Finding Joy Among the Chaos in Porto

Accepting the chaos of my apartment, I focused on finding fun times in Porto

Enjoying the Local Life in Porto, Portugal (photo by author)

Forget the Chaos, Time to Explore Porto 

Before my arrival in Porto, I thought seriously about making it my next home. However, the nonstop chaos of the apartment I’d rented was wearing me down, making it hard to appreciate the city. I lived on the streets of Porto during the day, trying to find places to work, and only went to the apartment at night to shower and sleep. There was no need to set an alarm as the early morning chaos of the construction on the other side of my wall guaranteed I would not sleep past sunrise.

With no chance of escaping my noisy existence, I forced myself to put aside the disruptions and focus on getting to know Porto better. I took long walks, searching for cafes in which to work as I got to know the city better. I’d set out in different directions, watching the city change from one neighborhood to the next. I’d pass Baroque churches like the Porto Cathedral, art deco buildings including a favorite in Cafe Guarany, and the modern Casa da Musica concert hall. At least I was being forced to see far more of the city than I probably would have if I could have worked at the apartment. 

Pre-Game Atmosphere at the Porto Game (photo by author)

The Football Gods are Smiling!

Porto being a city of around 250,000 people in a country that loves its football, is home to two professional teams that played in the Primeira Liga that season, the top league of Portuguese football. My neighborhood of Boavista has its own team which has fewer fans than cross town neighbor and city namesake, Porto. As luck would have it, the football gods blessed me with a home game for each team during my stay.

First up, was the Porto game! The pre-game was an event in itself! Food and beer stands were set up before the entrances to the stadium. Many fans arrived early, grabbed a beer and a bite and enjoyed DJs that were set up in two different spots. While I often think of the rowdy crowds that pack many an English stadium, this scene was more family friendly, with many excited kids of all ages sporting their Porto jerseys and t-shirts. One little guy started dancing in front of the DJ who took him up and showed him how to work the crowd while Mom and Dad got to enjoy their food.

Inside the stadium I had sweet seats right behind the goalie, who for Porto is quite a looker and an attraction himself imho. The fans were into the game, cheering the team on to a 2-1 win. Afterwards I followed the crowds to a local pub, had a small beer and listened as the patrons, mostly men, who despite the win, hashed out the highs and lows of the referees calls.

Burning Down the House (photo by author)

In comparison, the pre-game celebration for Boavista the following week, was a bit less exciting. The stadium is located across the street from a school and the neighborhood is a bit more residential. The only pre-game food and libation was one beer truck and a hot dog cart. While the atmosphere was lacking, you just knew there were some die-hards with Boavista tattoos proving their loyalty somewhere among the spectators.

Unfortunately, Boavista were playing the very popular and very successful team, Benfica, who crushed them 3-0. The game proved a bit exciting as the visiting team’s fans tried to burn the stadium down every time their team did the smallest thing right. While the Benfica fans greatly outnumbered their local opponent, I bought myself a Boavista scarf and did my best to provide support for the struggling home team.

A Day Spent Wandering the Neighborhood

One day, I decided to take the entire day off of work and spend it wandering the city. First up was one of my absolute favorite places to go – a true “old man bar”. This place checked all the boxes for an authentic, local establishment. I loved the buzz of this place. I would grab a table at the back, so I could watch the show. And it was a show every morning.

The place had a group of regulars that felt it was their duty to stop in daily, greet everyone in the place with a hearty “Bom Dia” which was given back to them in return, and share the details of the current state of their life. Some were always grumpy, some happy and one had absolutely nothing to say. He would sit at his usual table, drink his coffee that appeared without him asking, read the newspaper, pay, and head out. All without a word. While he could probably have made his own coffee just as easily at home, I suppose we all, in our own way, need other people in our days.

The Meat Bomb (photo by author)

Meat Bombs and Fancy Chocolate

For lunch, I wandered through the neighborhood market, called the “Mercado Bom Sucesso”, perusing the fancy sandwiches, pasta/pizzas, and seafood. Suddenly, I saw what I have since referred to as the “Meat Bomb”. As I was checking out my options, someone passed me with a plate heaped high with meat that looked as if it had been simmering all night. I could just imagine how tender it was and knew I had to have it along with some of those tasty looking sides.

I looked in the direction the man came from, found the meat, and pointed to it excitedly. As the woman was piling my plate high with the Meat Bomb, I made some difficult decisions among the sides available. Soon I was seated in front of the Meat Bomb, whose every bite surpassed my expectations. There was so much of it, I was able to enjoy it for lunch the next day.

If you ever find yourself in Porto, run, don't walk to the Mercado Bom Sucesso and hope the lady is serving the Meat Bomb that day.

In the afternoon, I treated myself to a decadent hot chocolate at the Arcadia chocolate store in my Boavista neighborhood. As I sat in the high-end cafe, enjoying the sweet treat and feeling my teeth decay, with every sip. I watched the people around me in their fancy clothes eat their tiny sandwiches.

This was not my scene. I was making an exception to get the chocolate. I knew where the next stop would be.

Your Local "Jogos: Has Something for Everyone! (photo by author)

Beer, Football and Gambling!

On my way home, I found the only thing a girl needs at the end of a long day which is, as I call them, a “Jogos” bar. This is a type of establishment that I consider, among the most holy of places in Portugal. These cafes serve coffees and beers along with snacks and sandwiches. Many have a TV hanging in the corner and if there is a football game being played, you can watch it there. The icing on the cake is that they sell scratch cards and lottery tickets, hence the “Jogos” which in Portuguese means “games”. What more could a girl want?

I stopped at “Jogos” on my way home, ordered a small beer, and paid for a scratch card. I settled into my table to watch the football while learning if this was the day I was going to get lucky on the lottery. Unfortunately, it was not. However, I enjoyed my beer while watching a bit of the game as well as the characters that popped in and out, looking for a little break in their day.