Porto: You’re Such a Charmer

It’s been more than three years since our first visit to Portugal. It was love at first sight . . . well, at least infatuation. Lisbon was a delight, of course. But oh Porto, you sly thing. You are romance and beauty, sass and sophistication, energy and repose. Irresistible.

So, naturally, when we realized that our route to and from Madeira would be through Porto, we had to arrange a stop for a few nights. You know, for auld lang syne.

We arrived mid-afternoon of a brisk, fall day. A little travel weary, we chose to nap a bit before preparing to head down to the River Douro waterfront that evening for a taste of Porto night life. Bonnie had a late reservation at a restaurant we’d both loved on our previous visit with a second-floor table looking out across the inky waters to the great port houses lining the opposite shore. It was everything we remembered and more.

I’ve been trying to think through exactly what it is about Portugal, and Porto in particular, that we find so seductive. There is, of course, the extraordinarily cinematic setting of the city rising from the Douro at its juncture with the Atlantic. Porto fully embraces these waters, incorporating and celebrating its bountiful relationship with both river and sea into a cuisine that seems timeless, comforting, and exquisite all at once. So, we like the food. But what else?

Who are the Portuguese?

Some part of the explanation may have to do with our expectations. Our previous mental images of Portugal have been pretty limited. Afterall, this is a country that was left well behind the rest of Europe while enduring the tyranny of a dictator until the late twentieth century. Only in the most recent decade or so has interest in Portugal begun to rise in the consciousness of Americans seeking a more civil society to call home. Unlike the traditional tourist destinations, Portugal has been largely an afterthought. And so, we fill in with vague impressions. Wasn’t Portugal one of those debtor countries the EU saved from bankruptcy? Isn’t Portugal part of the third world?

Well, no.

While it is certainly true that Portugal was a very late entry to the European Union and has been playing catchup since its “Carnation Revolution” in 1974, if that is your only frame of reference you are overlooking a culture that was at the forefront of western European expansion around the world. In fact, Portugal led the way in the “Age of Discovery” reaching its zenith in the 16^th century before enduring a gradual slide into the background of western politics. Having once been one of the great empires of Europe, however, has left a legacy that finds expression in a variety of nuanced cultural qualities. For example, we have been startled by the Portuguese emphasis on literacy and reading, and their robust contribution to the western canon of literature through authors such as Fernado Pessoa, or more recently, José Saramago.

Leading with Literature

Small bookstores abound throughout Porto with one in particular, Livraria Lello, being celebrated as “the most beautiful bookstore in the world”. Well, that’s intriguing.

Browsing the books in Livraria Lello has become such a tourist attraction in recent years, that the proprietor decided to sell timed entry tickets to control the crowds. (Wonderfully, the value of the ticket is applicable to the purchase of a book!) Bonnie reserved our tickets a month before the trip, and, of course, she booked the “platinum” tour which includes a staffer as guide and access to the basement vault where the literary treasures are kept. I must confess to having pretty low expectations for what I anticipated to be a kitschy tourist trap kind of experience. And it is that. And somehow much more. I found it impossible not to be caught up in the passion for books that is at the core of the business. And when our guide produced for our inspection a first edition of Moby Dick, swooning seemed a possibility. Unfortunately, it was not sale.

I had no difficulty spending the value of our tickets, and then some, including the purchase of an unexpected treasure we’re planning to share with the family over our New Year’s holiday together (to be revealed in a post-holiday blog post).

Aesthetic Sense and Sensibility

Another of Porto’s special qualities is the ubiquitous display of public art. Everywhere you turn there are sculptures, reliefs, and glorious tile panels reflecting the history and culture of the people. Slowly, we have also begun to appreciate the quality and subtlety of design in the architecture, interiors, and urban planning all contributing to an ambience of calm and wellbeing, despite the frenetic pace of a dense urban environment. Intrigued, we realized that we had not spent any energy really exploring the art and design side of Porto and resolved to visit one of the more important museum complexes in the city devoted to modern art and design: The Serralves Foundation.

The Serralves sits on more than 40 acres of park grounds filled with art. It is an institution dedicated to the advancement of the liberal arts with a breadth and scope of activities that are so ambitious it is hard to think of a comparable organization in the U.S. We spent the whole day there, experienced only a portion of what’s on offer, and look forward to going back. Here is a place where seemingly every exhibit and experience is designed to challenge your preconceptions, broaden your vision, and deepen your understanding of humanity. That evening was filled with quiet, contemplative conversation as we processed our new understanding of what it means to be Portuguese.

Our last day of this brief visit was a return to the prurient, hedonistic indulgence that the whole world associates with Porto: port wine.

WOW, just wow

If you have even a passing appreciation for vintage port, you are familiar with the names – Taylor’s, Cockburn’s, Dow’s, Grahm’s, Churchill’s, Sandeman, Fonseca – the list goes on. These great houses of port are all congregated together, opposite the city of Porto, on the south side of the Douro River, in buildings that have been used to age and distribute this coveted juice for centuries. And here, on our previous visit to the city, we’d spent an entire day wandering from one storied vintner to another tasting our way to bliss (and a mild headache). On that occasion, however, I had been a bit non-plussed by a massive, barricaded construction site smack in the middle of all that glorious indulgence. It turns out that project was the now completed World of Wine (WOW) cultural district. This is a wonderfully designed and executed complex of buildings and terraces that feature seven museums, ten restaurants, shops, and a school of wine.

The Wine Experience museum claims the title of “best wine museum in the world” (hyperbole might also be a feature of Portugues culture) and we were hard pressed to disagree after spending far longer wandering its beautifully executed exhibits than we had anticipated. We also took in the Cork Museum before sitting down to enjoy a late lunch on a terrace looking back at the city across the great river. The WOW experience should not be missed if you are ever able to visit this fascinating city.

So, what is it that makes this place so seductive? I’ve come to think that what we experience in Porto is a culture which is the product of empire humbled. That is, the Portuguese are extremely proud of their heritage as a catalyst of the Age of Discovery and the empire that resulted but also feel a bit of melancholy over its loss and their failure to rise to such a place in today’s world. So, indulging in a bit of pop psychology, you have a robust cultural heritage combined with an introspection born of loss that is rare in the western world. The result, it seems to me is a sophisticated, thoughtful approach to life born of deep reserves of cultural insight and experience. Portugal is on the rise. You can sense it. There is a growing confidence and energy that combines with inherent beauty and intelligence.

It’s a very attractive proposition, old girl.