Traveling South on the Iberian Penisula

The Iberian Peninsula consists of Spain AND Portugal. People, including myself, tend to forget about Portugal, but it is an absolute gem. I had ventured into the country only once when I was in high school on a day trip from Madrid to a tiny beach town, but I hardly would qualify that as a visit to the country. This time around, I actually got to experience Portugal and I was very impressed.

The destination: Porto, along the northern Portuguese coast. I had heard nothing but good things about the home of port wine and I was eager to see it for myself. I had been in Spain for at least 2 months and hadn't gone on a major trip yet. It was about time I traveled to another country. Santiago is only 2.5 hours north of Porto so we (Max, Leo, Andy, Scott and I) decided to rent a car and drive down for the puente (Monday was a holiday). My mind is still not made up about whether renting a car was a good decision, but it all worked out in the end. Yes, it gives you a little more flexibility, but the costs of  the car itself, gas, parking, and TOLL ROADS, really add up, regardless of being split 5 ways. The drive down was really beautiful. Galicia is absolutely stunning and the greenery makes the all the rain a little more bearable.

Crossing the border into Portugal was seamless but it also meant that our phones, and therefore google maps, no longer worked. We had loaded directions before we got to that point, but getting lost was pretty much inevitable. Thankfully I have no shame is asking for directions and the Portuguese people are incredibly nice. One man even hand drew us a map! With said map, directions from locals, and a street map of Porto (compliments of Lonely Plant), we finally found our Air BnB. It's going to be pretty difficult to beat the apartment that we stayed in. It was right in the center of town and was perfect for our group. There were 5 beds, the world's smallest kitchen, and a huge common area. The real selling point though were the three balconies that overlooked the Palácio da Bolsa. 

The view from our balcony

Our apartment was the one with the blue shutters,
second floor of the building right in the middle.

Our apartment

Tom, Leo, Scott, and Max being classy
and sipping wine on one of the balconies

I had heard that Porto was a small town, but it was a bustling city compared to Santiago. It wasn't at all what I was expecting, but that turned out to be a really good thing. It's adorable waterfront along the Douro River, the lit-up Christmas lights, and the unique buildings only added to my developing love for the city. Also, there was SUN! It was pretty cold, but there was clear blue skies during the day and all I wanted to do was soak up all the sun's rays. I don't think I realized how much I missed the sun until I had it shining down on me and my mood was dramatically increased.

Porto is where the River Douro meets the Atlantic Ocean

View of Porto from across the river

Our nights were filled with drinking, playing cards, and exploring the local bar scene, while our days were spent wandering around town and stumbling upon incredible sights and eating delicious food. Porto really knows that they are doing when it comes to alcohol. Port wine has to be one of the world's tastiest creations. There are three main types, but my favorite was Tawny, a whisky-like liquor with a plethora of flavor explosions packed into each sip. Not only is Port wine delicious, but vinho verde ("green", meaning young, wine) is also incredibly delicious. At the end of the weekend we had an impressive collection of bottles.

Drinking in the streets; doing as the
Portuguese do.

The Cathedral

View of Porto from the Torre do Clergios

The bookstore where they filmed the
Olivander's Harry Potter Scenes

Alcohol aside, the red roofs, incredible woodwork, tasty treats, and sunshine all left me wanting to spend a whole lot of more time in Portugal. I had a really great weekend and I can't wait to go back! Next time around I will be with my Mom and Dillon, Lisbon and Braga will also be on the agenda, and more of Portugal will be explored! All in all, it was an incredibly successful trip and one more country has been checked off my European map.