Because of COVID, traveling very far during my Fulbright grant hadn’t been possible for the past several months. But as soon as the borders opened, everyone was ready to rock and roll. In a weird coincidence, the majority of Galicia’s Fulbrighters used the long weekend to head to Porto, Portugal! Several of the Ourense Fulbrighters, Auxiliaries, and I went with the grantees in A Coruña so that we could finally get to spend some time together!
Normally, Fulbright grantees attend several conferences during the year, all of which were canceled due to the pandemic. But for me, getting this opportunity to explore a new place with the other Fulbrighters was the next best thing!
Arriving in Porto
After getting settled in our Air BnB, we went out to find a place for dinner. After walking along the Douro River, we found a nice quiet restaurant with some authentic Portuguese food. We spent the next couple of hours getting to know the other Fulbrighters and Auxiliares over bacalao, francesinha, and vino verde.
Following dinner, we took the opportunity to explore some more of the city. It was really cool to be able to see Porto at night! It was particularly special because, unlike Spain, Portugal didn’t have a curfew, so we could be outside for as long as we wanted.
Day 1
On the first full day, my roommate and I — being early risers — went out to a cafe for breakfast. After we got seated, our friend came to join us as well! We ordered ham and cheese croissants, biscuits, coffee, orange juice, and (most importantly) pasteis de nata. All of which cost only about 3€! The natas are really iconic of Portugal, and I was not disappointed. Their creamy goodness really sweetened my morning.
Shopping in Porto
During most of the day, we enjoyed the shopping scene in Porto. We found some thrift stores, souvenir shops, record stores, and went to the mall! The mall was really beautiful inside, but the indoor, virtual, 5D roller coaster was probably my favorite part. I’m not sure what all the five Ds were, but watching my friend get flailed around in her seat next to me with weird CGI dinosaurs on the track was quite the experience.
Fado
To wrap up the day, we attended a wine tasting with a live Fado concert. We had two port wines: one was lighter and meant to be had before a meal, while the other was a rich dessert wine with a nutty aftertaste. I’d never heard Fado music before, so it was really cool to see the performance.
Day 2
Livraria Lello
On the second full day, my roommate and I went first thing to the famous library, the Livraria Lello. Getting in line, the worker told us that the wait would be about 3 hours! Since the rest of the group probably wouldn’t be awake until then anyway (plus we already bought tickets), we decided to stay. After much waiting and the formation of several hilarious inside jokes, we made it into the library and it was beautiful! We also had a great bonding moment with the cashier while purchasing some books.
Legends of Porto
After the library, we took a little rest back at the Air BnB until the Legends of Porto, an underground light show, in the afternoon. We all got a set of headphones to hear the stories in whatever language we wanted while they told the stories of several legends that happened in Porto. During the exhibit, there were layers of light that gave a super cool effect. We even accidentally saw graduation for a biomedical sciences school (which I thought was a cult at first) on our way out!
The Fulbrighters’ “Conference”
Before dinner, we met up with other Fulbrighters who happened to be in Porto that weekend. In my mind, that was what I always imagined the Fulbright conferences to be like. Getting to know the other Fulbrighters, their stories, and their experiences in other parts of Spain was really wonderful. The grantees were super nice and it was amazing to get to know them and watch the sunset together.
The Barbecue
After having to tear myself away from the other grantees, we met back up with the other Ourense and A Coruña grantees at a Portuguese/Brazilian barbecue for dinner. I definitely had low expectations because I normally hate all-you-can-eat places. Because I’m a small person, I can never eat enough to make the price worth it. But this restaurant really proved me wrong. They grilled the meat on skewers at the front of the restaurant and carved as much as you wanted onto your plate. The meat was divine, the drinks were delicious, and I even had chicken hearts!
Conclusion
Heading back to Ourense, I felt super happy with the trip. Not only did I get my mini “conference” experience. But I also had so much fun exploring Porto. Not only was the city beautiful and exciting, but it was also very linguistically diverse. Between my Spanish and English, I could communicate surprisingly well! This trip was definitely a highlight of my Fulbright experience.
To read more of my Fulbright experiences, click here!
