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Travel is my favorite kind of bug.

Welcome to my travel blog!  I quit my job in NYC to go on a 100-day travel adventure, and I will be documenting, inspiring and sharing as I go.

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DAY 73:  TASTING PORT IN PORTO, PORTUGAL – NOT ALL PORT IS TOO SWEET FOR ME!

6/30/2014

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Thursday, June 26 (Porto, Portugal) – One of my favorite tips for traveling is to take advantage of lockers in train and bus stations.  I was heading to Lisbon, Portugal from Vigo, Spain, but I didn’t want to miss out on Porto, the city famous for the wine of the same name, which I would be passing through.  So I did a little digging and was able to confirm that the Vigo train station is equipped with lockers – big and small – and decided to leave my stuff there while I toured the city for a few hours.  

Coming from Vigo, the station I arrived at was Campanhã, which is a four-minute train ride from the other main train station, São Bento.  Once I arrived at the second station, I was in the heart of the city and there were two tourist offices across the street ready to give me a map and answer my questions.

Porto is very hilly (so extra happy I didn’t have my suitcase with me!) so I started down one big hill towards the port.  I passed a bunch of cafes and shops, ventured in a few, but continued my way down.  The city itself is very quaint and beautiful, and I love the detailed tilework on many of the buildings that Portugal is known for.
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When I arrived at the port, I happened to see something special.  It was graduation day for firefighters (I think) who are either first entering the job or are receiving advanced recognition.  It was a very official procession with a marching band, speakers and pristine uniforms.  Friends, family and tourists watched from the sidelines with the beautiful view in the background.
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I crossed the Dom Luis Bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia to get some incredible views of the city and then make my way to the highlight of the region – the Port bodegas!  There are about 35 different port brands that are made in this area, and most of them are open to the public for tastings and tours.    
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View of Porto from the Dom Luis bridge over the Douro River
I started at Kopke which is the oldest Porto wine brand.  I was told that Kopke also has table wine including a dry white, so I started there hoping to taste something that wasn’t too sweet for me.  There is no official tasting here, so the woman in the store spoke with me, heard what I like and don’t like, and brought over three healthy ‘tastes’.  I tried two white table wines and one white Port – and the Port was actually delicious!  I was shocked that I could swallow it; in fact, I had no idea that port came in white to begin with.  
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Wall of Kopke Port bottles - different prices for different years
After realizing that not all port is too sweet for me, I decided to go on a tour at the Calem bodega.  It reminded me of whiskey distilleries that I’ve been to in how the barrels are organized and labeled.  I learned some interesting things about port as well such as there are three main types: white, ruby and tawny.  Tawny has a more brownish color when the liquid is held up to the light, and it has been aged in smaller, wooden barrels than ruby (which is a stronger red color).  Ruby is the most common type.  White is often used in cocktails.
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Calem white and tawny Ports
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Double-fisting white & tawny Port
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Storage of tawny Port
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    Author

    Hi! I'm Stacy, a 28 year old Manhattanite who quit her job to go on a 100-day journey across the world.  Follow me as I hot air balloon in Turkey, hike the Todra Gorge in Morocco, horseback ride across Ireland, and take part in all the other active adventures I can find!

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