Why Portugal?

The idea of travelling to Portugal came from two reasons — well, actually three.

First, our February trip through Andalusia truly surprised us in the best possible way, and following that same logic, Portugal felt like the natural next step. And second, everyone we spoke to about this country talked about it with a certain special tone in their voice.

And finally, escaping from Gorenjska (the Alpine region where we live) to a slightly warmer autumn climate is always a good idea.

How We Travel

We fly from Ljubljana Airport whenever possible, as we've had more than a few unpleasant experiences when returning through nearby airports.

Brnik ostaja prva izbira tudi kadar ni direktnih letov, takrat iščemo možnosti pri Star Alliance, največkrat Swiss.  Ponujajo povezave preko Züricha ali Frankfurta do skoraj kamorkoli.

The good thing is that their flight schedules are fairly reasonable, and they don’t make a drama out of a few millimetres of hand luggage. The less great part is that the first and last day of the trip are often reserved exclusively for layovers and waiting around.

Connecting in Zürich (Where Even a Sandwich Feels Like a Luxury Purchase)

Zurich, just an hour away, welcomed us with heavy turbulence and a €15 sandwich. A note for next time: bring your own snack!

Switzerland isn’t part of the EU, so I kept my phone on airplane mode while crossing the border — roaming charges here are anything but friendly. Then came our second flight, about two and a half hours long, heading toward Porto, some 1,500 kilometers away.

Landing and a Ride with a Story

Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport is connected to Porto by metro, but we were scheduled to land late in the afternoon, in the rain — exactly as forecast.— exactly as forecast. So I booked a transfer in advance, from home.

We were picked up by a driver who also happened to be a licensed tour guide, which meant our ride doubled as a half-hour introduction to Portugal..

He also told us that many visitors experience Porto only as a day trip from Lisbon, without staying the night. We wanted to take it in at a calmer, slower pace, which is why we chose to begin our journey right here.

Our New Home

Our accommodation was located on Rua de Santa Catarina, in the Bolhão district — part of Porto’s wider city center. It’s one of the liveliest streets in town, packed with cafés, bakeries, and shops. We chose this place because it’s perfect for exploring the city on foot, while the nearby metro makes it easy to reach the main train station — and from there, continue the journey across Portugal.

Porto

Porto is the second-largest city in Portugal and lies at the mouth of the Douro River as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, in the north of the country. The city has around 230,000 inhabitants and is considered the cradle of Portugal — already in Roman times there was an important settlement here called Portus Cale. Over time, the name of the surrounding region evolved into Portucale, and from there the name of the entire country, Portugal, was born.

Porto is known for its historic Ribeira district, narrow stone streets, steep stairways, beautiful azulejo tiles, and of course — its world-famous port wine.

Dinner, then a well-deserved sleep after the long, bumpy day — for perfect start to the adventure that awaits us the next morning, when we finally get to meet Porto properly.