A Porto River Cruise at Sunset

On the first leg of my trip to Portugal, I stood atop Lisbon’s ancient castle overlooking the city to watch a stunning sunset. It seemed fitting that I should say goodbye to Portugal by taking in another sunset, this time while cruising the Douro River. Hopping onto one of the many boats from the riverfront Ribeira neighborhood is a great way to see the city from a different angle. These cruises generally last about an hour, an hour in which there’s nothing to do but relax and snap a few photos. Below are some of mine:

Good Eating in Porto

Although our time in Porto was short, my friends and I made the best of the city’s varied dining scene. We opted for one trendy restaurant, one elegant, and one casual. All were yum (which is what matters).

Bugo Art Burgers

Not Doing Things in Porto

We arrived in Porto, a picturesque city in northern Portugal, ready to sample tons of port wine. As soon as we checked in, we took a cab across the river to Vila Nova de Gaia, where all the wine cellars are. We insisted on beginning our tour at the wine cellar that also sold cheese and crackers because we were famished. Thing is, our cabdriver was capable of finding any wine cellar but that one. He drove round and round, practicing his French with me, talking about keeping up with French news and keeping in touch with French friends and loving all things French. He also spoke extensively about Porto -- pointing out the architecture and providing a detailed history lesson -- all in French. This was amusing, but we were hungry and wanted our cheese right now. Now! At long last we found the cellar, bid adieu to our Francophile Portuguese cabdriver, and ate some freaking cheese. We managed to tag along on two wine cellar tours and sample four ports that afternoon. Success!

New Year, New Travels

Tonight I head to London, where I'll be having tea, visiting the Tate Modern, and ringing in the New Year! Then on January 1, I'm off to Portugal for the first time. I'll be visiting Lisbon and Porto as well as a number of smaller towns.