Porto & Guimarães - Wednesday 27 February, 2019

As a rail enthusiast my plan was to visit Guimarães by train and then return to Porto for a third evening and a visit to Letraria Craft Beer Garden.

On Wednesday 27 February, my downhill walk to São Bento railway station included a break at the 'Imperial' McDonald's, Praça da Liberdade 126, for breakfast. Opening in 1995, it has been described as 'the most beautiful McDonald's in the world' and the stained glass behnind the counter explains why. A sculpted eagle stands above the entrance.

Portuguese letter boxes are like those in the UK. One at the lower end of Liberdade square is next to a newspaper seller statue 'Ardina' created by Manuel Dias in 1990. The magnolia street tree here was already in flower.

Guimarãesrailway station, Porto

The Oporto urban trains north from Porto to Braga and Guimarães are operated by CP - Comboios de Portugal. A visit to Guimarães was chosen as it proved impractical to visit both cities on one day. The price for an 8 zone single ticket is 3.25 euros. Half price applies to passengers over 65 with proof of age. In addition there is a charge of 50 cents for a reloadable Siga card to store the tickets.

After buying my ticket inside São Bento station there was time to admire the azulejo tiles decorating the booking hall before validating my ticket in a machine on the platform and boarding the 10.20 train for Guimarães.

The train arrived at 11.33 after stopping at many stations and following a meandering route that matched the contours of the hilly terrain. 

On the approach to the station you can spot the castle on the horizon, about 2 km north.

A mainly downhill walk northwards of about 1km brings you to the historic centre of the city.
It was cloudy and the weather forecast suggested the chance of rainfall however it stayed mainly dry and the sun would appear later in the afternoon. 

Praça de São Tiago, Guimarães

Walking through the picturesque old city centre revealed several squares that are obviously popular places to stop for a coffee, a drink or a meal on a warm day. The helpful tourist information office supplied me with a useful map and a comprehensive illustrated booklet in English that was worth keeping for future reference.

Praça de São Tiago is also home to El Rock Bar, known for its live music events.

North aspect of Guimarães castle

I continued north in order to visit the impressive castle which has a central keep tower with exhibition space inside for historical information.

There are good views from inside the castle back towards the city and station beyond. The building in the centre with tall brick chimneys is the Ducal Palace (Paço dos Duques de Bragança) and can also be visited.

Restaurante Mumadona

For lunch I visited the nearby Restaurante Mumadona at Rua Serpa Pinto 260.
I had checked the menu by the doorway and took advantage of the lunchtime Prato do dia / Dish of the day offer with spinach soup (1.50 euro) and grilled belly of pork strips served with potatoes and a bowl of rice (6 euro). A glass of the widely available Super Bock lager was a refreshing accompaniment.

From my side table I enjoyed watching the end of a busy lunchtime session that included a table of workmen and another table with the proprietor and his friends. Feeling privileged to enter this environment it did not seem appropriate to take any photographs inside. It was a surprise to see a flat screen TV on one wall of the room but perhaps this is only switched on during the luncthime service. I imagine that bookings for Restaurante Mumadona are essential at weekends and evenings.

After lunch, while wandering around the streets of the historic centre the awning for the Elvis bar at
Rua Dr. Avelino Germano 100/102 caught my eye but I didn't venture inside!

Another cafe bar had a useful sign in the window for linguistically challenged beer enthusiasts on their travels!

As the railway to Guimarães is mainly single track the train service is infrequent. I retraced my steps to the station and caught the 15.48 train which would arrive in Porto at 17.05.

River Douro

If you want to enjoy glimpses of the river Vizela (from Vizela to Canicos), the rive Ave (from Canicos to Lousado), the river Leça (Travagem) and finally the river Douro (Porto), then sit on the left hand side in this direction.
Leaving São Bento station I walked east up the steep slope of Rua de 31 de Janeiro, where every other shop seemed to be a shoe or handbag shop, to find the church of Saint Ildefonso at the summit.

With a nearby entrance, at Praça da Batalha 12A, it was disappointing to find that the blue doors to Cervejaria Artesanal Levare were closed.

At Praça dos Poveiros 72 I spotted a Santa Francesinha restaurant. However, at this stage I was not hungry enough to sample a Francesinha - the Porto speciality sandwich served with melted cheese and a thick tomato and beer sauce.

While in the area I walked through the shady gardens of São Lázaro / Saint Lazurs, officially known as Jardim de Marques de Oliveira, where the tulips were flowering. 

Letraria Craft Beer Garden

From here it was only a 400 metre walk to Letraria - Craft Beer Garden at Rua da Alegria 101.
A step up to the entrance - remember to step down when you leave! 

Inside everything seems rather dark, with some walls painted black, but the blackboard tap list above the bar is illuminated. 

The first column lists the core Letra beers - A, B, C, D, E and F which can also be purchased in bottles.

Letra F is a 6.5% ABV IPA brewed with high amounts of American hops. My 25cl glass of Letra F cost 3 euros and was not too bitter for me. As the garden at the back was not open I found a seat near the bar in the small front area. 

I chatted with barman Daniel and explained that Quinten Taylor had enjoyed a visit to Letraria Craft Beer Garden in January 2018 and his report on Lisbon and Porto bars had been published in the Spring 2018 issue of West Berkshire CAMRA's Ullage magazine. Daniel posed holding the article in Ullage and Reading CAMRA's Mine's a Pint which featured Quentin on the cover.

Daniel enjoys his job which has the benefits of being able to make fresh coffee and play the music he likes. His musical taste stretches back to my favourite era and it was nice to hear tracks from King Crimson including 21st Century Schizoid Man.

Customer facing fridges built into the bar

The draught beer range includes Letraria specials and beers from other breweries like Tough Love Craft Beer (Aveiro, Portugal) and MUSA (Marvila, Lisbon). My other beer here was from tap 9 - Letra on oak - Witbier aged for four months in a Moscatel wine barrel from Douro justifying the higher cost of 4.25 euros for 25cl. The 5.6% ABV pale wheat beer had a slight wine acidity. 

The current list of draught beers at Letraria can be found on untappd.com. Note that food is available and that opening hours are 4pm (5pm on Friday and Saturday).

 Confeitaria do Bolhão

The 1 km walking route to revisit A Fabrica da Picaria took me past Confeitaria do Bolhão, Rua Formosa 339.

 When I saw the pastries in the window I went inside to order one to eat with a coffee.

It was about 7pm and the elegant ground floor 'snack-bar' was not as busy as it must surely get earlier in the day.

A Fábrica da Picaria

I was ready for more beer after the ten minute walk from here to A Fábrica da Picaria. On my second visit I took advantage of the February beer offer and ordered a large 40cl glass of Pilsener Ariana for only 2 euros. This refreshing 4.8% ABV lager is brewed with Pilsen malt, Tettnang bitter hops, Ariana aroma hops and low fermentation yeast and is served direct from the tank.

I had some time to myself to catch up on Twitter and used Soundhound to work out some of the tunes playing on the sound system including Spotlight by Jennifer Hudson and Sweetly by Estelle.

There was also an opportunity for a closer look at the tanks centrally situated between the front bar and the back room. 

The bar staff are friendly here and I met Augusto and chatted with João (John). João explained to me that the beers brewed on the premises can spend several weeks in the fermentation tanks until the correct flavour and alcohol content is achieved. Charts are used to keep track of the fermentation process. João is from Viseu, an inland town, where the seasonal temperatures vary more than they do at Porto, by the Atlantic coast.

There is a further pair of tanks and a separate seating area with high stools and long tables on the floor below. See Thursday's blog post for a further report on A Fabrica da Picaria.

At 8.30pm I left in order to reach Portugandhi restaurant in time for a meal near the hotel (Rio Grande) where I was staying. As it was all uphill from here I caught the D line Metro from nearby Aliados to Marquês (3 stops).

Portugandhi

Portugandhi restaurant (daytime photo)

When I entered Portugandhi, Rua do Bonjardim 1143, there were no other customers but the welcome, the contermporary music playing and good interior design encouraged me to stay and order a meal.

Portugandhi - entrance and immediate interior

I chose mango lassi to drink and as the quality of seafood is reliable in Portugal my main course was a mild prawn curry with naan bread.

As I waited for the meal to be served there was New Age / Fusion music to enjoy and Soundhound recognised Merhamet by Doğan Sezen and Desert Sound by Dreamers Inc & TreePines.

Café Macau

After an enjoyable light meal it was only 10pm so rather than go to my hotel I revisited nearby Café Macau, Rua de Santa Helena 114, which stocks a variety of beers.

My pronunciation of Tagus with an 'ay' sound rather than a short 'a' sound caused some confusion and I will not make that mistake again! This is a 4.8% ABV lager without much flavour but costing only 70 cents here.

The TV was showing an unusual programme which caught my attention as the same person plays several comical characters. Later research shows that I was watching Cá Por Casa com Herman José.

Herman José, born Herman José Von Krippahl to a German father and a Portuguese mother in 1954 is famous in Portugal from many TV appearances.

There was time for a bottle of Coruja, a 6% ABV dry hpped IPA (1.50 euros) from Unicer Bebidas, the brewers of Super Bock, before the programme finished and the 100 metre walk back to Hotel Grande Rio. 
This would take my count of steps to over 19,500 for Wednesday.

Porto - Thursday 28 February 2019

A full day in Porto / Oporto would include tasting Calem port in Vila Nova de Gaia and end with a free concert by Still Life in the Casa da Musica cafe.

A return to O Fumeiro (Marques), uphill from Hotel Grande Rio, for coffee and croissant was a good start to the day. To go anywhere in Porto usually involves going up or downhill and this may partly explain why there are relatively few cyclists.

On the way downhill, towards the river Douro, I stopped to take a photo of the (closed) tiny Bar Santa Cachaça which I had passed on my first night in the city and not dared to enter!

Another photo stop was for a row of buildings at Praça de Almeida Garrett, opposite São Bento station.

Pelourinho (ornamental pillory) and cathedral beyond

Just down and up from here is the Sé do Porto (cathedral) in an elevanted position where you can enjoy views of the city and the river Douro.

CAL, Av. Vimara Peres 56

I passed CAL, a (closed) bar with bottles of port and beer in the window and a 'craft beer on tap' sign on the northern approach to the high level of Ponte de Dom Luís I metal arch bridge, designed by Gustave Eiffel.

Crossing the bridge, which is also used by the Metro, there are good views including the river far below. Looking back to Porto you can see the ancient stone walls, a funicular railway and the steps that I would later climb from river level.

On the Vila Nova da Gaia (southern) side are the various port wine lodges including Calem which I would visit later.

Having reached the south bank there are good views of the bridge showing also the lower level which is used by vehicles and pedestrians.

It is a steep descent to river level and after lunch at a cafe I joined an English language tour of Calem port lodge. John (João?), our professional guide, finished the interesting tour by presenting us with a selection of ports for a tutored tasting. This tour is recommended and the standard tasting (13 euros) includes Cálem Fine White and Cálem Special Reserve Tawny. Our group of five, which included an American / Australian couple, would stay on for some time here learning about each other's trips and origins with IT backgrounds being a common thread for three of us.

Emerging into the daylight the riverside views include the traditional Rabelo boats once used for transporting port down the river Douro. 

I crossed back to Porto on the narrow pavement of the lower level of the Ponte de Dom Luís I.

A long climb up the steps of the Escada Dos Guindais was made easier by the central handrail to pull on. 

A stop for coffee on the shaded first floor terrace of the bar of Guindalense Futebol Clube provided a welcome break. I hear this is a lively place to enjoy beer and music in the evening but did not have a chance to return.

After reaching the top of the steps you arrive at the Batalha end of the funicular and a little further on is Praça da Batalha with a view of the church of Saint Ildefonso at the northern end of the square. Rather stupidly I forgot to visit Cervejaria Levare at Praça da Batalha 12A, which had been closed when I walked past here on Wednesday.

Fábrica Nortada

However, I did walk another five minutes to reach Cerveja Nortada at 210, R. de Sá da Bandeira, for my first beer of the day at 4pm. 

Most of the beers are listed on a blackboard behind the bar.

I ordered Nortada Weiss Bier which was 3 euros for 30cl and served in a tall glass from a tap connected to one of the many horizontal stainless steel tanks in the spacious bar.

The beer range and menu is also available from clipboards at the tables.

I picked a table near the copper brewing vessels and was rewarded by the sight of steam when a brewer came to check on brewing progress.

A visit to the downstairs toilets revealed a sign showing that I had reached the 'Empty' stage and views into the lower level where there are fermentation tanks and a bottling plant.

There are other graphics in the main bar in a similar style.

Bottles of the various Nortada beers are on display.
Cerveja Nortada is a slick operation but my impression was that the focus of attention here was on diners rather than beer enthusiasts. Although the large space had some interesting features, especially the brewery, the rest of it was a bit too bright and modern to be cosy, especially when there were only a few customers inside. 

A Fábrica da Picaria

It was only another 10 minutes walk west for a third visit to A Fábrica da Picaria at Rua da Picaria 72. There is a step up to the entrance which is well worth remembering for the time that you leave or a surprise may result!

With the beer of the month offer still available and complimentary peanuts I settled in at 5pm in the room at the back with the long table and a view of brewing tanks.

Marta had not yet left for the evening yet and I was able to present her with some CAMRA magazines including West Berkshire 'Ullage' that has featured Quinten Taylor's article about beer in Lisbon and Porto and Reading & Mid-Berks 'Mine's a pint' with Quinten on the cover. She kindly posed for a photo wearing the Hop Stuff and West Berkshire Brewery badges that I also gave her.

With my next beer she gave me a dish of marinated Tremoços / Lupini beans to try and showed me how to remove the skin first. There are popular as a snack with beer in Portugal apparently.

There is a shaded elevated terrace with tables accessible from the back of the room. 

On the wall behind my long table is a brewing infographic. The simple limited menu now includes
Bifanas no Pão / Hot pork sandwich: 1,90€ and Cachorrinho / Hot Dog with Cheese: 2,90€.
I liked the small scale and good value at A Fábrica da Picaria. It will certainly be my first choice bar to visit in Porto next time and hopefully Marta will still be there to welcome me back!

Catraio Craft Beer Shop

Another ten minute walk west led to Catraio Craft Beer Shop at Rua de Cedofeita 256, a pedestrian street.

In contrast to the minimalist feel at the previous bars, the dimly lit interior (from lights in bottles) included more decorative features and seemed cosy.

The tables were quite busy so I sat at the bar. My first beer was the reasonably priced and refreshing Ora et Labora Pilsner by Post Scriptum Brewery located between Porto and Braga to the north (1.5 euro, 1/2 pint, 4.5% abv).

An 'In the pursuit of hoppiness' map on a blackboard shows the location of various breweries in Portugal. Ronaldo makes a cameo appearance just above the island of Madeira. Arrows point to Portugal for good beer, Spain for good tapas and Morocco for good hash.

A second beer here was Atlantida by Cerveja Bolina based north of Lisbon (6.5% American IPA, 2.50 euros, 1/2 pint).

Up to 13 beers from the Catraio Craft Beer Shop draught beer range are displayed on untappd.com and details are also fed to a flat screen by the bar. The latest untappd check-ins at the bar are also displayed at the base of the screen. (My untappd.com account name is timofnewbury.)

There were shelves of bottles and leaftlets near the entrance so I left my remaining copies of Ullage magazine there on the way out at 8pm.
With a cosy ambiance, knowledgeable staff and a wide range of beers, Catraio Craft Beer Shop can be recommended but note that it does not uusally open until 4pm.

With a mission to reach Casa da Música by 10pm for a concert it was time for a meal and although it was not my first choice, Migalhas 2 provided excellent value with grilled fish and a half bottle of wine for less than 10 euros. 

With good timing, it was 9.45pm as I approached Casa da Musica, Porto's new concert hall. 

This gave me time to order a drink and find a good seat near the stage of the cafe for a memorable (free) performance by Still Life Trio featuring Margherita Abita (vocals), João Silva (violin) and Claudio Marrero (sax and keyboards).
A late finish but an easy journey back to my hotel by metro. This had been a 19000+ steps day!

Postscript:

Many thanks to Marta who kindly gave me A Fábrica da Picaria branded glasses as souvenirs for Quinten's visit in 2018 and my visit in 2019. 

While I am looking after Quinten's glass until I can hand it to him in Reading one day, my glass was put to good use on Easter day!