Portugal feels like it’s currently having its ‘It’ moment for the past five years or so and will continue to be the defining place for new generations to come and for good reason to. Good weather, progressive government, multilingual and educated population, gorgeous architecture, interesting sea-faring history.. the list goes on. As for us, the whole Iberian summer last year was a spur of the moment choice and we didn’t plan it out in great detail. We booked tickets to Lisbon and took the train up to Matosinhos pretty much while we were in Spain, and based ourselves in the Four Points Hotel in Matosinhos for a week. These are our main memories of it.

Fado singing and dinner

After having such a wonderful experience watching flamenco singing and dancing in Andalusia, I wanted to taste another musical experience native to the people. In our day trip to Sintra, we heard our guide and other travellers discussing Fado singing and I searched online for an experience we could have in Porto. We found Joao’s experience in Villa Nova de Gaia, which was supposed to be a real, traditional genuine fado experience performed by the famous faddist Sandra Correia. It was set in a place called quite simply Fado Portogues, which also served great local food where there was a beautiful view over Porto and Gaia. It was a rich introduction to all the different crevices of Portugal. They say the Spanish extrovert manifests herself through the passion of Flamenco while the Portuguese introvert suffers through the lamentations of Fado. The performance is very much centred on the power of the voice and the singer’s ability to express a melancholic story through the melody and tenor – even without knowing the language. I have to say while I certainly admired the incredibly talented singers and the intimacy of the evening (including the great food suitable for pescatarians) I was partial to not just the flamboyance and dynamism of Flamenco but also the marginalised story behind the art.

You can find the link for this Fado performance here https://abnb.me/hhi0gCGJBzb

Matosinhos Beach

We chose Matosinhos as our base because we wanted to be within a 15-20 minute drive to Porto and also stay close to a beach, but I guess we didn’t do sufficient research to realise how cold beaches of the Atlantic sea can be. Even when the temperatures moved to above 25 degree Celsius, the water felt like plunging into a cold bath. Still being the beach slaves that we were, we parked our butts there almost every day if not to lie down for some light sun bathing then to people watch, have a bite to eat or stroll down the promenade and catch the sunset. Some walks were so memorable with Portuguese martial arts being played out by local youths.

Four Points Hotel, Matosinhos

The hotel itself was decent. Small with just enough facilities for dining and fitness, there were no complaints on our side and we would recommend it for those who want a fuss free, convenient and beachside vacation. On our first day they sent us the ubiquitous Portuguese egg tarts which started the day very well. It is also conveniently situated with a supermarket, some beach shops, pharmacy and nice restaurants within a 5 minute walk.

Pergola da Foz de Duoro

On the last night we walked to this beautiful promenade which was about a 20 minute stroll away from the hotel. It was such a memorable way to conclude our trip here- the sunset was magical with the backdrop of a lighthouse, soaring birds, fierce Atlantic waves crashing over rocks and a strong powerful wind taking over us. There were local families, tourists like us and just sweet youths in love taking a romantic stroll as the skies turned a delectable fusion of pink, purple, yellow and orange.

Art Class in Porto

In my last morning, I went for a watercolour class in Porto. I found the street facades in the city so attractive, with the vintage trams coursing through narrow cobbled streets set against the fascinating Romanesque, Gothic type architecture of the properties and I searched online for art classes that would allow me to paint a visual memory of Portugal. Hugo’s class looked the most compatible for me – simple watercolours to preserve a memory of this trip. He had the watercolours, palette and water ready for us, and already pencilled in the outline of the painting – which was an elevated view of Gaia from Porto. I learned a lot of interesting techniques and ideas from the class – mixing colours to enrich the sea and sky, how to paint for ‘noise’ but not necessarily to depict accuracy, and being a bit bolder with the textures. The class is also set in the basement of his lovely Art Gallery, which was situated in a historic part of the city and was selling such delightful paintings of Porto facades and local delights. Hugo was patient, warm, friendly and knowledgeable – I enjoyed listening to his views not just on art but also about the world. For watercolour beginners, this is a joyful way to learn from a local artist. You can check out his classes at this link https://abnb.me/uRFB6LZJBzb

Last words

Matosinhos was such a gorgeous way to spend our holiday- chilled, laid back beach town with very interesting and friendly locals who were easy to communicate and get to know, and with Porto being a short Uber ride away, always 15 minutes from a bigger-city adventure.