oporto, portugal

i have to say, i've been extremely lucky to visit a few wonderful european cities over the past few months. i feel like i'm getting to the end of my sporadic travel adventures for now (never say never), and although i probably shouldn't pick a 'favourite' trip, maybe this would be it. although that could be seen as an equivalent to picking a favourite child... all my trips have been great.

last weekend i travelled to portugal's 2nd city, porto, for a short stay with my oldest & best friends. my friend A is studying abroad there so we had a lovely place to stay, as long as we were ok with 3 of us sharing a bed. at first, i was overwhelmed by the stunning architecture, which i feel porto's character is built around. every building looked like a work of art. it was sad to see so many vacant structures, and i spent far too much time daydreaming about what i would do if i had access to such amazing spaces. studio space, mainly...

back to the weekend itself --- it was such a treat. trips to the beach, lots of amazing portuguese food, an introduction to caipirinhas and an enormous erasmus party in a 25 person house that was formerly a primary school. all of the people i met were warm, welcoming, gracious, witty and most of all, determined to have a great time. the more i write, the more i am convinced my words won't do my wonderful experience in this city any justice. i'm not sure my photos will be able to do that either.