Porto, Portugal

I went to Santiago bus station to catch a ride to Porto. A bus pulled up, but it wasn't clear from the departure board whether it was for Porto or the local airport. This brought about a prolonged, confused and rather anguished discussion with a Portugese baggage handler, both of us speaking bad Spanish, about the difference between 'a Oporto' and 'aeropuerto'. It didn't help that my Porto bus was also going to Porto airport (Oporto aeroporto, in Portugese). Remember that scene in the John Cleese film 'Clockwise' about asking for directions? "Left?" "Right." "Right?" "Left." "Left?" "Right." And so on. This was basically the same, but with more syllables.

Porto is a very pretty place and I'm beginning to regret that I tagged Portugal onto the end of my Spain trip as something of an afterthought. I should have stayed here a bit longer. And not just because my very first Portugese craft beer (see Edd vs Food picture) was better than anything I found in all my time in Spain.

Other than the sandwich in the picture, my culinary highlight was the Gazela Cervejaria. There's no menu - they only serve one thing, cachorrinhos, a.k.a. posh spicy hot dogs - but they do them to absolute perfection. Anthony Bourdain, the chef off of the telly, was there earlier this year and will back me up on this.

I didn't get to see any football while I was here, but I did take a stroll around the outside of FC Porto's stadium, the Estádio do Dragão, which is stunning. Situated on high overlooking the east of the city, and thus awash with cool breezes, it has an airy and open design which blends in nicely with the surroundings. A sharp contrast with the ghastly Casa da Musica. See pictures for both.

The Portugese language is a total mystery to me - when written it looks like Spanish and when spoken it sounds like Russian - but I've been coping by simply pointing at things and saying obrigado at regular intervals. Admittedly on a few occasions, forgetting where I am, I've accidentally addressed people in Spanish. That doesn't go down too well. I'll probably find myself doing the same thing when I get my celebratory homecoming sausage roll. If only Greggs served cachorrinhos...

Porto city centre, seen from the south riverbank

As above

Our very own Duke of Wellington.
Long story, but basically the Portugese don't like Napoleon any more than we do.
History lesson here if required.

Casa da Musica
Opened in 2005. Profoundly ugly.
Even the Geordies managed to do better than this for a music venue.

Cemitério de Agramonte

Estádio do Dragão

Liberdade Square
This photo contains the statue of King Peter IV, the Câmara Municipal, and two fat lasses.

Edd vs Food #60
A Sandeira do Porto, Rua dos Caldeireiros 85.
'Douro' sandwich with chicken, goat's cheese and apple.
Washed down with Letra D Red Ale.

Palacio da Bolsa
Built in the 19th century to impress investors and attract foreign capital.
It worked: Portugal now has sovereign debt equivalent to 130% of its GDP.

North riverbank, seen from the Luis I high bridge.