Page 56 - WDT MAGAZINE PORTUGAL

Oh salty sea, how much of your salt Is tears from Portugal? – Fernando Pessoa

The first of our three Airbnb rentals booked for
this trip proved to be a winner - a two-bedroom
apartment in a recently renovated building with
a small elevator (greatly appreciated since we
were on the top floor). From almost every
window, our apartment was blessed with
beautiful city views. Watching the light change
on magnificent churches and colorfully tiled
buildings along with the buzz of people dining in
sidewalk cafes below became a frequent ritual.
We spent three nights in Porto - barely
enough for an introduction. At first blush, the
city reminded me of San Francisco with its cool
weather, youthful energy, great food and wine,
and steep hills and cable cars. Cheap flights,
affordable dining, and economical Airbnb
lodging have contributed to making Porto and
Lisbon some of Europe’s most popular
destinations -- especially for young people.
Medieval history and architecture, eclectic
culture, and energetic nightlife add to their
growing appeal.
On our walks through the city, we
immediately noticed the many construction
cranes stretching into the sky. Things are
booming here -- after decades of neglect and
reckless rent controls under the dictatorship of
Antonio Salazar. Fortunately, this rebirth
treasures Porto’s past. Instead of bulldozing
crumbling old buildings the city is preserving its
beautiful architecture from the golden age of
Portugal and modernizing the interiors with the
latest green technologies.
In Porto, the country’s famous Azulejo tiles
are everywhere – on and in houses, stores,
churches, train stations and more. Most are the
traditional blue, but many of the apartment
buildings sported other colors. The blue tiles in

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