Advent 16

The food is exquisite and cheap. The wine likewise. The scenery is arresting. Admittedly the walking is tough (it's bloody hilly) but that is the only thing to be said against Porto and the hills, of course, add to the interest. Best meal I had was the salt cod in a kind of glorified fish pie, washed down with something from the Douro Valley.

Porto 4

We fly home today and will be sad to leave. In my case sad but considerably fatter. The food here has been right up my street - unpretentious but appetising. We had a superb lunch here in Porto yesterday at Postigo do Carvao in the old town, once again at a fetchingly low price. It was cod with potatoes and cream (a sort of sublime fish pie if you like) for the Big Fat Pig and hake for the Groupie. Washed down with a Douro red. Once again change from €50 even with a deserved and healthy tip. Our waiter had faultless English, he had been born in London but his family returned to Portugal when he was six. A Liverpool fan, he proudly showed me his tattooed forearm bearing the club crest.

a long way down

I think this is the hilliest city I have ever visited and almost any piece of sight-seeing involves a climb - which only serves to sharpen the appetite and to convince you that you deserve the culminating food and wine. So yesterday's late lunch had been earned by an ascent to the imposing Cathedral followed by traversing the vertiginous Ponte de Dom Luis I. At almost every turn there is an impressive church, complete with an altar surmounted with intricate carving. The Cathedral tops the lot, literally sitting at the top of the old town.

cathedral carving

I'm sorry dear reader that I have lost my cynical voice during this trip. Porto is bosting. No doubt the flight home will transport me back to my accustomed world-weary self.  

Porto 3

Into the hills led by Marco our cheery tour guide from Cool Tours for a quite excellent day in the Douro Valley. First to Quinta do Alloto where we sampled their white, rose and red. They are a typically small scale producer on the seemingly unworkable slopes of the Valley. Grapes are gathered by hand and trodden by foot. Fabulous.

precipitous viniculture

After a river trip and an excellent lunch (at Tachinho da Te: black pig for BFP, veal for the Groupie) it was on to the even better port estate, Quinta Marrocos where we were entertained (this is definitely the right word) by the fourth generation proprietor Cesar Sequeira. We downed a white port, a tawny and two reds, culminating in the Late Bottled Vintage 2011. Precious stuff - we left with two bottles - one for me and one for a friend who's feeling down.

We went for our nightly walk down at the waterfront and had one final glass of wine close to the water. A brilliant day in this happy place.

Point of information - I had been misled when I said that Porto have won the league, however Sunday's results did leave them five points clear with two games left. The raucous celebration was to mark rivals Benfica having lost. Sorry sports fans.

Porto 2

Now let's be clear, I'm not one of those ghastly people who photographs his food and then tweets it to world. No, I got the Groupie to photograph it and now I'm letting you share. You lucky people - I believe it was Tommy Trinder who used to say that.

Big Fat Pig hits the seafood

That's right, octopus. Yum yum yum. Groupie had the chicken - also delicious. Bottle of the old vinho verde to wash it down. Total price €37.70. I repeat (partly because I've just discovered how to get the euro sign on this keyboard) €37.70. All of this at the down-to-earth Cais da Tosca in Aveiro. Highly recommended.

Aveiro is, by dint of its network of canals, Portugal's answer to Venice and a fair proportion of Porto had decamped there for today's public holiday, many of them on our train. A small sample I know but the trains on both journeys ran immaculately to time, were crowded but cheerful and were notably clean. It is a trip of just over an hour and the adult fare is €7.00 return. Not Venice perhaps but it knocks Tipton into a cocked hat.

Winery visits in the Douro Vallley tomorrow. Someone's got to do it.

Porto 1

Dateline: Monday. God bless Airbnb. Ensconced in the lap of luxury in an apartment in the old town. They deliver fresh artisanal bread to our door each morning - which is pretty cool. The local supermarket sells red wine by the carton at one euro a litre - which is pretty cool - never mind the quality, feel the width. Besides there are cafes aplenty where you can quaff the good stuff and then use the cheapo as a nightcap.

We arrived in town last night just as Porto won the Portugese league, so we caught the stirrings of some raucous celebration. Flight was fine notwithstanding the fat tosser in front of me who had his phone pinned to his ear and let his seat fully back into my precious space - what is the etiquette on these things? Is physical violence socially permisssible? Anyway I happened across this prize plonker once again in the toilets at baggage collection - he was taking a piss with the phone still clamped to his ear. That can't be right.

Must admit the Groupie and I flew at the front of the plane - I love airport lounges, they feed the soul of my inner parvenu. As someone I have long admired once said to me, 'I may be a snob, but at least I'm good at it.'

Porto is very hilly so quite a footsore day of museums and churches - it's left me feeling vaguely devout. Evening meal and some decent wines at The Wine Box - almost immorally good value at less than sixty euros for the pair of us. Obrigado very much. Tomorrow we're heading to Aveiro for some sea air. Report to follow.