What do you write when you are in love? 🙂
It is what it is, is what the German poet Erich Fried already expressed in his magical poem about love. We are now talking about Porto and its adjoining Douro valley, home to the magnificent port wines of this world. I literally fell head over heels. The country, its people, the culinary delights, the beautiful landscape of the Douro valley. All of it has simply drawn me in, to a point where I cannot stop smiling. And this when I thought that my recent trip to the surf camp in Ericeira would already do the job of turning me into a happy poet / philosopher here in Portugal. But no. Be prepared to be surprised, is all I can say! Great wines, a wonderful international music festival, excellent cuisine, happy people sharing unique stories is what you will find here. Have a look with me.
It all started with my experience of Taste Porto Food Tours. André & his team are culinary storytellers with a mission: To express their love, and life passion, for a city going wild about food.
“Well well, here are two of a kind”, I can still hear my brother laugh when he reminds me of my first encounter with our culinary city guide André. If you, like me, love good food and inspiring news stories from local people around town, then you cannot help but run into André while in Porto. Together with my brother Julian, his girlfriend Christine and our friend Fanny, we have come to Porto to join Primavera Sound Music Festival for a few days. Right ahead of everything, I have registered us for a TASTE PORTO FOOD TOUR. The name says it all: On this tour, we taste our way through the city of Porto, including delicious flaky pastry, juicy sardines, fresh coffee, spicy cheese all the way to sweet Pastels de Nata & Eclairs, as well as excellent wine from all over Portugal. To die for. For the duration of this three and a half hour tour, André literally managed to unlock heaven on Earth for us!
Off we go on our Porto Food Tour: André hands us some entertaining information about the tour we are going to do, including a map, address and locations of the places we are about to visit.
It says in the information we get that we should not only listen to André speaking, but also to the sound of the city while walking around. This, however, becomes somewhat difficult given the many interesting stories this dear and passionate Portuguese has to share with us, expressing pure happiness and joy about his city.
Our culinary visit starts at a place called “Loja Dos Pasteis de Chaves”. Here, the owners have realized a life dream for themselves, turning this place into a pretty little food haven serving exclusive, freshly baked pastry filled with either spicy or sweet ingredients.
We then walk over to visit the historic marketplace of Bolhao market in the heart of the old town of Porto.
Here, we stop at “Bolhao Wine House”, whose owners “dare to be different”, telling a (culinary) story of how to turn a traditional market place around from what it used to be and now receiving international visitors from all over the world as well as inspiring others around them to follow suit.
Apart from listening to all the interesting stories being told, we are naturally served tasty food items here: Juicy sardines with bread …
… including sweet Moscatel from the Douro valley …
… and of course sweet little desserts, handmade from granny on that same day.! We already feel like locals here.!
You do realize that this is my thing. This tour is right up my alley! Spending time with inspirational local people, learning what it takes to make a living from their passion, making heartfelt connections with them and their forms of expression next to all this amazing food being served: What could possibly be better on a first-time visit to a new city?
Porto Food Tours go right through. While we walk through the old town, André tells us interesting facts about the history and development of the city, its culture and its present life that continues to embrace diversity, the cultural riches of its past as well as a unique sense of charm. It is easy to see why André loves his town. His passion does much to win us over in no time, too.
Our dear André, happy to serve us sweet little Eclairs. “This is only the tasting size”, he laughs while carrying out our plates loaded with bulging sweets. “Portuguese people just love spoiling their visitors and serve big portions!”
During our culinary city walk, we also gather interesting tips for further things to see and do in the city …
… enjoying the magnificent views over the adjoining Douro river and its port wine estates lined up right across …
… while soon being called in again: Lunch time means stopping at this beautiful slow food restaurant “Flor Dos Congregados”.
Here, we enjoy a one-of-a-kind sandwich filled with delicious spicy meat and bacon, served to us with a glass of sparkling red wine …
… only to have more of those Eclairs later on as a sweet dessert at “Leitaria Da Qta do Paco”. Of course!
You may compliment all those sweet seductions with an excellent cup of coffee here at Christina’s, a place existing for more than 200 years in the old town of Porto. “I come here every day”, is what I can still hear André say.
Too right: The coffee here is really good!
But the food lovers’ story does not stop there. If you think that all the gourmet stops we have experienced must have been enough, you are wrong, as much as we were ahead of our final stop at “Taberna Do Largo”. They really know how to surprise you here, including a grilled Portuguese sausage prepared right in front of you!
Together, we are served this beautiful spicy cheese straight out of the oven, still melting hot, from selected Portuguese farmers as the owners are proud to mention. Oh so yum!
They also spoil us to a final wine tasting here, offering us the possibility to do a yummy wine & food grocery shopping at the end of our tour. Porto Food Tours are very well organized in that sense!
Thank you so much, dear André, for sharing your passion during this Taste Porto Food Tour with us! We really loved our time in the city of Porto, and vow to come back soon – for food, wine & many more things as it is.
Check out some more culinary blog posts & opinions about the city of Porto on Chiara’s blog post about “Portugal: A Porto Foodie Guide” as well as on “Oporto Encanta” (amazing, mouth-watering pictures there!). For everything else, make sure you check out Porto Food Tours.com.
Douro Valley and its port wine estates: Excellent taste meets internationally acclaimed culture.
Oh, beautiful Douro valley. Again, I cannot help but revel in my memories. “You have to go and see Alto Douro, the river valley much further inland from Porto”, is what my brother tells me after having consulted his Lonely Planet travel guide. “This is where most of the traditional port wine estates are located!” He knows what is good for me, being the true #winelover traveller I am! One afternoon, we therefore start by visiting the port wine cellars in the city of Porto right by the Douro river, only to take a road trip into Douro valley itself on the next day. Given all the panoramic (wine estate) stops, this form of individual travel allows us to fully experience this magical river landscape.
The street signs “Rota do Vinho do Porto” and “Alto Douro Vinhateiro” make it easy for me to navigate as a first-timer, driving along the wine route in the UNESCO World Heritage of the Alto Douro in Portugal. The picturesque surroundings of the Douro valley very much remind me of the beauty of our own Danube river valley back home, close to where I live in the Wachau valley in Krems, Lower Austria. There, too, stone-terraced hills mark the landscape with wine being cultivated for over two millennia. During our visit of the Douro valley, we stop at the famous port wine estates of Sandeman & Ramos Pinto, who stand out from the crowd thanks to their impressive history. Or would you have guessed that Adriano Ramos Pinto, founder of Ramos Pinto estate, was a true marketing genius back in the days, substituting biblical Eva’s apple with a glass of port wine – on a nude painting billboard advertisement?!
All I can say is that Portuguese people know how to relax and enjoy life. At least in this area around Porto & the Douro valley. 😀
By the Douro river, you can enjoy this magnificent view over the old town of Porto …
… including a line-up of its many internationally acclaimed, historic port wine cellars such as Sandeman estate here.
At Ramos Pinto, we enjoy a classic port wine tasting as well as a guided tour through the old storage facilities and original office rooms of the company’s founder.
Now did you know that when making port wine, brandy spirit is actually added to the fermenting grape Juice, thereby stopping further fermentation, adding alcohol and maintaining the sugar levels in the later port wine – hence its sweetness and high alcohol content? Some fascinating stories being told around here …
… and confirmed later on by views such as these: What a beautiful sight upon the Douro river valley.
I love how careful and well-tended the wine terraces look around here, speaking of the quality, care and commitment that goes into producing great and world-famous port wines …
… and again and again, I have to stop for taking in the amazing river landscape.
My road trip adds some fresh air, and a good music playlist, to my individual experience of the Douro valley.!
Visiting the original port wine estate Sandeman in the Douro valley of Portugal, near the city of Pinhao.
Even roundabouts such as this one on my way to Alijao celebrate the heritage of port wine common throughout the entire area.
Dear Douro valley, dear Portugal, dear Porto: I vow to come back soon. Seriously !!! 😀
Last but not least, let me take you a journey. Be transported to light, happiness and humour expressed in the following travel videos that share so much of a passion & joy for the city of Porto: Who wants to go to Portugal with me?
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2 comments
This food tour looks wonderful. A real feast for the senses.
I am currently gathering information for a trip to Portugal and your post has been entertaining and informative.
Thanks, Elena.
Mary Louise
Dear Mary Louise,
Thank you so much for caring to inform me about your plans! I have written a lot more about Portugal, and hope my blog will prove useful to gathering even more information prior to your travels: http://www.creativelena.com/en/travel-blog/europe/portugal-europe/.
Besides, I do agree that Porto Food Tours are doing an amazing job; did you know they now also do cooking classes and a whole lot more activities? You are best advised to contact them directly. I hope this will help!
Kind regards,
Elena