We woke up to our first full day in Porto with a yen for something sweet. S & K led us confidently to a lovely bakery that they had visited the day before, and we promptly satisfied our craving with a Portugese style croissant, macaroon, and almond tarte.
Fueled for the moment, we wandered the narrow cobblestone streets, filled with Old World charm, and decorated to the gills for Semana Santa, Holy Week.
Upon crossing the Duomo River, we entered Vila Nova de Gaia, where most of the port houses have set up tasting rooms. Most of the makers of this exquisite elixir keep their vineyards east of Porto in the Duomo Valley, then after harvest and sometimes bottling, load up the port barrels on boats that sail down the current to reach Vila Nova de Gaia.Our first tasting of the day was at Kopke, established in 1638, and the oldest port house in town.
Below, I stare entranced as I'm served my first Ruby port, accompanied by small chocolates, a winning combination!
A Kopke Ruby port and a vintage 78, side by side.
After a luxurious and lingering visit, we walked up the cobblestone streets to reach Taylor, our next destination. K & S wait at the oak barrel table for their first tasting.
After touring the facility and the lush grounds, we headed down the hill a few meters to Croft, where we sat down on the patio to enjoy our tastings and the welcoming sunshine. By this point, most of us had sugar coated tongues and could barely distinguish from one taste to the next.
So we decided that it was time for lunch. Jack got a huge, Porto-specific sandwich filled with meat, covered with melted cheese, gravy, and a fried egg! Looked too intense for my port-induced hazy mind to wrap around...
We also got a serving of tiny, local sea snails! Can you see the antennaes on these little suckers?
A river cruise down the Duomo beckoned after lunch, and we hopped on for a view of the 6 bridges, spanning the distance between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. A few of these were designed by Eiffel.
The Portoguese have no qualms about airing out their laundry in public...
Winding our way back through quaint residences to our hotel...
Local graffiti...
A shot of the Porto train station...
And then the gang checks out the glamorous McDonalds in the center of town, complete with chandeliers!
We rested for a few hours before heading out for a nightcap at Solar de Vinho, a old manor house turned port bar. A few small plates of pate, cheese and olives, and several glasses of port selected by our helpful server topped off the perfect end to a beautiful day.
After touring the facility and the lush grounds, we headed down the hill a few meters to Croft, where we sat down on the patio to enjoy our tastings and the welcoming sunshine. By this point, most of us had sugar coated tongues and could barely distinguish from one taste to the next.
So we decided that it was time for lunch. Jack got a huge, Porto-specific sandwich filled with meat, covered with melted cheese, gravy, and a fried egg! Looked too intense for my port-induced hazy mind to wrap around...
We also got a serving of tiny, local sea snails! Can you see the antennaes on these little suckers?
A river cruise down the Duomo beckoned after lunch, and we hopped on for a view of the 6 bridges, spanning the distance between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. A few of these were designed by Eiffel.
The Portoguese have no qualms about airing out their laundry in public...
Winding our way back through quaint residences to our hotel...
Local graffiti...
A shot of the Porto train station...
And then the gang checks out the glamorous McDonalds in the center of town, complete with chandeliers!
We rested for a few hours before heading out for a nightcap at Solar de Vinho, a old manor house turned port bar. A few small plates of pate, cheese and olives, and several glasses of port selected by our helpful server topped off the perfect end to a beautiful day.
2 comments:
We're having a great time following your accounts! Is there no Egyptian Rat Screw being played?
i'm sorry but those snails look gross.
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