Want to know why we love Porto so much?

One of the bonuses of Living in Lisbon is Porto only 3 hr away We fell in love with Porto when we visited the city almost 25 years ago. If you want to know why read Bella English feature in today’s The Boston Globe. Porto is a good one day trip for early birds – but we recommend at least one night. [gallery ids="21266,20507,20498,11393" type="rectangular"]

Why Porto is now a part of me

My favorite city was Porto, a pretty second city in the north that remains in Lisbon’s shadows. If you arrive by train, you’ll get your first glimpse of the country’s national artwork: beautiful blue and white tiles, or azulejos, that cover the walls of the Sao Bento station. [caption id="attachment_20507" align="alignright" width="265"] I think we have hundreds of photos of Porto’s Central Station.[/caption] Though these 20,000 tiles tell the history of Portugal and took the artist 10 years to complete, visitors to Portugal will see tiles throughout the country, on interior and exterior walls, even on the more humble buildings. I like the authentic feel of Porto: this is a place that doesn’t exist for tourists, yet welcomes them. We’d be in a cafe in Ribeira, the trendy waterfront area of the River Douro, and just above us were windows with a week’s worth of clothes drying from them. Read Bella English’ story in today’s The Boston Globe