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BEARING PORTUGAL

Izmir – Lisbon – Porto Triangle

A friend of mine who lives in Izmir found a cheap ticket from Pegasus Airlines’ Izmir-Lisbon flights. She called me at the beginning of summer to ask if I would come to Lisbon in November with her. Of course I wanted to… Besides, one of my close friends lives in Porto; I’ve been wanting to visit for a while now. We aimed for both cities – Lisbon & Porto for 5 days. 

As November approached, plans became clearer; I turned my trip to Portugal from Izmir into an Aegean vacation in fall and arrived in Izmir after some traveling. Meanwhile, I clarified the logistics and date details of the Porto visit. We decided to transfer from the airport to the terminal as soon as we landed, go to Porto by bus, stay for 2 nights and spend the remaining time in Lisbon. 

Apparently, we had made a good decision… First of all, Izmir airport international terminal is very comfortable! There is no trace of the crowd and chaos of Istanbul. From transportation to parking, from security at the airport to terminal access, everything went smoothly. So much so that I decided to make plans abroad from İzmir more often! 

It was also very productive to go to Lisbon with an early morning flight. We easily went to the bus terminal by metro from the airport (only 2 stops). We could also go by train, but the buses had more frequent schedules and were much cheaper. At the terminal, we bought tickets for the bus an hour later, took a breather, and had the opportunity to drink our coffee and eat a bite. After a three-hour journey, our bus arrived at Porto bus terminal on time. Thus, we arrived in the city before dark. 

Porto…

We stayed here for 1.5 days and 2 nights. It wasn’t really enough and we decided to come back later. It was also smart to do Porto first because it is a much quieter city. It was an easy adjustment to Portugal from here.

Porto stops:

  • Louis I Bridge – A pearl bridge of the industrial period, the work of the architect of the Eiffel Tower.  I would definitely recommend walking on it if your fear of heights allows; An amazing view and a great feeling.
  • Porto Sao Bento – Train station in the center of the city. Please don’t ignore it; the blue wall designs with wonderful stories are legendary. 
  • Chapel of Souls – One of the most elegant blue and white fairy-tale churches. 
  • Bolhão Market – Both its architecture and the market inside definitely deserve a visit. 
  • Church of Saint İldefonso – Another Blue church
  • Clérigos Tower – A tower, one of the symbols of the city
  • Majestic Café – This is the exact definition of sophisticated cafe. It is a unique place, from its finely crafted decoration to its elegant service.  They say it is Europe’s first cafe; even if it’s not it’s with the visit.
  • Livraria Lello – The legendary bookstore that inspired the Harry Potter novels and where the author frequently visited while she lived in Porto. Be careful, there is an entrance fee and there is always a queue. 
  • Ferreira Borges Market – Another industrial period building with a market. When we visited, there was second hand sales of clothes and accessories for Christmas. 
  • Ribeira Pier – It is a must to wander around the riverside and have some fun. 
  • R. das Flores – Much like Istiklal Street in Taksim, a street that hosts the mansions of Porto’s former rich people. There are many beautiful design shops.
  • Foz de Douro – The summer resort of the rich people of Old Porto. It is now a stylish, pleasant and quiet oceanside neighborhood. You must visit just to see the facades of the magnificent houses and to smell, hear and even touch the ocean. 

No time left, next time:

Lisbon…

Lisbon stops:

There are many magnificent churches in the city. We created our travel route with the most essential ones. We also visited some of the places we encountered on our route. I wrote down the ones that left an impression on me; but most of them are quite impressive. 

  • Lisbon Cathedral – A truly imposing and impressive building. 
  • Church of Saint Dominic – It is a very special place that has survived earthquakes and fires and bears the traces of these disasters on its walls. It should be visited just to see the traces of history. 
  • Carmo Nunnery – Be sure to go to look at the sky from the ceiling that is no longer in place, watch the magnificent architecture of its time, and visit the small but impressive exhibition on the side of the museum.
  • Monument to the Discoveries – Monument to Portuguese seafaring explorers. This is a modern piece of art, but the Belem region is the ideal point to start the route. Not to mention a wonderful view. 
  • White Tower – A lace-like defense building, half an hour away from the city center. One of Lisbon’s pilgrimage spots.
  • Jerónimos Monastery and Archaeological museum – Another pilgrimage place coming back from Belem. But the Archeology museum is closed for 1 year until 2025. I will come back for this 
  • Calouste Gulbenkian Museum & Gulbenkian Modern Art Center (CAM) – Private collection and modern art museum belonging to the foundation of the Istanbul-born, Ottoman citizen Armenian couple Gulbenkian family. Traces of the richness from the oil from the beginning of the century belonging to the man who later became a British citizen, known as Mr. 5%, can be seen in this legendary private collection. The building with its incredibly peaceful Zen gardens and the wonderful exhibition spaces are beautiful, as are the pieces themselves. You should definitely go, even a half day is ideal for those who love modern art. 

Shopping:

  • Flea Market (Campo de Santa Clara) – flea market (tuesday & saturday)
  • Santa Clara Market – a stable marketplace, when we visited it was a record and music market
  • LxMarket – Market with designer, craft and second-hand shops. A wonderful environment in old industrial building zone spread over a wide area with plenty of cafe & restaurant options. Creativity is oozing everywhere and there was live music all weekend too. 
  • R. Augustus – Like our Istiklal Street, it is the liveliest street of the city, closed to traffic, with all kinds of shops, food and beverages. 
  • Figueira Square & Rossio Square – Two squares in the city center, huge and beautiful. Starting from the end of November, Christmas markets satisfied our eyes and our appetite.  
  • Oikos Space – Meeting and Cooperation Platform – It is a shop selling designer and handicraft products in a very unique and delightful environment, in the laundry building of a former women’s prison (maybe it was also the kitchen, I’m not sure). Worth visiting just for fun too.
  • São Pedro de Alcântara Viewpoint – A pleasant, scenic square overlooking the city from the opposite side of the castle. There is also a small Christmas market set up in the middle. 

Other:

  • Tram 28 – A nostalgic tram route for a hop-on, hop-off tour of the city
  • BICA ELEVATOR – One of the trams that goes up the hills. Actually, there is one on every hill, but this one is quite popular.  The distance is not long but steep; Tram schedules are at long intervals of 12 minutes. It’s fun to ride it at least once. 
  • Lisboa Oriente Station – The main stop of both train, bus and metro. We got on and off the bus from here, going to and from Porto. We also paid tribute to one of our architectural idols, Santiago Calatrava.  

Food, beverage & entertainment:

  • Belém Pastries – The first place that comes to mind if you like Nata, a delicious taste that melts in your mouth. The exclamation point of the Belem tour! 
  • A Ginjinha – One of the famous cherry/cherry liqueur places. I especially liked this place because of its central location and because locals frequent it to grab a quick glass. 
  • Pocket of Jaime d’Alfama – We went here for Fado night upon recommendation. It is a small place with 5-6 tables, but its music and food are original and delicious. What we liked most was that the soloists changed every few songs; thus giving the opportunity to listen to a variety of sounds. Moreover, the opportunity to meet and socialize with the beautiful fado soloist Sonya was the highlight of the night. 

We didn’t go but it’s on the list for next time:

Second Time’s a Must! 

Why I loved Portugal so much; 

First of all, the weather is very nice… I later learned that Portugal always has a temperate climate. When we arrived, we were expecting autumn colors but everywhere was green and even full of flowers. We realized that the weather is always spring-like in this country on the ocean coast, it’s even named “Temperate Port”. I guess winter is like autumn and summer is like spring. At the end of November and the beginning of December, we walked around in t-shirts, sometimes with jackets. This temperate climate also affects the vegetation; we got an idea of ​​the lush green nature and vineyards on our trip to Porto 

The ocean is something else… We felt it more in Porto because we had the opportunity to walk on the shore and touch the water. Whether you see it in a soft or majestic mood; the ocean takes your breath away. It’s nothing like the open sea; the energy is completely different. The sovereign says “I own this planet”. It’s also saying “life started with me and it’s possible only with me”. There is no room for unnecessary modesty here.  

But real life is in the cities… I loved the cities that this seafaring nation built in the giant river ports opening to the ocean, and the sweet flow of life here. Just like the combination of the powerful dynamism of the ocean and the fluid serenity of the river. There are sweet surprises and bouncy entertainment in city life; and also idle breaks and leisurely moments. I think Porto is a bit quieter, both because there are fewer residents and because it is further north. Lisbon, on the other hand, is more crowded and dynamic. 

In both cities there is an aesthetic that captures the attention of  the architect in me. It is not a wealth that is not forced, a show-off, a nouveau riche; but an aristocratic elegance that has been finely crafted over the years. Portugal’s hilly cities offer unique views from countless perspectives, like a giant canvas enlivened with colors and patterns by the ceramics adorning the facades of the buildings they call azulejo. It is not lacking in ornamentation either; the magnificent baroque is also here. Classical works of fine arts live with works of world-famous or local modern architects such as Calatrava and Koolhaas. But none of them compete with each other or bully each other. 

You can trace the traces of a culture that has transformed craft into art, starting from ceramics to other design products. The store in Porto where local designers’ products are sold, the cooperative shop in Lisbon, the small boutiques, the tiny corner cafes and even a poetry and narrative hall. I really liked the understated yet dignified stance of design here and how it is one of the main pillars of existence of life. 

I want to visit Portugal again and stay longer to dive deeper into this rich aesthetic world, to absorb its culture from music to art, and to be a part of life in Portugal rather than a tourist. Moreover, there are many places that I have not seen yet!