Lent in Porto
Growing up as a Catholic in the UK, I combined an early appreciation of the joys of the local pub, with a respect for people like my parents, who had the willpower to abstain completely during Lent.
Now that I have retired and reached the age of 60, I thought it a good time to finally emulate them. Initially the timing was great - not many inviting pubs in the Rwenzori Mountains, and Zanzibar is a Muslim country. But we are now in Portugal and the temptations are multiplying.
Vinho Verde: Portugal's "session wine"
A good Vinho Verde is fresh, fruity, slightly effervescent, and absolutely delicious. It is also relatively light in alcohol (8.5% to 11%), so you can guzzle more of it before you start to regret it.
Jealousy is not an emotion that I am proud of, but I have to confess a certain envy, as I watched Michele enjoying suitable refreshment as we admired the view over the river Douro
The "Red Nectar"
Porto is of course named after the delicious fortified wine invented by the English (Editor: are you sure it's not the other way around?).
In this city there are a million ways to enjoy the stuff, but I cannot take advantage of any.
The bookshop that charges admission
All over North America book stores are being forced to close their doors. Maybe they need to take a page out of this store's book and charge admission. People line up for the privilege of buying a ticket just to go and see the store.
Mind you it's easier to charge admission, when you helped to inspire JK Rowling's vision of Hogwarts, and the interior looks like this:
Paris it ain't
Porto fully deserves its Unesco World Heritage designation:
But if you are looking for the sort of picture postcard perfection that you associate with places like York and the centre of Paris, then you might be disappointed. This place definitely has a comfortable, lived in feel, that I happen to find appealing.
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