Porto & the Douro Valley
Porto was a “let’s see a different part of Portugal” trip — and it happened to coincide with our 25th wedding anniversary. We flew Iberia out of Dulles, routing through Madrid (IAD-MAD-OPO), which gave us a taste of the Iberia lounge in Madrid. The cellphone, however, had different plans. A saga that would plague much of this trip got its first act somewhere between Dulles and the MAD terminal. It was eventually resolved back home by replacing the phone entirely. Technology.
The City
Porto was extremely charming. We set up in a modest little Airbnb near a train station for convenience — helpful for our day trip out, and for being centrally located. The trade-off: requisite noise and foot traffic. But we didn’t come to Porto to stay inside.
We did most of our exploring on foot over the cobblestone streets. I remember a lot more uphill than downhill. Though we positioned ourselves near the train station for convenience, every destination seemed to involve climbing. Leigh would say that was the plan.
The Food
The food halls on the river were amazing. Pro tip: without reservations for dinner, you will find yourself eating on the sidewalk or going home hungry. Fortunately, the sidewalk dining in Porto is half the experience — great ambiance, great people-watching, no complaints.
I inadvertently put myself on the Atkins diet while there — tons of meat, cheese, and “grape juice.” Came home seven pounds lighter. I’m still trying to figure out how that math works, but I’m not asking questions. The cobblestone streets and Leigh’s walking pace probably had something to do with it.
The Douro Valley
On our actual anniversary, we met João — our personal sommelier for the day — who escorted us through the Douro Valley on multiple curated wine tastings. The terraced hillsides, the river winding below, vineyards stretching to the horizon. No picture I could take really did it justice, and I tried. This is one of those places where you just have to be there.
We came home with no small amount of wine and zero regrets. Probably our favorite wine region to date — and we’ve sampled a few.
