Porto Sentido

Posted bynickletjogPosted inDiary

Sunday 24 May 2026

My arrival in Porto: World Cup fever abounds – and (despite being not too much younger than me) Christiano is still very much the Portuguese talisman: let’s hope they let him out of his box before kick-off!

Today has rather crept up on me: an early alarm (on a Bank Holiday Sunday, of all days) and, within an hour or two, Rachel had whisked me off to Luton Airport, en route to Porto, for my latest Camino adventure! I have achieved one ‘Personal Best’ already, in getting my pack weight down to below seven kilos, mostly on account of the hot forecast weather – perhaps I have taken a foolish risk in discarding a layer or two, as well as my waterproof bottoms, in favour of my swimmers. We will see.

A ‘Top Tip’ for Bank Holiday passengers at Luton Airport, is to avoid the masses on the concourse (where even floor space was at a premium) and head for the ‘all faiths and none’ Prayer Room: it is all rather modest (three by four metres to be precise, and rather sparsely appointed) compared with the facility at Stanstead, but it was cool, and I had the place to myself!

Having planted my derrière on the crowded EasyJet shuttle to Porto, amongst the squabbling families and the rowdy stag-weekenders, I have to confess to being rather excited by the prospect of the next fortnight or so, wandering the Portuguese Way from Porto to Santiago. I spent some time on the flight reading up again on the Camino Portugués (and I will compile some explanatory notes tomorrow ahead of the start of my walk on Tuesday morning), before settling back to enjoy the flight.

Bye-bye Berkhamsted – I can see my house from 5,000 feet . . .
. . . as well as the carnage of HS2 . . .
. . . and the Isle of Wight laid out before me

Arriving in Porto I recalled my one and only previous trip here, with Rachel and some friends in March 2018: whilst it didn’t stop raining for our five-day break, we saw enough of the city’s promise to ensure a return visit. Porto is, of course, famous for its port cellars (of which, I’m sure, more tomorrow), for its situation astride the scenic Douro River, and more generally (in the words of my Camino guidebook) for its ‘lively and authentic ambience’. I arrived just after 7.00 pm, so have little to share today aside from a photo or two around my quest for dinner, but I do have two nights here before I set off on my northward walk, so I will report back tomorrow with some more pictures and reflections.

The neoclassical Câmara Municipal do Porto (City Hall) stands on high ground to the north of the centre . . .
. . . and nearby there are views southward over the roof-scapes either side of the Douro
A busy street scene. . .
. . . leading to a suitable street café for a light dinner

Tomorrow is forecast fine and warm, so I hope to complete a walking tour of the city, as well as registering for my Camino walk and picking up my ‘Pilgrim’s Passport’ at the Cathedral. But for now sleep beckons!

Tessera pavements are characteristic of Porto (as they are in other particular Portuguese towns and cities), featuring a wide variety of designs

‘Porto Sentido’, the song title that I have adopted for today’s Blog, translates roughly as ‘the soul and meaning of Porto’. The number was written by Carlos Tê and performed originally by Rui Veloso, the ‘Father of Portuguese Rock’, with music and lyrics that pay a melodic tribute to the city. The song has been widely adopted by Portuenses and hailed as ‘a love letter that celebrates the city’s duality of ancient stone architecture alongside its beautiful melancholic soul’.

I rather enjoyed listening to this street entertainer, who had just me as an audience, as I reacquainted myself with the city’s sights from the above Douro viewpoint

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