Dreamin of Porto

Porto, Portugal was my last stop of the trip during my time off of school and it just so happened to be my most favorite.  From the moment my friend Ali and I arrived, I fell head over heels in love. Porto has everything thing you could ever want in a city. To begin with, the lifestyle is very relaxed, welcoming, and happy; which I have begun to really appreciate after being in London. Next to that, Porto was so cheap it was almost hard for me to comprehend. Each morning for breakfast we would enjoy a large pasty and a cappuccino for less than two bucks and then head off to one of the free walking tours. The tours were great because the guides brought you to all of the most amazing views in Porto, which may have been difficult to find without them. We also checked out some of their churches, the bookstore that J.K. Rowling based Harry Potter off of, and climbed up to the top of the tower to see the entire city. Portugal is known for their famous sandwich called the francesinha, which is basically a meat filled sub with cheese and egg on top, and then drenched with their special sauce to finish it off. I tasted this intriguing sandwich, but by no means could I have eaten my own. I also managed to fit in some shopping at one of their markets, as well as a bunch of cute tile shops! They are also known for Port wine, so naturally, Ali and I had to partake in a wine tasting. I have to admit, it was a bit strong for my liking. After the wine tasting, we enjoyed ourselves a nice little dinner at one of the cafes along the river. I swear Porto is one of the most romantic cities, it may even have Paris beat, maybe. On our last night, we took a bus out to a small little town right on the ocean to enjoy some true seafood. It was the best meal I have had in a long time. To finish off this lovely trip, we spent a few hours on our last day having a picnic on the beach, exploring the lighthouses and checking out all the surfer boys. Porto, you definitely have my vote for most underrated city in Europe.