Porto #2, Portugal, 9/13
In the afternoon we did have a chance to visit the cellars of the Cockburn’s winery, one of the many producers of the famous Port Wines that this country is famous for. After an interesting tour we were allowed to taste a few. We now have a better idea of where this unique wine comes from and how it’s made, and certainly we have a better appreciation for it.
After a pleasant dinner of traditional Bacalhão, (salted cod, similar to the dried one we actually have hanging on our front porch at home), and green soup, another Portuguese specialty, we wandered through the winding jumble of side streets. There were plenty of little stores selling Port Wine and all sorts of olives and souvenirs. Olives are edible so we couldn’t resist. By chance we stopped at the old Porto train station. We were fascinated by the beautiful Azulejo tiled walls in the entry. Similar in detail to paintings by masters like Rembrandt, they showed what life was like before photography existed. Azulejo, (from the Arabic word Zellige), is a form of Portuguese painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tile work. It has become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture, having been produced without interruption for five centuries.
Little shops selling Port Wine and souvenirs were fun to browse. We couldn’t resist the barrels of olives.
A tour of Cockburn’s Winery gave the education we needed about the famous Port the country is known for.
Of course we had to do some tasting. There are many varieties of Ports.
A cute little restaurant called Das Tripas served traditional Portuguese dishes like Bacalhão (salted cod) and green soup.
Historically, the main train station was a center of commerce and transportation.
The detail in the Azulejo tiled walls of the old train station was amazing. They have been produced in Portugal without interruption for five centuries.
Zoom in to see the amazing detail of this close-up.
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