Porto’s old town climbs up and down in sweeps. Walking to the Douro river front from the old town feels like a walk downstairs from a terrace. A stair full of shop fronts reeking of curing chorico, restaurants serving Francesinha sandwiches doused with creamy white bechamel and churches festooned in blue Azulejos.  We are staying in a beautiful old refurbished building, an Alohamente Local. The room is a clever studio space converted into a bedroom and kitchen. 

We begin at Igreja De Santo Ildefonso admiring its Azulejos but not entering since it is about closing time. Onwards we cross the now defunct tram rails at the Batalha square and begin a steep descent  to Porto Cathedral. The small old streets are full of surprises. Quirky old leather selling establishments give way to a row of Pakistani grocers selling myriad masala powders, rice and spices. 

The Porto Cathedral looms ahead and is always crowded. Its facade is being restored so we take a turn and reach the courtyard and buy tickets in a queue. One of the ticket vendor is playing a computer game quite visibly while the others hands out our tickets. 

If ever you felt like you have seen enough Cathedrals and think what more can one more offer, please smack yourself and see the Porto Cathedral because you are wrong. This cathedral is full of charms. Due to the renovation we entered directly into a sunlit cloister full of gothic arches and blue tiled azulejo walls. The arches are elaborately ribbed playing off the sunlight in gorgeous shadows. 

It apparently began to be constructed in the 11th century and wasn’t close to being finished  till the end of 16th century. The cathedral is a Romanesque church with many later baroque additions an 20th century renovations. 

The main nave has barrel vaulting, the ceiling curving giving way to the monumental arched pillars. It is almost simple with the two aisles unbroken by decorative elements. Only the altar shows Baroque embellishments.

The azulejos in the cloister are attributed to Valentim de Almeida made between the years 1729 to 1731. Just three years? It is surprising.

The azulejo’s on the terrace are attributed to an artist called Antonio Vidal on Wikipedia. There is very little information about these artists anywhere else on the internet.

Once out of the cathedral the Ponte Louis is a short walk away, bustling with trains and tourists. It is awe inspiring how the tourists keep off the train tracks even though there is no barrier between the walkway and the rails what so ever. We had already met a very nice tourist operator who was reading the only english book I had ever seen being read in Portugal, ‘The Art of Seduction’ and bought tickets for the cable car ride.

Porto is a huge city and as in any big city poverty is blatantly present here beside the wealth and history. Ponte Louis I has one leg in a ghetto with crumbling buildings and graffiti and vines growing all over while the other leg stands on the river front full of souvenir shops and tourist attractions and river cruising boats peddling for passengers. Essentially the bridge connects Porto to the neighboring city of Vila Nova De Gaia. Our cable car takes us down a short ride from the top of the bridge to the tourist trap.

Canned sardine is a delicacy in Portugal and Porto sells souvenir cans of sardine with enviably beautiful exteriors for exorbitant prices. One shop looks and acts like a museum but is in fact a well thought out shop where one can purchase canned sardine from any year that one fancies, be it 2022 or 1942. The year is simply for representational purposes and not actually the year the sardine was canned, which i erroneously believed for a few minutes.

Apparently each year is commemorated with a specially designed can that represents something from it or of it.

Apparently the each year is commemorated with a specially designed can that represents something from it or of it.