General Discussion

Last edited Sun Nov 2, 2025, 04:43 AM - Edit history (1)

I have been going to a meeting there for the last few years. Two guys from my Dutch office have been doing it for a while, and they recommended it to me. Even my wife has come a couple of times, and she NEVER comes with me on working trips except to NYC, where one of our daughters lives, and Berlin, where we met.

Porto is built at almost a 45° angle up the side of a steep mountain. I only recommend it if you are used to climbing steep hills on a daily basis. It's a very pretty town, but MAN is it exhausting to walk up and down there. If you're looking to lose some weight, spend three weeks in Porto and never take public transportation. That should get you into shape fast (only with permission from your cardiologist!). Last time, I didn't even see much of the town, as my Dutch guys booked late, and we had to stay out in Matosinhos, a suburb known for its fancy (and VERY good) restaurants. My plane was late this year, and my Dutch guys went out to eat before I got there. My hotel recommended a small place nearby, and so I set out to find it. The area was almost deserted, but I finally found it, little more than a hole in the wall. I hoped the menu would be at least in Spanish in addition to Portuguese. I breathed a sigh of relief when I walked in the door. From the owner's appearance, he was definitely not a native of Portugal, and his Spanish with a Venezuelan accent confirmed that I'd have no problem communicating at all! I can read a lot of Portuguese, but the pronunciation is nothing like Spanish, and I have trouble following the spoken language. I had an easier time following the Brazilians.

By the way, Porto is no sleepy unknown town nowadays. The airport has a couple of nonstops a week from and to Düsseldorf, and last spring, I saw it even now has daily nonstops to Boston!