Sunny Porto - Tuesday 26 February, 2019

My first full day in Porto would involve art, trams, beer and football.

The view from my first floor room revealed a clear blue sky. Before leaving Hotel Grande Rio I remembered to apply sunscreen lotion and take sunglasses with me.

With no breakfast available at the hotel, it was only a short uphill walk to O Fumeiro for coffee and a croissant with a view towards Praça do Marquês de Pombal.

Casa da Music - view from 203 bus

The 203 bus journey downhill from Marquês to Serralves (Museu) left at 9.50am and passed the Casa da Musica which I would visit on Thursday night to see Still Life Trio.

Twenty stops from Marquês and a short walk later it was good to arrive at the Serralves Contemporary Art Museum inside Serralves Park at 10.25am. The low white museum building which has exhibition spaces on three levels opened in 1999.

I'll be your mirror (2018) - Joana Vasconcelos

This gave me the opportunity to look at the exhibitions, including Tacita Dean and Joana Vasconcelos - I'm your mirror featuring several large installations by the Portugeuse artist, while the museum was not busy.

Casa Serralves + 'Marilyn' high heeled shoes artwork by Joana Vasconcelos

From the shade into the sunshine and a walk around Serralves Park to the art deco style Casa Serralves for the exhibition 'Joan Miró and the Death of Painting'.
Returning to the museum building it was nice to walk through the library reading room and have a coffee in the Auditorium Bar, on the lower level, with views of the park.

Leaving at 13.45 it was sensible to keep to the shady side of the road for a 2km downhill walk to Calçada Ouro where I could sit on bench, and eat a sandwich with a view of ferries crossing the river Douro to Afurada and classic trams (route 1) on the way to and from Passeio Alegre (Foz).

There are plenty of cafes and small restaurants here but an even better spot was just across the Rua do Passeio Alegre where a snack bar kiosk had tables on the banks of the river Douro. A bottle of Super Bock (no glass provided) cost 1.10 euros and it was an authentic experience to drink it from the neck while also absorbing the loud chatter from a neighbouring table of elderly card players.

Later in spring and summer the plane trees on either side of the kiosk would provide adequate shade.

A pleasant walk east along the river bank took me under the arch of Ponte da Arrábida to the tram museum (Museu do Carro Eléctrico) founded in 1992 which includes the machinery hall of Massarelos thermoelectric power plant.

I caught the 18 tram at 16.33 paying 3.50 euros for a single ticket and enjoyed the ride up the hill to Carmo with the driver making frequent use of the horn to warn of our approach.

At Carmo you can change for route 22 to Batalha Guindais.

Cervejaria do Carmo - Craft Beer House

Carmo was the end of the line for me and conveniently only 100 metres from Cervejaria do Carmo - Craft Beer House at Praça Carlos Alberto which opens at 13.00 daily.
There is a shady outside seating area - strangely next to a shoe shop's window display.

Inside there is a blackboard behind the bar with a basic amount of information about the draught beers available. Portuguese and international beers are available on draught.

My 'half pint' of Session IPA (5.6% ABV) brewed locally by Lindinha Lucas was rather bitter for my taste and cost 2.80 euros.

Leaving at 17.10 I passed Praça Carlos Alberto, a square with a World War One monument by Henrique Moreira. On a future visit to the square I would like to visit the Saturday market Porto Belo held here on Saturdays, Cafe Luso and Banco de Materiais - the material bank - a museum of external decorative items like Azulejo wall tiles and vintage shop advertisements.

 A Fábrica da Picaria

Walking on, I arrived at A Fábrica da Picaria, 72 Rua da Picaria at 17.20 and spotted the blackboard sign outside 'Happy Month - Black IPA & Pilsner - 1 euro / 0.20cl'.

The first thing to notice inside is the sacks of malted barley under a shelf for leaflets by the entrance. 

A Fábrica - Black IPA

A Fábrica da Picaria was the first brewpub in Porto. The two beers brewed here change with the seasons and are served direct from the tank either via a font for convenience or from the tank itself. The other draught beers available are from the Super Bock Selecção 1927 range. 

I explained that Quinten Taylor had enjoyed a visit to A Fábrica 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. Marta Gonçalves recognised the photo of Quinten on the right of the cover of Reading CAMRA's Mine's a Pint  and posed holding both magazines. I promised to return to A Fábrica later in the week - see Wednesday and Thursday blog posts for more details.

It was a mainly uphill walk of almost a mile to return to Hotel Grande Rio.  On the way I stopped to purchase a miniature bottle of red wine from a small shop and a large Pastel de nata / custard tart from a small cafe / pastelaria to provide some energy for the rest of the evening.

My 15 euro ticket for the FC Porto v Sporting de Braga semi-final of the Portuguese Cup had been purchased online and printed before the start of this trip. 
It was a mainly level 1.5 mile walk from the hotel to the Estádio do Dragão. I realised too late that, like the locals, I should have taken advantage of the street vendors a short distance away from the stadium for a quick snack of Bifana - hot pork sandwich.

The circular 50,000 capacity stadium, designed by Manuel Salgado, opened in 2003.

My seat was in a good central position, only a few rows back from the front, but I would later realise that the man in the next seat could shout very loudly! There were processions of flag carriers and the pitch sprinklers were turned on before the match started at 20.15.This must have been the first top level football match I have attended for about forty years!

Porto were winning 2-0 with goals from Alex Telles (penalty) and Soares when I left after 90 minutes to catch a direct bus back to Marquês. I had seen Brahimi come on as a late substitute but missed his goal in the 4th minute of extra time although I could tell that it was a goal by Porto from the noise level outside! 

I had to hang onto my seat because the bus driver must have been in a race to finish his shift and seemed to pay no attention to any speed limits on this journey. I was soon back at my hotel with a view of the top of the spire of the church of Our lady of the Conception, Praça do Marquês de Pombal, in the distance.

Today I had walked just over 22,000 steps.

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.