In his diary of his Travels in Portugal, José Saramago described the city of Porto as 'a hard mystery made up of gloomy streets'. Not to contradict a Nobel Prize winner, but the Porto that welcomed us is a sunny and peaceful city, quite easy to decode and very easy to love. The Douro river flows calmly, tourists crowd the narrow streets of the Ribeira, the most typical neighbourhood close to the river, and the walls of the centre are full of posters announcing concerts, festivals, events of all kinds.
The Ribeira district, Porto © Valerio Corzani / Lonely Planet Italy
What to see in Porto on a rainy day
We returned to Porto in Portugal in December and then the ominous photographs evoked by Saramago seemed much more believable and realistic. When it rains in Porto, the Atlantic rain spreads like a rising sea, enveloping everything and lashing relentlessly over the city, sometimes for days on end. Streams of rainwater flow down the steep streets and the buildings become more grim and austere than they really are. No matter whether they date back to the 19th century like the Palacio da Bolsa or to the 12th century like the Sé do Porto Cathedral (an imposing Romanesque-style church-fortress dominating the Ribeira quarter from above) and the Paço Episcopal (former bishop's residence, now a Unesco World Heritage Site) among the most famous sights in Porto; no matter whether they were built at the end of the 18th century, such as the Church of the Clerics (in Baroque style, it is surmounted by the Clerics' Tower, one of the city's most recognisable monuments) or, like the Igreja de San Francisco, blend together the Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles.
In short, no matter the centuries-old pedigree of the buildings: when it rains, Porto regains all the imagery associated with its status as an Atlantic city, a 'port on the ocean' and a 'do norte' destination. On those days, even the azulejos of the marvellous entrance to Porto's Old Station, Sāo Bento, take on a somewhat gloomy, ominous, disturbing tone, like coils of an obscure design and not like sunny ceramic arzigogues that should make the traveller feel at home.
An unmarked trattoria in one of the narrow streets parallel to Cais da Ribeira © Valerio Corzani / Lonely Planet Italy
Portugal, tourism and typical gastronomy to discover
Fortunately, as we said, this is not always the case, but it is worth bearing in mind that even in summer, the area's climate is mild, but with sharp fluctuations: if during the day, with the sun beating down, you can walk around in your summer clothes, in the evening, eating francesinha (toasted meat and ham sandwich covered in melted cheese with potatoes and fried egg) or fresh fish along the Douro, you need a jacket and sweatshirt.
Speaking of the Douro and Ribeira, for lunch we found a family-run trattoria that has been in business since 1974, Casa Lopez, in one of the narrow streets parallel to Cais da Ribeira, the tourist road overlooking the river. A little place where you can find all the magic roots of everyday life in the city. In this azulejos-filled trattoria on Rua de Cima do Mouro, a bacalau and a soup cost less than five euros, and when we went, we had a policeman, three workers, and four patrons next to us, who are as fixed in place as the decor... try to spot it yourself, it's not hard to recognise it: it's the shabbiest in the whole street, but the menu, if you appreciate honest, no-frills cooking, is truly admirable. The perfect counterpoint to the 'carte' of this noble hovel is to dine at 'DOP', the restaurant of Rui Paula, one of the country's most famous chefs. Plan on spending a hefty sum, but also two hours of tasting truly amazing dishes, gourmet pairings and exceptional wines, including an artisanal chocolate chupa-chups accompanied by a 1999 port.
A shop selling musical instruments in Porto © Valerio Corzani / Lonely Planet Italy
Porto, a city of a thousand flavours: across the river and beyond the centre
If, on the other hand, you would like to visit some wine cellars and taste the famous Sandeman port, excellence of Portuguese culture, just pop over to the other side of the Douro, taking advantage of a boat or a walk across the Ponte Luiz I (a skilful, imposing, iron construction by the Eiffel school) that connects the city with Vila Nova de Gaia, on the opposite bank.
What to do in Porto in Portugal when it rains outside
To intercept museums and galleries, however, contemporary art enthusiasts must leave the centre a little. First head for the Serralves Museum, designed by architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, and surrounded by an enchanting park covering a good 18 hectares, then head for Rua Miguel Bombarda, west of the centre (a street full of art galleries, including the splendid Papa-Livros, which combines the sale of children's picture books with art exhibitions), and finally 'map out' the Centro Comercial Bombarda (a hub with large exhibition spaces).
To taste the world-famous Sandeman port, just pop over to the other side of the Douro © Valerio Corzani / Lonely Planet Italy
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Portugal's history converges in Porto, between nightlife and the Mercadinho dos Clerigos
In recent years, Porto, also thanks to being chosen as a hub by low-cost airlines, is experiencing a kind of tourism-related 'renaissance'. The Portuguese city is at the centre of a great development in the sign of a sophisticated and elegant modernity, but some of its neighbourhoods retain the DNA of an unredeemable unkemptness that is also part of its dusky charm.
These contrasts diminish at night. Porto is a city with a vibrant nightlife, and the city centre's calendar of events is first and foremost punctuated by the programming of the Casa da Musica. It was built from 1999 to 2005 (designed by architect Rem Koolhas) and soon became the central hub of concert programming in northern Portugal. However, there is no shortage of clubs offering counter-programming, sometimes even more interesting than the institutional venues. Passos Manuel above all, at Rua Passos Manuel 137, a former cinema that still looks like a cinema but has been converted mainly into a concert hall. Then there is the Mazem do Chà, on Rua Josè Falcao. Literally meaning 'Tea Warehouse', but don't be fooled, it has nothing to do with tea. It is another one of those indefinable Portuguese establishments, a mixture of pub, disco and live music venue... or a mix of the three. It is located in a very large building, on two floors and with three rooms. Finally, the Plano B, in Rua Candidos dos Reis, 30, which is much more than a club, rather an interdisciplinary place on two floors with a series of large rooms with visual arts and design exhibitions, conferences, theatre, dance, film shows and workshops, a cafeteria, as well as a multifunctional space for concerts and DJ sets. Founded in December 2006 by the architects Bernardo Fonseca, Philip Teixeira and the artist-musician Joao Carlos Teixeira, Plano B schedules many concerts and DJ sets every year (including those of native Nuno Forte, one of the stars of planetary house music) that have turned the venue into a real reference point for local hipsters and hipsters of all nationalities.
Matosinhos beach, famous for fitness, surfing, or simply 'descanso' © Valerio Corzani / Lonely Planet Italy
The Plano B staff also oversees the organisation of the Mercadinho dos Clerigos, a vintage and antique flea market inaugurated in 2007 on Rua Cândido dos Reis that takes place once or twice a month. If you can't find "the antique book you've been looking for for a long time" at the Mercadinho dos Clerigos (or don't happen to be in Porto on the days it's held), you can always make another attempt at the city's best-known bookshop: the Livraria Lello e Irmao, another Unesco heritage site and architectural jewel, a true cultural institution and a tourist attraction (since the rumour that it inspired some parts of the Harry Potter saga, you have to queue to get in). The waiting time is worth it, however: and it is an intimate, personal pleasure, because photos, selfies and talking too loudly are forbidden inside.
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