Kindness of Strangers

We arrived in Porto on Monday, eager to take in the nucleus of Portugal’s famous port wine production. We are by no means wine connoisseurs, but the viticultural lifestyle appeals to us, and we wanted to be a part of it.As we made our way through the narrow lanes and gritty facades of the Ribeira District – the entire neighborhood is designated as a Unesco World Heritage site – we were surprised by the throngs of tourists who crowded the streets. After having spent time in Lisbon, a much larger and more visited city that seemed to be relatively tourist-free, we were surprised by the volume of visitors here. We made our way to the waterfront, where iconic barcos rabelos, the delicately curved wooden boats traditionally used to transport port wine down the Douro River, bobbed gracefully at the shoreline. Signs advertising cruises down the river into port wine country competed for space amongst English-language menus and ice cream stands. Large touring boats rumbled by, heaving with passengers. Industrial port lodges scrambled up the hillside opposite town, clamoring for business. This wasn’t our scene.

We had hoped to spend six days in Porto, so we investigated some of the cruises we saw advertised. The whole experience sounded crowded, mass-produced, and expensive: it would cost nearly 150 Euros (about $225) for the two of us to go on a day-trip. We began talking. What if we went to the source on our own? At the hostel in Guimaraes, we had met a woman from France who had read an article on Pinhao, at the heart of wine country, in the Alto Douro region. We set about making arrangements for a rental car and accommodations, with the help of our hotel’s front desk receptionist, departing the following day.

In the meantime, we decided to explore Porto a bit more and take care of some business. I needed to get rid of my shoes once and for all, which were creating bad mojo. They were a daily reminder of having gotten off on the wrong foot (literally). Having read that Porto was home to a million sapaterias, we spent the day shoe shopping, and I am happy to report that I am now the proud owner of a pair of Portuguese…Hush Puppies sandals. The next order of business was to mail the original shoes home, an undoubtedly complicated transaction that I dreaded. I asked the receptionist how to say “most cheap” and “most slow.” When we got to the post office, the lobby was sleek and modern. I took a number, based on the complexity of my transaction (amazingly, mine fell in the “not complicated” category), and watched for it to pop up on a flat-paneled monitor. Pleasant music played as I browsed through books and office supplies. Was I at a governmental building or a retail store? Incredibly, I was able to communicate what I wanted, sending back my shoes at the cost of 23 Euros, about $30, which was worth it to have them out of my life. The whole affair took less than 10 minutes.

The one thing I wanted to do in Porto was to visit Cafe Majestic. I love tearooms, and enjoy the experience of taking tea in different countries. I was also excited to learn that JK Rowling had written portions of her Harry Potter books in that very space. The tearoom was decked out in alabaster cherubs, with gold leaf and frilly chandeliers gracing the ceilings. I have had some of the best pastries in my life in Portugal, but things take a bit of a turn when delving into British specialties like scones. The portions were small, the items overpriced, but it was a totally fun and fluffy experience.

Being able to be flexible and change plans as they arise has been an important part of the trip thus far. I am a planner by nature, so I am operating out of my comfort zone. Sometimes it’s maddening, but sometimes it’s fun. Nearly everything we ended up doing in Portugal was not what we had originally planned, and most of the best suggestions came from the kindness of strangers.