This autumn we spent nearly a month in Porto, the second largest city in Portugal. Porto sits on the north bank of the Douro River, where the river empties out into the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal is historically a seafaring culture, so much of their food comes from the sea. We were excited about filling up on fresh Portuguese fish and seafood. We were also looking forward to visiting the famous Port cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, a separate city that sits directly opposite Porto on the south bank of the river.

Looking up the Douro River. Porto to the left, Vila Nova de Gaia to the right.

These “glimpses” are meant to give an overview of a city, like a pictorial walk around to set the stage before diving into the details of gastronomy in later posts. At first impression, Porto was not what we expected. It was chaotic…