Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

My Porto

Half British, half Portuguese, Porto-born Charles Symington was educated in the UK and Spain before returning to Portugal’s second city and the family wine business, Symington Family Estates, where he’s director of production. He shows us round his home town

IMAGE 4CORNERS

One of the oldest settlements in Europe, the name of Portugal’s second city dates from Roman times. For the last three centuries, however, its destiny has been bound up with port – the fortified wine that’s produced in the Upper Douro valley and shipped from Vila Nova de Gaia at the mouth of the river, opposite Porto’s historic city centre.

Day One

9:00 Kick-start your exploration with a weapons-grade coffee amid the pink stucco and gilt mirrors of the art nouveau Café Majestic (112 Rua Santa Catarina, ) at the heart of the city. The traditional pasteis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts) are deliciously addictive, and there’s a great variety of other freshly baked treats on offer.

11:00 Walk through the Avenida dos Aliados (which is actually more of a square than an avenue) and up to the soaring, rocket-like Torre de Clérigos (Rua dos Clérigos, ), a dominant feature of Porto’s skyline. Climb the 225-step spiral staircase of worn stone for unbeatable views of the city.

12:30 Amble along the alleys spilling down from the city centre to the Douro waterfront. This is the Ribeira district, whose delights most visitors are quick to discover. Tall, dilapidated, red-tiled houses are thrown together haphazardly in what looks like an oversized village. For me, the real charm of the Ribeira is that, far from being an old town that’s been restored and sanitised for tourism, this is a living quarter that’s buzzing with activity.

13:30 Time for lunch. There are numerous eateries along the Cais da Ribeira riverfront, but none more alluring for a leisurely couple of hours than the Restaurante Mercearia (32/33 Rua Cais da Ribeira, ). If the weather’s fine, sit outside on the quayside and watch the traditional barcos rabelos (boats with tails) on the Vila Nova da Gaia side of the river while enjoying top-notch filetes de pescada dorada (grilled fish drizzled in olive oil).

16:00 To take in some culture, check out the Palácio da Bolsa (Rua Ferreira Borges) near the waterfront. This is Porto’s ancient parliament, judiciary and stock exchange. As well as illustrating the history of the city, a visit to ‘the Bolsa’ takes in the magnificent Arab Room; decorated in brilliant gold, it’s a superb example of Moorish revival architecture.

18:00 Eschew the touristy – and overpriced – Porto Tram City Tour in favour of the real thing. Porto once had a huge fleet of wood-panelled trams operating on an extensive network, but just a couple of lines survive today. Hop on the Linha 1E from Rua do Infante Dom Henrique and trundle along the riverside to the Passeio Alegre and back again. This romantic ride on a treasure of the old transport system will only cost you a few cents.

20:00 Head to the Rua Cândido dos Reis (near the Clérigos tower) in the centre, where you can join Porto’s trendy set drinking and listening to music in various bars till the small hours. Clube 3C (18 Rua Cândido dos Reis, ) is good for a lively dinner. After that, check out Casa do Livro (85 Rua Galeria de Paris), Galeria de Paris (56 Rua Galeria de Paris), Café Lusitano (137 Rua José Falcão) and as many other bars as you have stamina for…

Day two

9:00 For a glimpse of Porto as it was before the high-tech age, arrive early at the Mercado do Bolhão covered market on Rua Sá da Bandeira in the city centre. You’ll find a riot of boisterous bartering, food and every kind of handicraft. Items are not expensive, but you’re still expected to haggle like hell.

10:00 You’ve seen the main sights – now it’s time to spread your wings and get some air in your lungs. Porto has a fabulous new network of cycle paths, so why not hire a bike from Bluedragon by the Dom Luis I Bridge on the Ribeira (280 Avenida Gustavo Eiffel, ). You can then pedal all the way along the north bank of the river to Foz do Douro at the river mouth. From there, continue along the rocky Atlantic seafront, breathing the salty air until you reach the Parque de Cidade.

This is Porto’s new city park, beautifully landscaped with lakes, woodland, sculptures, walking trails and cycle routes.

13:00 Continue a short way along the seafront to Matosinhos and the Restaurante Esplanada Marisqueira Antigua (628-638 Rua Roberto Ivens, ), my favourite of the numerous seafood restaurants to be found in this area. Sit under a pergola of vines and savour freshly landed deep-water lobster, crab, prawns, langoustines or shrimps.

17:00 As we say in Portugal, parabéns! Congratulations: you’ve saved the very best of Porto for last. Walk across the lower span of the double-deck Dom Luis I Bridge, and either pant up the steep hill or hop on the Graham’s shuttle bus, in order to tour the cobwebby Graham’s Port Lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia (514 Rua Rei Ramiro, ). Here your taste buds can explore the different styles of port: the aperitif, dry white port; light, amber-coloured tawny port made from wines up to a century old blended with fresh young wine; rich, full- bodied ruby port; and finally, vintage port, declared only in exceptional years, matured in black bottles, and the flagship of every shipper’s range.

20:00 Splash out on dinner at Dom Tonho (Avendida Diogo Leite, ) on the Cais de Gaia quayside, looking through plate glass across the Douro to the Porto skyline. It’s not cheap, but the food and the view are unbeatable. Just take care not to stagger into the river when you leave after all that sipping and eating…

FR Mon parcours de Porto

Charles Symington, directeur de production de vin de Porto dans le groupe Symington Family Estates, nous fait découvrir sa ville natale

Jour 1

9:30 Dégustez un café et un morceau de tarte à la crème au Café Majestic (112 Rua Santa Catarina, tél. 1 )… 11:00 Grimpez au sommet de la Torre de Clérigos (Rua dos Clérigos) pour des vues imprenables… 12:30 Explorez le pittoresque quartier de Ribeira, le long du fleuve… 13:30 Déjeunez au Restaurant Mercearia (32/33 Rua Cais da Ribeira, tél. 1 )… 16:00 La salle arabe du Palácio da Bolsa (Rua Ferreira Borges) est un superbe exemple du renouveau de l’architecture maure… 18:00 Quelques trams à Porto sont encore en circulation ; sautez dans la Linha 1E pour un tour… 20:00 Rejoignez le public branché de Porto, Rua Cândido dos Reis. Dînez au Clube 3C (18 Rua Cândido dos Reis, tél. 1 ) avant de faire la tournée des bars.

Jour 2

9:00 Marchandez au Mercado do Bolhão (Rua Sá da Bandeira)… 10:00 Louez un vélo au Bluedragon (280 Avenida Gustavo Eiffel, tél. 1 ) et pédalez le long de la rive nord du fleuve, direction Foz do Douro et Parque de Cidade… 13:00 Continuez jusqu’à Matosinhos et au Restaurant Esplanada Marisqueira Antigua (628- 638 Rua Roberto Ivens, tél. 1 ) pour sa carte de poissons… 17:00 Au Graham’s Port Lodge à Vila Nova de Gaia (514 Rua Rei Ramiro, tél. 1 ), partez à l’exploration des fameux vins fortifiés… 20:00 Faites des folies au restaurant Dom Tonho (13 Cais da Ribeira, tél. 1 ). De là, on peut observer toute la ville de Porto.

NL Mijn Porto

Charles Symington, hoofd wijnproductie bij Symington Family Estates in Porto, leidt ons rond in zijn thuisstad

Dag een

9u30 Ontbijt bij Café Majestic (112 Rua Santa Catarina, ) met een koffie en een vlataartje… 11u00 Beklim de Torre de Clérigos (Rua dos Clérigos) voor een adembenemend uitzicht… 12u30 Langsheen de rivieroevers ontdekt u de aangename Ribeirawijk… 13u30 Lunch in het Restaurante Mercearia (32/33 Rua Cais da Ribeira, )… 16u00 Het Arabische vertrek in het Palácio da Bolsa (Rua Ferreira Borges) vormt een subliem voorbeeld van de opleving van de Moorse architectuur… 18u00 In Porto rijden er nog maar een paar trams. Ga aan boord van de Linha 1E… 20u00 In de Rua Cândido dos Reis ontmoet u Porto’s trendy volkje. Dineer in Clube 3C (18 Rua Cândido dos Reis, ).

Dag twee

9u00 Afdingen doet u op de Mercado do Bolhão (Rua Sá da Bandeira)… 10u00 Huur een fiets bij Bluedragon (280 Avenida Gustavo Eiffel, ) en ontdek de noordelijke oever van de Foz do Douro rivier en het Parque de Cidade… 13u00 Zet uw tocht verder naar Matosinhos en het Restaurante Esplanada Marisqueira Antigua (628-638 Rua Roberto Ivens, )… 17u00 In de Graham Port Lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia (514 Rua Rei Ramiro, ) kunt u terecht voor een rondleiding rond versterkte wijnen… 20u00 Laat u gaan tijdens een diner bij Dom Tonho (13 Cais da Ribeira, ) en geniet van een prachtig uitzicht op Porto’s skyline.

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