We arrived to get a passport, but found the most magical city in Europe
The city of Porto in Portugal has only 300,000 inhabitants, but they are probably the most hospitable people in Europe.
This month, Portugal lifted the entry restrictions for vaccinated Israelis, and with direct flights to the country, it is a perfect winter-spring destination.
Zohar Elia Toriel had just returned from there and prepared an exemplary guide
Zohar to her Toriel
17/02/2022
Thursday, 17 February 2022, 15:27 Updated: 16:19
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Vacation in Porto, Portugal (Photo: Zohar Elia Turiel)
We arrived in Porto following my husband's Portuguese passport application, and guess what?
All the Israelis we met there came for exactly the same reason.
After all, it is not a big or particularly famous capital city, but those who come to it benefit from a trip to one of the most magical and pleasant cities in Europe.
Although Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, it has only about 300,000 inhabitants, and they are the most relaxed and hospitable people we have met in Europe.
It is built along the Douro River and the port, after which it is named, began operating as early as Roman times and helped Portugal become an empire that was in the 15th-16th centuries.
The city was a central stone in the constant struggle between the royal house on the one hand and the church (which ruled it) on the other.
In modern times there have been civil uprisings, years of fascist rule and somehow, in all of these often no large numbers of deaths have been recorded.
Pleasant people overall, have we already said?
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It has pleasant people overall.
Porto, Portugal (Photo: ShutterStock)
Where do you go and what do you do in Porto?
Hikers in the Old Town
Quarter The Old Town Quarter, the Ribeira, has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is built from about 8-9 square kilometers of sheer pleasure.
The ancient buildings are studded with spectacular paintings of ceramic tiles, the residential buildings are painted in cheerful colors and the winding streets are picturesque and dotted with restaurants, cafes, shops and ice cream parlors.
You should start with a spectacular panoramic view of the city from the bell tower of the Clergy Church (Igreja e Torre dos Clerigos), which is one of the symbols of the city.
It is worth booking an entrance ticket for 5 euros on the website, visiting the Tower Museum and ascending to a spectacular panoramic view of the city.
Those less connected to the 225-step ascent can take solace in the fact that there are many more places in the city with great views to be noted below.
500 meters from the tower is the spacious Town Square of General Delgado.
It is a wide and beautiful avenue Av Dos Aliados, at its northern end is the impressive town hall.
He hides behind the church (Ingreja de Trinidade) and not by chance.
When Portugal became a republic, in 1910, the Reformers wanted to glorify it in building new monuments.
Of course they could not damage the church so they built in front of it a huge structure that would hide it.
Children play in Porto (Photo: photos by surfers, Zohar Elia Turiel)
The Old Town district, the Ribeira, has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (Photo: ShutterStock)
The most beautiful McDonald's in the world
Around the boulevard, and in the district in general, there are many impressive buildings, but the most worthwhile real estate in the city belongs, surprisingly, to the McDonald's chain, whose branches are located in beautiful buildings. Its most beautiful branch in Portugal At the beginning of the last century, an elegant Art Deco-style cafe is worth going in. The look of the plastic trays and disposable glasses against the backdrop of the magnificent ceiling, the painted windows and the heavy crystal chandeliers - completely surreal.
In the square at the southern end of the boulevard stands a statue of a horseman.
This is Pedro IV, King of Portugal and Emperor of Brazil.
The obvious question is - if he is "only" the fourth, why exactly is he immortalized in the city center?
Well, Pedro it was indeed the fourth in Portugal but first to his name in Brazil, and even considered the father of the nation there since in his time the two countries were united.
Remember Rabbi Yehuda Halevi's poem "My Heart in the East and I in the End of the West"?
He meant metaphorically, of course, but in Pedro's case that's the reality.
His body is buried in Brazil and his heart - in Porto.
So on the horse, Pedro's body turns towards the Douro River and his head is turned west, towards Brazil.
Near the square is the spectacular Sao Bento train station.
Like many buildings in the city, its walls are decorated with ceramic tiles.
The paintings are hand-painted on them, put in the oven and then pasted on the wall in a puzzle that usually shows a scene from the past.
This art, of hundreds of thousands of tiles, found its way into the city walls about a century ago.
Beyond the beauty and preservation of the walls, they helped those illiterate residents get to know the stories of the Bible, the New Testament and the history of the city.
One of the paintings in the station depicts the wedding of King Juan I with an English princess in 1386. Since then there has been a strong connection between the two countries, and to mark this connection several very British and very red telephone booths were brought to Porto from England in 2001.
By the way, they are still working.
There is a strong bond between the two countries.
English telephone booth (Photo: surfer photos, Zohar Elia Toriel)
During his time, Portugal and Brazil were united.
Statue of Pedro IV (Photo: Photos by surfers, Zohar Elia Toriel)
Inspiration for "Harry Potter"?
From the train station it is worth continuing to the city's famous cathedral, the CE Cathedral, which was built as a fortress and serves as the residence of the bishop.
Within walking distance is the Livraria Lello bookstore with its unique French design.
The store's internal stairs were said to have inspired JK Rowling, when she described the Hogwarts School of Wizardry in "Harry Potter."
Rowling has lived in Porto for several months and since then the rumor has spread, the shop has become a tourist site (5 euros entrance through the site).
But Rowling recently tweeted that she had never visited the store, and was not at all influenced by the city.
The offended residents of Porto refuse to accept this and give as proof two more examples:
The first - the father of the house of Salizrin, the house of the "bad guys", is called Salazar, after the name of the dictator who ruled Portugal from 1968-1932.
The second example can be seen on the city streets - groups of young people dressed in long robes, just like at Hogwarts.
These are local students, this is their uniform and this, the locals say, can no longer be accidental.
Like at Hogwarts?
Uniforms of students in Porto (Photo: Photos by surfers, Zohar Elia Toriel)
The beautiful McDonald's in Europe - fast food in the Art Deco style (Photo: Photos by surfers, Zohar Elia Toriel)
Visit at least one church
The city of Porto has been under the control of the church for most of its history, and Portugal itself is still very Catholic, so there is no complete tour of the city without visiting at least one church.
The city is littered with beautiful churches and many of the public buildings today - police stations, train stations and museums - were once monasteries.
The most important of the churches is the cathedral, and the two that are considered the most beautiful (and full of gold) are São Francisco (Igreja de S Francisco) which also has a museum, and Santa Clara (Igreja de Sta Clara).
It is highly recommended to enter one of them for 5-4 euros.
Of course it is also possible for free during Mass, but then it is not possible to take photos and wander.
We visited Santa Clara Church which opened just a few months ago after three years of renovations.
In contrast to the rather shabby exterior, the interior richness is incredible and the amount of gold affixed to the walls is inconceivable, especially when one thinks of the period in which the church was built and the masses of believers who lived mostly in abject poverty.
The way to bridge the gap for them was simple - between the gilded paintings, decorations and developments lies Jesus naked, wounded and destitute.
To teach them that money is for the weak and suffering is life.
The church is dominant in Porto even today, and in the evenings and on Sundays, needy families can be seen near the churches queuing for clothes and food.
Church of Santa Clara.
Unimaginable amounts of gold (Photo: Photos by surfers, Zohar Elia Toriel)
Inside the Church of Santa Clara.
This Game of Thrones in Porto (Photo: Photos by surfers, Zohar Elia Toriel)
Get off at Porto Promenade and cross to Gaia Promenade
On the way down to the promenade you can choose from a number of narrow and beautiful streets to walk on.
The promenade itself is beautiful and colorful, the restaurants are of course more expensive but pay for the place, the view, the street players and the atmosphere.
From the promenade, cross the river with the beautiful between the six bridges built above it - the Ponte Luis 1 and reach the neighboring city of Vila (Vila Novo de GAIA).
Gaia developed as a separate city to Porto due to a 13th century conflict between King Afonso III and the church.
Following this, the bishop forbade the king to enter Porto and he, in turn, expanded the small village of Gaia on the other side of the river, attracting winemakers through tax benefits and since then Gaia has been the center of production of port wine.
Its promenade is beautiful, pleasant and wider than that of Porto.
On a hill at the end of the bridge is a monastery that is now used by the army, and the view from it is stunning (Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar).
There is a cable car that travels from the monastery to the end of the promenade for 6 euros one way and 9 round trip, but it is recommended to walk.
Well-wishers are invited to continue walking on the promenade for about 4 kilometers to the small fishing village of Afurada, where there are nice fish restaurants.
Visit the wine cellar in Gaia
In the 17th century, when the supply of Bordeaux wine from France to England was stopped due to the war between them, English wine merchants looked for a place where they could grow vines.
They found it in the Douro Valley, which is why the wine produced there to this day is called - port.
The factories and wineries are in Gaia and the best way to visit them and hear about the unique way of producing port wine, is to take one of the dozens of guided tours.
For 17-12 euros you will receive a tour, an explanation and 2-3 wine tastings.
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Observation of Porto from the Gaia Monastery (Photo: Photos by surfers, Zohar Elia Turiel)
Keys on the Louise Bridge (Photo: Photos by surfers, Zohar Elia Turiel)
Bus No. 1 to the estuary
A highly recommended pastime is a drive (or walk) from the boardwalk to the FOZ neighborhood, where the Douro River empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
It is about 4 miles away which can be done on tram number 1. The picturesque trolley has a stop near the Church of San Francisco and FOZ is its last stop.
The view of the estuary to the ocean is breathtaking and there is a beautiful promenade, with small piers and lighthouses.
You can also get there with the regular bus number 500, and after your trip in FOZ, continue with it for another twenty minutes drive to the fishing village Matoziniush, where there is a market and recommended fish restaurants.
Picnic in the park
If you fancy a two-hour picnic in the green gardens, go to the nearest supermarket, buy breads, cheeses and / or sausages, a wonderfully cheap beer or wine and lie down in the beautiful gardens around the Serralvush Museum of Contemporary Art, or next to the Cristal Palace.
Both, by the way, do not have to visit inside.
The estuary of the Douro River into the ocean, a view from the promenade (Photo: Photos by surfers, Zohar Elia Turiel)
The Jewish source
After the deportation of the Jews of Spain (1942), many of them emigrated to Portugal and the Jewish population there reached about 100,000 people (about 10%).
When the King of Portugal Manuel married the daughter of the kings of Spain in 1496, she pressured him to expel them (at best) and he, for the sake of peace, got smart and created them all in a hurry.
No wonder then that the facial features of the people on the street seemed familiar to us and were always addressed to us in Portuguese.
It is also exciting to see the shop windows of the jewelry and silverware stores.
They look just like Judaica stores.
No trace of the original Jewish quarter remains, except for a small niche that was found during the renovation of a house and was diagnosed as a "shrine" for a Torah scroll in an improvised synagogue, established by the Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity and kept Jewish customs secret.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a community of Martyrs' descendants was discovered in a small village, which caused a great stir in the Jewish world.
In 1938, the synagogue "Kadouri Makor Chaim" was built in Porto and not far from it are the Jewish Museum and the Holocaust Museum - the first in Portugal to be inaugurated in January this year (Museu do Holocausto do Porto).
What sets it apart from other Holocaust museums is the poignant documentation of the hundreds of refugees who tried to escape from Europe through the ports of neutral Portugal and Lisbon of neutral Portugal, including Marc Chagall and the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
A word about the passport industry, which is a well-oiled industry - we are used to thinking that only Israelis flock to European passports, but in our wanderings in the city we encountered Jews from all non-EU countries: Americans, Canadians and others, who dug into their Jewish-Spanish roots and asked for passports.
Some of them also immigrate to Portugal and today, including them, about 3,100 Jews live in Portugal openly and consciously.
There are probably tens of thousands more who share the same DNA with us, and simply have no idea.
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Watch a visit to the Holocaust Museum of Porto
A day trip outside Porto
There are three beautiful cities within an hour's drive (7 euros) that are well worth a visit, and each one boasts something different:
-
Braga
, the seat of the archbishop, for lovers of history.
-
Guimaraes
, the first capital of Portugal, for lovers of architecture.
-
Aveiro
, Portugal's Venice, for nature lovers.
Food
Porto has traditional centuries-old dishes, and the flagship dish is the national fish, cod.
This fish became popular in Portugal in the 15th century after its inhabitants learned to salt and preserve it.
This discovery contributed to the increasing range of the Portuguese explorers, with the most famous being Vasco da Gama - the first to arrive by sea from Europe to India.
The cod also starred in Israel's short culinary history.
Anyone who grew up here in the 70s and 60s well remembers the cod fillet - the fish that was then most available on the market - and often not for the better.
In short, you can skip the bakalau dishes (Bakalau) and focus on the excellent sardines, salmon and sea bass.
Another classic dish is the Francezinia: a huge sandwich of pork and beef creamed in cheese, usually served with French fries and egg.
This too is not recommended for those with a weak stomach, and we have not even started talking about stomach foods (the nickname of the people of Porto is "stomach eaters").
So maybe traditional food is hard to recommend but traditional pastries ... that's a different story.
The city is littered with wonderful bakeries that show their shop windows stimulating all the senses.
There are sandwiches made from wonderful breads baked on site, a huge selection of croissants, cookies, cakes and of course the national pastry - the Pastel de Nate: a puff pastry tartlet stuffed with patisserie cream and a real delicacy.
Porto does not have a bakery that does not prepare it as part of its offering, but there is one place that is only focused on and that is Delta Coffee House.
This is a cafe that serves mostly coffee, wine and pastel de nate baked in two huge ovens and served fresh all the time due to demand.
Do you need coffee?
pay attention.
The regular espresso costs less than one euro.
Big turn or cappuccino - can even reach 5 euros.
There are places that are worth sitting in just because of the decoration or the view.
Such are the "Majestic" coffee known for its beauty, at its expensive prices, and in that Rowling admitted where she actually sat.
Those looking for a restaurant with a wonderful view, can sit in the Mercado Ferreira Borges, on the terrace overlooking the river above the Palacio da Bolsa and the Infante D Henrique, or on the top floor of the Dom Henrike Hotel, where there is a wonderful view of the old town.
(A perfectly worthwhile substitute for climbing the bell tower).
Please note:
- The opening hours of the restaurants are quite strict and if you want to eat an early dinner, before seven or seven and a half, chances are you will not be able to, so you should plan your hunger accordingly.
-Everything served with sitting at a table is charged.
Even olives and olive oil, and if you do not want to just ask for a refund.
Most restaurants do not serve tap water and for a bottle of mineral water you can also pay a few euros.
-Most places have all types of milk, and on the Riviera there are several gluten-free restaurants (click on Google and you will get a list).
A typical confectionery in Porto (Photo: Photos by surfers, Zohar Elia Toriel)
Shopping
On the chic and bustling Santa Catarina Street are almost all the well-known clothing chains, but to find a bargain in terms of prices it is recommended to go shopping on the side streets, which depart from Santa Catarina where you can find second-hand shops, shoe stores and discounted items.
And yes, there is a Primark in Porto but it is far from the center.
The most famous market in Porto is Mercado do Bolhao, but due to renovations it is currently located in the basement of La Vie Mall.
It has shops and food stalls and souvenirs and on the entrance floor of the mall there are clothing stores that are definitely worth a look.
Looking for a souvenir?
In every jewelry or souvenir shop window you will come across the following three symbols:
"Heart of Viana"
- originally from the Church of the Sacred Heart of Christ, a symbol of honesty and generosity.
Rooster -
unites an ancient people on a pilgrim.
Corks -
Did you know that most corks in the world are made in Portugal?
Tuk-tuk for rainy days.
20 euros for an hour and a half with training (Photo: photos by surfers, Zohar Elia Toriel)
"Viana's Heart."
A typical jewelry store and silverware reminiscent of Judaica (Photo: surfer photos, Zohar Elia Toriel)
Additional recommendations
Getting around the city:
Old Porto was built in a valley between two hills, so any stroll in it involves ups and downs.
Those who have difficulty can use the scooters scattered around the city, take a tuk-tuk with instruction or order a Bauer taxi.
Although there is a conveyor belt that rises from the promenade but it is currently under renovation.
Pedestrians are advised to ascend through Flower Street, R Das Flores, as its slope is most moderate.
Public transport:
Transportation in Porto is efficient and cheap, and it is best to book tickets on the CP - Comboios de Portugal website.
The tickets are loaded with a deposit so it is worth keeping them for the duration of the stay (there are different tickets for trains and buses).
For those who do not like public transport it is recommended to use the "Uber" - Uber taxi will cost 3-2 euros within the city and 15 euros from the city center to the airport.
Drugs:
You may come across types that will offer you a selection of smoking herbs.
Although the church is still very dominant in Portugal, in recent years same-sex marriage, abortions have been allowed and even the law on non-discrimination on drug use has been passed.
Of course, trading in them is still forbidden, which raises the question of how to offer them openly?
In short, there is a situation that you have been offered a particularly expensive oregano.
Money:
It is best to use MB Multibanco ATM machines that do not charge a fee.
Corona tests:
As of February 7, vaccinated tourists can enter the country without presenting a PCR test or antigen.
However, since the situation is constantly changing, the requirements of the Portuguese government must be examined.
One thing that is worth knowing, although it is also true at the moment, is that at the entrance to nightclubs, shows and pubs, negative antigen test results must be shown.
To this end, test tents have been set up in the main squares in the city, which can be entered and received a free antigen test up to four times.
Also for tourists.
Flights:
Last week, Tap Air announced the launch of direct flights to Lisbon.
El Al also flies to the city, so it is much more convenient to get to Portugal by direct flight, rather than via Spain.
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