Ever have one of those days where things just continue to work out? Today was one of those days.
John and I really wanted to check out Livraria Lello which is simply a bookstore in Porto. Not so simply it has been said that this bookstore is the 3rd most beautiful in the world. It has also been said that J.K. Rowling’s inspiration to write Harry Potter happened here. In fact the staircase in the store is quite similar to the one in Hogwarts.
Apparently this is a big draw for tourists as I read that people wait hours to get in. Instead John purchased our tickets online and we were in the store within 20 minutes of opening. Serendipity #1.
It really is a gorgeous store! Books in all languages line the deep brown wood walls. There is a massive stained glass ceiling and the red wooden winding staircase dominates the space. There is a small room even devoted to all of those Harry Potter fans.
Next on the agenda was the famous Clérigos Church of Porto. And of course it’s tower – Torre dos Clerigos. Wherever you are in Porto you cannot miss the most visited monument in the city. The tower is rich in history but the real reason we were there was to make the climb to the top as apparently from there you get the best 360 degree views of the city. To get to the top one must climb 240 steps. If it sounds daunting it’s really not. The biggest trouble is that the stairs are so narrow that sometimes only one person can pass at a time. It’s not a place for someone who is claustrophobic. The climb is worth it! The day was brilliant and the views from the top did not disappoint. You really can see the entire city, as well as Gaia in the distance, from this monument. Serendipity #2
It was such a stunning day that of course we went to the riverfront for lunch – this time sitting on top of the pedestrian area and right against the wall. The view from there was not too shabby either! We were at Ribeiras Restaurante where we fought a little with the seagulls that were after our lunch (we won!) but it was a nice relaxing time. Serendipity #3
Finally! Back over the Luís I Bridge to Gaia for our port wine tasting. Our Airbnb host had recommended Taylor’s Port and wine cellar. We also liked it as it seemed to be off the beaten path so less likely to be super crowded. What a cool experience! You get an audio tour of the cellar plus a port tasting for 15 Euros each. The tour is very interesting and informative and you wind your way through the cellar out to a peaceful and lovely garden where you are seated to try their port. We were ready!
The tasting included a white port and a ruby port. First, before coming to Portugal I wasn’t even aware there was a white port! But I thought, with my passion for white wine, that I’d prefer white port.
My impression of port…wait for it…absolutely amazing! I never thought I’d like this stuff! And…I preferred the red. Now things were getting a little crazy 🙂 We really enjoyed the time in the garden appreciating the port, and the beauty of the entire place. Again, more on port later… Serendipity #4
It was time for another sunset. This time we’d planned even better. We’d brought wine and demi-tasse cups to drink it from. And on the way to the Miradouro we stopped for a takeaway falafel sandwich. Yes, falafel in Porto. We were prepared but – all of the sudden there was just no sun. We’d been blessed with 3 amazing sunsets so far so we couldn’t complain too much.
We were anxious to try a port we hadn’t tasted at the cellar – tawny. Tawny ports are usually made from red grapes aged in wood barrels. They age to a golden brown color and are described as having a nutty flavor. So we wandered around Praca de Liberdade – which is where we got so lost the previous night – in search of a place to try this traditional port. We thought maybe a hotel bar would be pretentious enough to work! But the hotel bar was closed. Instead the helpful concierge directed us to Cafe Guarany which had also been recommended by our host. What a sweet little place! Actually not so little. And they had live music in the form of a pianist which made it more perfect for our needs. We thought, “What the hell”, let’s just order a 20-year old glass of port! When in Porto right?!?! The consensus? Even yummier than the white or ruby! Tawny port does have a rich nutty taste – not sweet or syrupy. It was honestly wonderful! We sat, drank our port and enjoyed ourselves immensely! Serendipity #5
Like I said earlier this was a day where things just worked out as they should. It was a wonderful, eye-opening, yet relaxing day in a beautiful town!
Walking out of the train station we were again greeted by brilliant blue skies and so many colors. It really is a feast for your senses. John’s comment was “This place has a great vibe”. Mine was more about this place being my motherland! Because everywhere you looked was wine! And Port of course. Much more to come on Port… But wine menus, wine stories, wine cellars, wine tastings. Oh, I’ve come home 🙂
We had just a small amount of time before meeting our host so stopped into the 
Back up the hill to meet our sweet Airbnb host who sat us down with a map and marked it all up. If you know me you know I like a marked-up, well-used paper map. Now we had some local recommendations and we were off to see the town.
Starving, we did the tourist thing and sat at a restaurant on the riverfront. And it was a great decision! Sometimes – I feel – doing the touristy thing is necessary. We got to sit and watch the people and the water and the stunning 
At the bottom of the hill…We really wanted to do a port wine tour but I hadn’t had the forethought to make a reservation nor check the closing times so we were out of luck. But we stumbled upon 
It had been a long day and we decided to head back to our apartment. On the way we stumbled upon a musician playing guitar and singing in the street adjacent to the Sao Bento train station. Something about her voice and the harsh way she played the guitar caused us to stop and listen. And I’m so glad we did. Her name is Susana Silva. Her voice had a strong, “see me roar” vibe and her words – because a few songs were in English – spoke to us in a profound way. It is called “
We headed down the hill toward Bairro Alto where we were scheduled to take a free walking tour of Lisbon. John and I love to do these tours. They are always run by locals and tourists get a chance to hear their stories and ask questions and get local recommendations. This time we chose 
Time for more walking and food! We headed back down the hill and decided to try another typical restaurant on Rua de Duque since every other place was packed with tourists! I don’t like it when the waiters and hosts almost accost you while walking by and I’d rather not eat with a bunch of tourists anyway…This time we ate at Duque da Rua and shared a carafe of Portuguese white and more conversation and smiles.
