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W
hen you’re looking for
somewhere relaxed, peaceful
and absolutely beautiful to
go for a long weekend break, Porto is
so ideal. This gorgeous and artful city in
Portugal, the second largest after Lisbon
is only a two-hour flight from London
with some great restaurants, interesting
sights and great wine! One of the oldest
cities in Europe, there are beautiful plazas,
churches and houses with colourful tiled
façades to explore. In Porto, there are
several brilliant hotels, both modern and
architecturally intriguing, to spend your
nights including Hotel Teatro Porto which
is deliciously hi-tech with its theatrical
inheritance. It stands on the land that
was once the Baquet Theatre, and greets
visitors through its doors with the poem
of the great Porto romantic Almeida
Garrett while the reception represents a
ticket office, where each guest gets a ticket
to access their room. Another
hotel, Pestana Porto is quite
interesting as it’s located on the
Praça da Ribeira, a designated
UNESCOWorld Heritage site
and consists of a number of
16th to 18th century buildings
joined together with many of
the rooms overlooking the
Douro River. From here, you
can cruise down the river
Douro to the area where the
grapes for the ports are grown,
departing from the bank right
in front of the hotel, or take
the historic tram to Foz do
Douro or even visit one of the Port wine
cellars by foot.
To see fantastic views of Porto in all its
glory, a walk along the Ponte Luís I bridge
will gladly grant you this privilege. The
bridge was designed by Gustave Eiffel
before he built the Eiffel Tower in Paris
and named after King Luis I’s wife. It spans
across the Douro River which separates
the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
Famously known for its port, Vila Nova
de Gaia has several port lodges that offer
tours and port tasting such as Churchill’s
Port Lodge which is relatively new. It is
said after selling his interest in Grahams,
the family business until it was sold in
1970, Johnny Graham wanted to continue
his family’s port-making tradition and
therefore set up a company in 1981 to
produce his own style; the name Churchill
derives from his wife’s maiden name.
Further up the hill you’ll find Graham’s
Port Lodge which overlooks the Douro
River toward the Ponte Luís I bridge. In
the cellars, during the tours, alongside
massively huge barrels, you’ll find dimly-lit
gated side-cellars storing vintage bottles
of port going as far back as the 1800s.
For your journey back to Porto, if you do
not wish to walk back, you could take the
Teleférico de Gaia (tram) which is found
on the higher level of the Ponte Luis I
bridge and enjoy the fantastic views from
there.
Porto has many riverside cafés and
wonderful restaurants to dine at; ensure
you try out ‘Francesinha’, a local dish based
on sliced bread, meat, cheese and a spicy
sauce – a bit like a lasagne. For that evening
meal, Paparico is a highly recommended
restaurant deemed one of the top reasons
for visiting Porto. Located in the suburbs,
it’s advisable to get a taxi
there and when you arrive,
you’ll see a very plain-looking
building, identified only by a
dimly-lit menu board but don’t
be put off. To get into this
restaurant, you have to knock,
a bit like waiting to enter into
someone’s home. Once inside,
you’ll be pleasantly surprised
by its homely setting; with the
bar area featuring an open fire,
sofas and even chess set. The
name Paparico means ‘caress,
cuddle, present to a loved one,
as well as delicacy, titbit’. You
bite
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