Porto welcomes its visitors with the best of its rich cuisine. It is placed in an exceptional location, on the banks of the Duero and bathed by the Atlantic Ocean. That favours that in Porto you can eat good seafood, taste the best wines and delight your assorted pastries.

You can find restaurants to suit all tastes and all pockets. You can eat very well for only 5 € in its houses of meals, or in Michelin-starred restaurants, like The Yeatman.

One thing to consider when you sit in a restaurant is that the appetizer being served first, and without asking, is not a present. It has to be paid. This leads sometimes to misunderstandings.

Also, it's common to start a meal at any restaurant with a soup, preparing rich and in many different ways.

One of the areas with more choice of restaurants is Ribeira. It is a very lively place, from which you have the best views over the city. Here you can come to eat the grilled octopus or cod Chez Lapin and "Guts Oporto" da Filha da Mãe Preta.

In the Rua de Aviz there were many of the bookstores in the city. Today it is a hive of trends. Among the new art galleries we found the Book restaurant, where once was sited Livraria Aviz. You will see that all around this place reminds its past as a library.

Wine tourism is one of the best options for the city and its delicacies. To do this it is advisable to cross to the other side of the river, where we can find wineries like Vila Nova de Gai. On this side of the river you can also taste many recipes for cod, which are so famous throughout Portugal, El Bacalhoeiro (Avenida Diogo Leite, 74).

The Café Santiago has a good reputation in serving the best francesinhas, one classic of Oporto´s cuisine. You know that it is true when you see the big queues at their gates in order to get one in Rua Passos Manuel 226. Francesinha is a slice of bread filled with different types of sausage and meat, and covered with melted cheese and bathed in hot sauce. You can imagine that with these kind of ingredients it is a very heavy dish that will fill you with lots of energy; even more if you accompany it, as usual, with a few chips and a cold beer.

In order to know what products are popular in Porto, approach the Bolhao market. It was built in 1914, and it is one of the emblematic buildings to live day by day of tripeiros (gutties). Curious adjective, right? Citizens of Oporto are know tripeiros because, during preparations for the conquest of Ceuta in 1415, they had to turn to the issue all the meat and keep only the gut. Now, as tripas à moda do Porto is in the dish in town!

Francesinha by jfcfar| Tripas a moda do Porto by MariaCartas

A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.

The unique lie of the land has endowed this enclave with canals plied by colourful boats known as moliceiros, decorated in the style of Venetian gondolas. This has led it to be nicknamed “The Portuguese Venice”.

The town centre is criss-crossed by these canals, which visitors must take to reach its sights, particularly in the old quarter of Boira Mar with its traditional houses and its estuary salt pans. A feature well worth observing are the typical azulejo-tiled facades. These veritable works of street art are all over Aveiro.

Aveiro has a vintage appearance which nevertheless blends well with modernity. This mix is partly the result of the proximity of the town’s university, which makes for a lively atmosphere at virtually any time of the year.

And Confectionery Too

If you’re visiting Oporto, you have the perfect excuse to head for this unusual town, which you are sure to enjoy. Don’t forget to try their typical ovos moles, a delicious confectionery originally made by the nuns of the Convent of Jesus. Legend places its origins in this convent around the 16th century. One of the conditions of the nuns’ oath of poverty was to not eat eggs. Despite using lots of them in the confectionery they made, a huge surplus built up month after month. According to period documents, this stockpile was added to by large amounts of sugar the nuns were allocated by Manuel I of Portugal. The sugar, eggs and the stamina to stir this sweet mixture for hours on end yielded what we now know as Aveiro’s ovos moles.

The recipe has hardly changed at all, although many confectioners now round off the process using a lukewarm syrup to which the eggs are added, and the mixture is stirred over a slow fire. The ovos moles are coated with wafer and normally moulded into the shapes of sea creatures, notably seashells, conches and fish. The sweet flavour is reminiscent of a Spanish, egg-yolk candy  known as yemas de Santa Teresa de Ávila.

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Text by Tensi Sánchez de http://www.actitudesmgz.com

Photos by Fernando Sanz

Texto de Tensi Sánchez de www.actitudesmgz.com

Fotos de Fernando Sanz

You can travel with friends, as a couple, with the family... yes, we know that it's nice to share experiences, but those of us who love travelling recommend that everyone should travel alone at least once in a lifetime! Why? You can get around without having to wait for anyone, make your own decisions and choices, get away from it all... In short, you will be your sole companion. Which are the best places for this? Here is a list of destinations for travelling alone.

Gateway to the Atlantic and trade with Africa, Porto has a special beauty that you perceive walking the streets. Despite their current romantic decay, the  early-century modernist buildings that rise  on the sides will take you to better times when the city had its maximum commercial splendor.

Enjoy  the terraces and restaurants of lively Ribeira

The historic center of Porto is also one of the most beautiful and colorful areas, a labyrinth of narrow medieval streets and alleys.
The Ribeira Square is in front of the Chapel of Our Lady of Ô, surrounded by bustling cafes. Come to eat to the traditional restaurants in Rua da Fonte Tauria. here you can take the Funicular Guindais aka Dos Guindais, or go up to the highest part of town in the district of Batalha.

The most emblematic of the six bridges of Porto is the Luís I, which crosses the city and Gaia, where the cellars of the famous port wine are. It was designed by a disciple of Eiffel,  Belgian engineer Teofilo Seyrig, so the two metal structures are works very similar in style

It can be crossed to visit Gaia, a town full of wine cellars the boardwalks of its two floors. On the top floor passes the subway line and on the lower one, passes cars and other vehicles.

Porto Wine Cellars

Crossing the bridge, you get to Gaia. Here is where port wine gets older, right next to the city, and you will find most wineries that are producing it. But do not stay only with the idea of ​​their wine; Porto is very interesting to try sardines, fresh saloios cheeses or Cabreiro  and some of their delicious desserts.

Another interesting option is to cross the Douro River on typical Rabelo boats, formerly transporting Porto wine. You will be fascinated by the magnificent views.

Livraria Lello. One of the most beautiful in Europe

It is no wonder that it chose to this library to film some scenes from the Harry Potter saga. It breathes a magical atmosphere. Its art deco details and neogothic style, the access ladder to the top floor, the large stained glass windows of the roof or the wooden bridge that crosses it, make this place more than a simple library to buy books.

The Livraria Lello e Irmao, called Livraria Lello to simplify, located in the Centre of the city in a beautiful building of neo-Gothic style, it is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe and is, with the bookstore Bertrand in Lisbon, one of the oldest in Portugal. Located in the Centre of the city, in a beautiful neo-Gothic style building.

Maus Hábitos

Maus Hábitos or bad habits is not a conventional place. Since 2001, year when Porto was European Capital of Culture, this mix of restaurant, bar and art gallery gives adequate room for the expression of all kinds of artists and organises workshops. Additionally, you can enjoy a mix of traditional and modern Portuguese cuisine overlooking the old town or you can relax in its gorgeous courtyard garden.

Image: Małgorzata Kaczor

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