Spectacularly situated on the steep banks of the Douro River in northern Portugal, Porto is the town that gave the country, and port wine, its very name. A colourful tumbledown dream of winding medieval cobblestone streets, soaring bell towers, extravagant baroque churches and stately beaux-arts, Porto is one of Europe's oldest cities, with a rich history that dates back to pre-Roman, Celtic times. But the true affirmation of Porto as economic power in Portugal came during the age of the great geographical discoveries, from the 15th to the 17th century. Henry the Navigator was one of the leading historical personalities credited for the initiation of Portugal’s becoming a great sea trade force in Europe. Porto became one of the largest shipyards of the country, not to mention the fact the early 18th century saw the establishment of the Duoro wine region, a moment which played an important role in the development of the Port wine trade.
A barge with barrels of port
The wine used to be transported on rabelos — traditional flat bottom boats — down the river to Porto where it was kept in large warehouses by the riverfront in Vila Nova di Gaia, the city opposite Porto on the south side of the river. From there the wine was shipped out to buyers in other European countries and, increasingly, the rest of the world. Plenty of architectural jewels were also built in the course of the 18th century, including the Cathedral with its Romanesque choir, neoclassical Stock Exchange and the typical Portuguese Manueline-style Church of Santa Clara. The picturesque old town, centred in Ribeira, was built on the hills overlooking the Douro River, and today is a breathtakingly beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The 12th-century Porto Cathedral is one of the city's oldest monuments built in the Romanesque style
A statue of Vimara Peres, a Portuguese count who secured a swath of Portugal from the Moors. stands outside the cathedral
The Baroque Loggia of the lateral facade of the cathedral
A detail of the loggia's exterior
An ornate medieval 'pelourinho',
a column made of wood or stone that symbolized authority and justice
View over the Douro to the old town of Oporto
The old port houses
Exterior of the Sé
The interior of the Romanesque cathedral
The Gothic Cloisters of the cathedral were added during the reign of King John I
The old Port barges that transported the fortified wine from the Douro
The old Calem Port House
The original carved stone shield of the Port House of Calem
The modern interior of Calem Distillery
Displays inside the Calem Distillery tell the history of making of Port
Barrels of Tawny Port at Calem Distillery
The enormous barrels are use for storing ruby ports
Our guide, who led us through the distillery, explains the 2 ports to be sampled in our tasting
We sampled a White Port and a Special Reserve Tawny
The white port is generally enjoyed as an aperitif before a meal, and tawny and ruby ports after a meal
After visiting Calem, we caught a taxi and ventured up into the hills to have lunch at Taylor's Fladgate's signature Restaurant
The entrance to Restaurante Barao de Fladgate
The view over Porto from the restaurant's outdoor terrace
The menu at Barao de Fladgate featured refined Portuguese cuisine
Every dish on the menu sounded delicious
A selection of amuse-bouche: ceviche and marinated mixed mushrooms
Herb and olive oil marinated ricotta
Tender and fruity olives
Our server presents the Castello d'Alba Vinhas Velhas, a delicious white wine from the Douro
Deep straw in colour, the Douro white was exceptional
Portuguese inspired Fish Tacos
Fish Soup
Ceviche with salad, salsa and dried fruit and nuts
Close up of the ceviche
Linguine Nero with Local Fish
Cataplana Fish Stew
Mushroom Risotto with Shredded Duck
After lunch, we strolled next door to the Taylor Fladgate Port Tasting Room
The tasting room overlooked a gorgeous garden
The garden was exploding with fragrant roses
The menu with port by the glass ranged from a few euros to 100 euros a glass
We decided to share a glass of the 1964 Port, a 40-year old and more recent 2011
We all agreed that the 40-year old was our favourite
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