I only had two days in Porto – with bad weather and a six-hour delay of my flight – but I could still make some good memories.
Flight and Hostel
Not every trip goes as planned and sometimes especially this is so magically about it because who knows how my journey would have ended otherwise. But let’s start at the beginning. When I almost finished my bachelor thesis, I decided to take a weekend off and to relax for a weekend before starting the next semester. I wanted to discover a new city where I haven’t been. Initially, I wanted to go to Lisbon, but the flights were too expensive, so I decided to visit Porto in Portugal. My flight was scheduled for 10.30 am. But as I stood in the queue, they told us that the plane has a delay. In the end, I had a 6 hours delay, and we arrived at 7 pm in Porto instead of 12:30 pm. But on my flight, I met a girl who was in the same Hostel as I, so we went together to our Hostel. The name was “PILOT Design Hostel & Bar” – design can be discussed – but apart from that, the Hostel was nice. It was clean, and the rooms were comfortable. A new experience for me was the bathroom – Toilets, showers and sink in one place and all of this for boys and girls. Of course, there were thin walls between the cabins, but it was the first time I experienced a mixed bathroom.
Francesinha and Party in Porto
Arriving at our room, we met a girl from Brazil and decided to have dinner together. We asked at the reception, and they recommended us a typical dish of Porto in a local restaurant. We went to Café Luso, but you can find this dish everywhere in the city, it is called “Francesinha”. It’s like a sandwich packed with a lot of meat and topped with a thick layer of cheese served with a delicious sauce and by choice with fries. Delicious!
Later we met friends from the Brazilian girl who lived in Porto, and we went from bar to bar. Just in the middle of the city life is buzzing in the night. You can find several streets full of bars and clubs and they are full even during the week.
Free Walking Tour
The other morning, I got up with slight a hangover and forgot that the bathroom was for girls and boys, as I stepped in – I didn’t have my glasses on – I only recognized two girls. My first reaction was “sorry, sorry” and closing the door. Until I realized my mistake and went back in – the girls had a good laugh – embarrassing.
I took part in a free walking tour after I had breakfast. It was awful weather, and it rained all the time. However, I could learn a lot about the history of the city and the guide showed us some places where the students hang out. Did you know that J.K. Rowling was inspired to write the book about Harry Potter in Porto? She taught English as a foreign language in Porto and often sat time in the bookshop of Jose Manuel Lello where she has been inspired to write Harry Potter.
With this knowledge I had lunch with a new friend from Australia, we ate rice with Octopus another traditional dish in Porto. In the afternoon I needed some more sleep and decided to go for a run afterward. I ran alongside the river until I reached the beach.
As my trip was already finished I couldn’t see more, and I couldn’t taste the Port-wine, but that’s for the next time.
Additional tips:
1. My trip was a little bit short; you should plan two full days. Like this, you can visit some places where they produce Port-wine (I hadn’t time to do that)
2. Porto is a small city; you can do everything by foot. You only need one ticket to get into the city from the airport.
3. Prices, especially for food, are low and the food is delicious. I highly recommend to take a lot of appetite with you 😉
30 Days to go!
All photos taken with my camera DSC-HX60
Flo's WorldTravel 