Here’s a delightful range of knobs and knockers that caught my eyeballs when I visited Portugal for the first time with the lovely Babs.
Porto is the perfect weekend away to get a sense of escapism. The 250,000 residence make for a rather tranquil juxtaposition to London which leaves you wondering if everyone living in the second largest city in Portugal are actually on holiday. No, it’s just very chilled and offers the perfect mix of culture, bars, restaurants and outdoor activities.
Don’t pack heels as these will break within seconds of tackling the steep cobbled streets where ambling is the perfect way to take in the lives of locals and to walk off the favourite dish, Francesinha, which means Little Frenchie in Portuguese. It’s a sort of OTT Croque Monsieur, stuffed with an assortment of meats and drenched in a rich tomatoey, cheesy, beery, gravy sauce. Yup it tastes as strange as it sounds. It’s a dish that will keep you going all day; it’s certainly not a snack unlike Pimentos de Padron, griddled peppers from Galicia, liberally salted (with the odd uber hot one thrown in for good measure – which is all part of the game). Wash these down with a cold beer whilst basking in the sun (we were there in November and we did see sunshine) once the smouldering fog from the morning has dispersed.
Right, feast your eyes on the knobs and knockers below:
