up the stairs of Balhou station we were greeted by this stunning church (one I'd been hoping to see from my Instagram research) which was breathtaking and set a great tone for the holiday. Our hotel was alright, but its location was why we chose it; it was nice to be in the heart of Porto and made travelling around so easy.


On our first evening we went for a glass of wine (standard) and then a concert of Fado and Flamenco which offered a festive introduction to Portuguese culture. We then went to this local restaurant called Taberna Do Doutor which was exceptional ( we went twice). The first time we went I had octopus which was so tender and fresh. The second time we had an octopus salad starter which was octopus, balsamic, onion, parsley and olive oil.. i'm salivating thinking about it. For mains I had the most melt in the mouth steak I've ever had; it was medium rare and perfection. The staff were so clued up on what was gluten free and made the dining experience so easy and everything was amazing. 


We stayed in Porto for 4 nights and in that time we saw the river where we tasted port, went on a boat trip and a cable car. People drink port like it's beer in Porto, it's so normalized and I must admit I've got quite a taste for it now. We also went to the contemporary art gallery which has a sculpture park attached to it. The gallery was ok but the highlight was the sculpture park; it was filled with various gardens, animals and one gorgeous symmetrical path of pools and trees. I could have walked around it for ages. 


On our third day we took a trip to the beach where I got badly burnt but it was so worth it. Reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on a beach in Porto was not something to complain about. We then went for the most incredible lunch I've had in ages. Their specialty here was seafood and me and mum were like kids in a sweet shop trying to decide what to get. We started with muscles which came with fresh onion, parsley, vinegar and chili. They were so fresh and moorish and went perfectly with the vihno verde we had ordered. For mains me and mum shared giant prawns and squid on a spit over chips. This was AMAZING.. like one of the best meals I've ever had. The fish was so fresh and full of flavor and again went gorgeously with the wine. The staff were also on it with the gluten free options and I noticed that it was so easy as the food is in general very fuss free and all natural ingredients. 


After our four nights in Porto we got a train down the river to the Douro Valley. Douro is where they make most of Portugal's wine and the views of all the vineyards are breathtaking. We stayed in a lovely hotel which had a pool and gorgeous terraces to take in the view of the valley. During our time here we went on a wine tasting which was delicious and we ate octopus again.. 3 times in one week and no regrets. I'm glad we only stayed two nights here as I don't think there would have been heaps to do once you'd gone on a boat and done a wine tour. However, it was stunning and made the perfect chill out spot after 4 days of rushing round seeing Porto. 


For our final night we traveled back past Porto to this seaside town called Espihno. Here we stayed in the most amazing hotel ever, it had tennis courts, two pools, crazy golf and amazing views of the beach. We only stayed one night as it was extortionate but amazing. Here we swam, drank port, played golf and went down to the beach. This beach was so gorgeous and was a definite highlight for me.. I could have stood taking the view in for hours. 


I really like that we traveled around a bit as it meant we got to see lots of different things. My top three highlights had to be the food, the second beach and the scenery. If you are coeliac, Portugal is a really easy place to navigate being gluten free, however if you're also vegetarian I'm not sure how easy that would be as my diet there consisted of meat and fish. 

Porto is really special and I would love to go back. If you want any more tips on it drop me a message!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chilli Con Carne

I love Chilli Con Carne, for me it's one of the ultimate comfort foods for when I'm feeling blue at Uni. It's really easy to make and doesn't cost too much either and you can get really creative with how you make it. Ingredients:  -1 pack of beef mince meat - 2 white onions - 4 cloves of garlic - 1 carton of passata  - 1 tin of red kidney beans - salt and pepper - garlic powder - smoked paprika - regular paprika - ceyane pepper - cumin powder - one cube of beef stock - red wine  Side options:  - avocado - red onion - fresh coriander - cheddar cheese - sour cream Method:  - Start by chopping your onions and put them in a frying pan on a low heat. Mince the garlic and add in.  - When the onions have softened add the mince meat and put some salt and pepper on it.  - Once the meat is cooked chuck the passata in and start to season with the garlic powder, ceyane pepper, cumin, paprika and a little bit of s...
Post a Comment
Read more

London

London means a lot of things to me. It's where I grew up Hornsey It's where I am now Hornsey It's where I want to live in the future North London It's where I've found some of the most amazing people A ll over It's where I've found some of the worst people All over It's where the majority of my friends are Haringey, Tottenham, Bethnal Green, Muswell Hill, Newcross, Hackney etc...   It's where people are always moving to All over It's where my favorite photography gallery is Oxford Circus It's where my favorite museums are Bloomsbury and Kensington It's where my favorite art is Grafton Street and the Tate Modern It's where I have so much more to explore South London It's where I know best Green Lanes, Finsbury Park, Islington, Moorgate,  Bloomsbury, Fitzrovia etc...  It's where my favorite green spaces are Ally Pally, Regents Park, Primrose Hill  It's where my favorite food is Kings Cross, Shoreditch, Isl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Recipe of the week: 5 less obvious essential ingredients

5 less obvious essential ingredients Rather than doing a recipe of the week this week I've decided to write a list of five ingredients that I think are absolute essentials and that aren't the classic salt, pepper or garlic! I think when cooking it's good to have an understanding of what flavors you really like and for those who are less confident it can be handy knowing about some other ingredients that are out there. So at number one we have garlic powder In my eyes this is an absolute must for the cupboard. It's cheap and you can buy it in big bags so you'll be stocked up or a while. I love this ingredient as it gives a lovely garlicky depth to sauces, almost a bit like stock but without the saltiness. I typically use this when I make curries, chilli con carne or garlic mayo. Sometimes it's just the thing that's missing. Two:  Cayenne Pepper For all spice lovers, this ingredient is your friend. Make sure you taste as you go along as it pack...
Post a Comment
Read more