Voyages & Aventures: 1/2 Week-end in Porto

During our trip to Madagascar in October 2014, our friend Véronique dared Blaise and Bernard to organize a getaway week-end in Europe.

So we, the men (!) got organised and told Véronique and Denise to book the date and to prepare their hand-luggage. It's only at the airport, in front of the departure gate, that they discovered that the destination was PORTO !

- Porto, is the second-largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon, and one of the major urban areas in Southwestern Europe. The urban area of Porto has a population of 1.4 million (2011).

- Located along the Douro river estuary in Northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centres, its settlement dates back many centuries, when it was an outpost of the Roman Empire. Its historical core was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.

- One of Portugal's internationally famous exports, port wine, is named for Porto, since the metropolitan area, and in particular the adegas of Vila Nova de Gaia, were responsible for the production and export of the fortified wine.

We stayed at the Mercador Guesthouse (Friday and Saturday night) from which we'll go and discover this great city.

- Mercador Guesthouse is located in Porto’s Miguel Bombarda Street, site of numerous art galleries, cafés and shops. The stylish and central unit is 900 metres from the iconic Clérigos Tower.

The Clérigos Church (“Church of the Clergymen") is a Baroque church in the city of Porto, Its tall bell tower, the Torre dos Clérigos, 75.6 meters high was built between 1754 and 1763, it can be seen from various points of the city and is one of its most characteristic symbols.

São Bento Railway Station was naugurated in 1916, the historical station is known for its tile panels that depict scenes of the History of Portugal. It is located in the Almeida Garret Square, in the centre of the city. It remains in regular use as a railway station.

Livraria Lello (Lello Bookstore) is a bookstore located in central Porto, it is one of the oldest bookstores in Portugal.

The actual company goes back to the establishment of the "Livraria Internacional de Ernesto Chardron" in 1869. The premises that stands today, built in 1906 has a facade decorated in Art Nouveau, with some features of the Gothic Revival.

In 2011, the travel publishing company Lonely Planet classified Livraria Lello as the third best bookstore in the world.