Porto was a lot different from Lisbon, I think in part because it wasn't hit as badly by the 1755 earthquake. They rebuilt Lisbon on a squarer grid with more uniform designs, but Porto is still a jumble of twisted streets and stairs that you kind of always worry will end up being dead ends.
The blue tile on this church is kind of a favorite throughout Portugal. Not sure if the same is true of hte handbags being sold in front of it, but I won't rule it out.
Porto cathedral is pretty solid. We climbed to the top, as one always must.
The waterfront is really vibrant with lots of shops and restaurants, as well as this giant bridge. We walked across the bridge and back, as one always must.
More blue tile! This was in the train station, which also had trains.
This is Clerigos Church and Tower, which are like, really old and stuff. I can't tell you how many times we walked into churches in Portugal and found out a mass was going on. At like, 3 PM on a Tuesday. So I guess it's a pretty devout country?
This sandwich is my religion now. It's called a Francesinha, and it has like six kinds of meet in it, with a thick coating of egg and cheese on top. Traditionally it is served with a defibrillator.
This ornate old church was kind of a like a holiness explosion. The saints seem so dynamic in 3D. Even though, let's face it, some of them are kind of lame.
They have a palace that was designed for the merchants in the area to do business and sue each other and such. I feel like Mitt Romney would have loved it here.
The palace has this cool Moorish-themed room, which is not cultural appropriation, because the Moors actually lived here. I mean, not in this room, but in the area.
This poor bookstore is now constantly mobbed because its ornate architecture reminds people of the Harry Potter series. But don't feel too sorry for them, because they do charge for entry now. All in the game, people. All in the game.
