Porto was added to my travel list the minute I saw this ⬆️  ⬆️  I was doing some research on Portugal 🇵🇹 at the time and inevitably came across this charming port city.

It was late June when I arrived there and as expected, the city was flooded with tourists. Next time, I’d probably go during a less popular month (there will definitely be a next time). Thing is, the main reason for this mini-holiday was to finally see Muse play live @Rock in Rio.

Going around is as easy as communicating. The locals are super helpful and friendly. Knowing the local language is always a plus. However, I had only started learning Spanish then. And this, whilst trying to learn Japanese (still a long way to go). So, there wasn’t too much room for Portuguese as well! Even though I could understand the written word (e.g. menus, signs), the spoken language sounded completely different. The only key phrases I managed to master were:

• Obrigado/a – Thank you
• Bom dia – Good morning/day
• Boa noite – Good evening/night
• Por favor – Please

And that is an extremely sad, short list. Still, I managed to get around just fine  🙌🏼

As a writer and total bookworm, I wanted to visit Livraria Lello. That was high on my list. Experiencing a port wine tasting will also be worth your while, trust me. Portologia is somewhere I highly recommend. And, for a heavenly lunch or dinner, Jimão is the place to go. I wanted to stay there forever.

Pictures below 👇🏼👇🏼

Amanda x