The second largest city in Portugal is Porto. The territory of Portugal expanded from its northern region where Porto is located and gradually reached its current size. Porto's Historic Center, a World Heritage Site, and the Gaia District are separated by the Douro River. Architecturally rich with a centuries-old history, Porto is also an artistic city. Due to Portugal's neutral stance during World War II, it never suffered any air raid attacks, and its buildings were not destroyed.
Bom dia!
That's Portugese for "Good morning."
Ahh, that breeze feels so good!
Here I am, in the second largest city in Portugal: Porto.
Today I am going to explore the fascinating history of this country while I walk through Porto.
The territory of Portugal expanded from its northern region
where Porto is located and gradually reached its current size.
It seems that my journey will take me through the land where this country was born.
That building seems to have historical significance.
Very impressive.
Look at all the people over there.
It appears that we are about to arrive.
It's 9 in the morning.
Hmm, are all these people waiting to get on the boat?
Well, now, what's the best way to explore Porto?
Let me check the map.
Porto's Historic Center, which is a World Heritage site,
and the Gaia District are separated by the Douro River.
Hmm. I imagine there is a lot to see in the Historic Center, so I think I'll begin there.
While walking from the riverside to the city center, I can see so many large buildings.
I wonder if this is a business district.
The weather today is fabulous!
That must be why so many people are eating outside?
Wait, is that a bird perched on that man's hand?
Is that his pet?
What's he doing?
Wow! It flew away!
Look, it's chasing pigeons.
Hey, it came back!
Oh, again! Wait, I don't get it! What's going on?
Where did it go?
That's amazing!
Excuse me, is this a street performance or something?
No, this hawk protects
against pigeons and gulls.
Ahh! It's a hawk!
Wow.
It's an environmentally friendly way
to control pigeons.
When released, pigeons fly away,
thinking he's an enemy.
And that prevents bird droppings
and stolen food.
I see.
So, he doesn't hurt the pigeons.
Just look at him, he's so cute!
They seem to have great rapport!
Go.
Oh, there it goes again!
That way.
Come back.
Amazing teamwork!
Keep up the good work, you two!
Bye!
Hmm, they seem to really trust each other!
How wonderful that a bird and a human can have such a strong bond!
Looks like it's uphill from here.
Aww, that kid is getting a ride on his father's shoulders.
How lucky!
Ooh, lots of laundry!
Ah, the sun in Porto.
The atmosphere here is so relaxing!
And now I've come to an alleyway.
It's like a maze.
This is exciting!
Ohh, she's going up.
Wow, that woman is carrying quite a load!
It looks really heavy.
I wonder what she's carrying.
- Oh, how are you all?
- Huh?
What is this building?
- How are you?
- We've already started.
- Is there room for me?
- Come here.
Excuse me. Good morning!
Good morning!
May I ask what's happening here?
Are you interested in me?
What? Oh!
Yes, of course, but I'm more curious about what you are doing here.
Is this a public laundry room?
Excuse me...
We wash our laundry here.
And this person...
Don't mind me.
Many people come here.
Those with small washing areas at home,
or no washing machines.
Oh, so it is a public laundry.
Over there, blankets and big items.
We can even bathe.
Regular clothing in this square area.
We separate laundry by type.
Oh, that looks like a kitchen mat.
I see!
No, you wouldn't want to wash that with clothing.
Don't put it in there.
Why don't you go there?
- I'm doing this here.
- Rinse over there.
- I'll do that next time.
- My goodness.
Even when arguing, they seem to be making it fun!
"The cold stream water."
- "The cold water, warmed by the sun."
- Have they already made up?
"The village taps my memory."
You sing well.
"White clothes sun-dried."
"3 corsets, 3 aprons
7 pillow cases, and 1 sheet."
Yes, ma'am here we go,
she goes in!
Don't do that!
Throw her in!
Ahh, what a great place for neighbors to gather!
It's our tradition. We chat.
We talk about life.
- And we laugh.
- Yes, we laugh.
Done!
Okay, see you.
I'll be back to sing.
Ahh, that was funny, thank you.
Good-bye.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
The women in Porto appear to be not only hard-working but also cheerful and wonderfully charming!
And this... is a shopping street?
Look at all the stores!
Ah, that place sells children's clothing!
What's next door?
And that store says "Botónia."
Excuse me, what does Botónia sell?
We are a century old
button shop.
We sell buttons and accessories.
Oh! Buttons!
In Japanese, it's "botan"!
The Japanese word
comes from the Portuguese.
Yes, it does.
Do you work here?
My wife is the owner.
Oh, I see.
I'll show you the shop.
Oh, really? Thank you.
Excuse me.
Hello.
This person has questions.
Nice to meet you.
What a surprise.
Wow!
Look at all those buttons!
Just incredible!
Well, yes. That's the whole purpose.
Some customers request
foreign made buttons.
Italy, Germany, Czech.
All are special.
Some cost as much as 45 Euros!
These are amazing!
Ah, love it that you're holding hands.
Seems to be a great relationship!
That's right.
I always thank God for bringing me
the best wife in the world.
What a lovely thing to say!
May I ask, was your first meeting romantic?
He'll tell you. Don't ask me.
I was a banker, here in Porto.
I bought a parka and
wore it to work.
My colleague said, "It's nice,
but the buttons are tacky."
And so on our lunch break
he brought me here.
She was the salesperson.
- That wasn't me.
- Yes, it was.
And that was the start
of our romance.
Wow!
He was so persistent, I said,
"Stop calling me."
He wouldn't give up.
I kept saying no,
but finally gave in.
If we told you the entire story,
it would be a book.
That would make a great movie!
Thank you for sharing.
You two are fabulous!
Thank you, too. God bless.
Good luck. Thank you.
I wish you many more years of bliss.
Good-bye.
What an inspiring couple!
Wow!
Finding love while searching for buttons.
I can't wait to see what I'm going to find on my search of Porto.
I'm Sara and I study architecture.
The artistic city of Porto is architecturally rich with a centuries old history.
Today I'm going to introduce you to the city.
Because Portugal remained neutral during World War II,
it never suffered any air raid attacks.
And that is why Porto has so many famous buildings.
Also, large earthquakes are very rare here.
Let's start with São Bento Station, the gateway to Porto.
Just look!
See the beautifully painted ceramic tiles decorating the station hall.
These murals depict the history of Portugal.
This mural shows John I arriving at a castle in Porto.
He was responsible for establishing the foundation of the Kingdom of Portugal
and he married an English princess.
These beautiful murals relate the history of Portugal.
What a great way to learn about a country!
Next is Palácio da Bolsa.
In Portuguese, Bolsa means "stock exchange."
Until 1994, this building was used as a stock exchange.
And this is the Arabian Room, inspired by the Alhambra palace in Spain.
It was constructed to show off Porto's economic power at the time and took over 18 years to finish.
The luxury of the room is mesmerizing.
And finally I'm going to show you what is reputed to be the most beautiful bookstore in the world.
Welcome!
Just look at that stairway in the center of the store.
Referred to as the "Stairway to Heaven," it is said to be an art nouveau masterpiece.
This is Livraria Lello.
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling visited here,
and this bookstore is said to have been the inspiration for the "Flourish and Blotts" bookseller featured in the series.
Porto has so many architectural masterpieces!
My dream is to also create masterpieces.
When that happens, please come visit!
Bye!
And now it's lunch time.
Well, I have walked through the Historic Center.
I met the man and his hawk, then met the women at the public laundry and after that,
was treated to the romantic tale of the couple who own the button shop.
And now, I am here.
I think I'll cross the river and head over to the Gaia district.
These stairs should lead to the river.
Just look at this!
Wow, that bridge is huge!
I wonder what it's called.
I think I'll check the guidebook.
This was constructed in 1868, designed by a disciple of the famous Gustave Eiffel,
and it's called the Dom Luis I Bridge.
So... can I cross it and get over to the Gaia district?
Oh, look at that person there.
He seems to be drawing scenery of this area.
I'll ask him.
Hello.
Hi.
Excuse me, is this bridge still in use?
Of course.
I suggest the upper road.
Go up the long stairway.
At the top, turn around and
you'll see the bridge entrance.
Ahh, okay.
That is really high up there!
But I'm here, so I'm going to meet the challenge!
Looks like that long stairway is how I get there.
Oh wow.
I wonder how many steps there are?
Whew!
I'm finally at the top!
Oh! There's the bridge!
Ahh, the wind feels so refreshing up here.
Ohh, and it's very romantic I see.
Are they shooting a movie here?
The scenery is definitely breathtaking!
It's so incredible that this fabulous bridge was built in the 19th century.
The city of Porto has an amazing history!
Hmm, where did I climb up from?
Yikes, the people look so tiny.
I am really high up!!
Ooh, I'm sorry if I'm in your way!
What!
The trains also use the bridge and a bit too close to the pedestrians I think.
Oops, excuse me!
Whoa, not only do I get an awesome view, but I also get to experience some exciting moments!
And now, here I am in the Gaia district.
Just look at that!
I was walking up there!
Checking out the guide book, it seems the riverside in the Gaia district is lined with Port wine cellars.
Port wine has been produced since around the mid-14th century
by adding brandy during fermentation and is generally enjoyed as an aperitif or after-dinner drink.
These boats are now used for tourists, but they used to carry Port wine, huh.
I imagine there were many boats going back and forth carrying Port wine.
Huh? Is that... a boat?
It looks ancient.
Ah, there's someone over there.
Hello!
Hello.
What is this place may I ask?
This is a very historic,
old shipyard.
It's been here about 70 years...
but it originally dates back
to the late 18th century.
Wow.
May I enter?
Come on in.
Thank you for the kind offer.
These two are traditional boats.
They used to carry Port wine.
Only tourist boats cross the river now.
But they're built the same way as
the boats that carried Port wine.
So these boats are still made in the same way, even though the cargo is tourists rather than Port wine.
Thank you for visiting.
See you again.
Thank you.
Have a good trip.
Good-bye!
Thank you.
These days, the same kind of boats continue to go up and down the Douro River.
I bet it's a sight treasured by the people of Porto.
I think I'll head back to the Historic Center.
Oh, there's music playing somewhere.
Ah, it's those people.
Are they a band?
They're holding flags.
This looks interesting, I'm going to follow them.
"Doctor, give me sleeping pills
so I can sleep."
"Since I've seen her, I can't sleep."
"Blue girl, blue girl."
Thank you, everyone!
That was fabulous!
Come here, everyone.
May I ask who you are?
A student band
of the University of Porto.
Student band?
Started in the 13th century,
we're a traditional folk music band.
Poor students used to earn
spending money with this.
How impressive, carrying instruments and singing...
Yeah, we're all hot guys!
It's a strange thing.
Once someone joins us,
they become "hot"!
Oh, aren't you the modest one?
And you all are dressed the same.
Is that part of the tradition?
Yes, especially the cape.
It holds memories of school.
You see all these rips?
The right is by friends,
the left is family.
I remember them all.
And the rips in the middle
are by past girlfriends.
Wow!
Lots of past girlfriends, huh? Okay.
Yes, so many rips.
So that means...
I'm bursting with love
for women.
So, all of you "hot guys" who are bursting with love for women,
would you be so kind as to play one more song for me?
Then, we shall sing a serenade.
Wow, a serenade!
Wait, what is he doing?
Hello.
- We would like to serenade you.
- Serenade me?
Yes, may we?
Okay, but I'm not sure
what you mean.
- We will sing.
- For us?
May I put the cape on you?
Sure. She loves romantic gestures.
Come on over.
"As we pass the window,
a lovely maiden shows."
"So this song touches your heart."
"See the moon, the night is yours
and the troubadour's."
"The man who is crazy about you
will sway with this love song."
"Your hair is a ripple of Douro River
and links to the sea."
I think I'll continue on my way...
Ahh, the voices of the singing students echo through the streets.
So warm and very romantic.
I love it.
Hey! I'm Sven, a hat maker.
I am known for being a "man about town," the suavest man in Porto.
And today, I'm going to introduce the best food that Porto has to offer.
So, let's go!
Suave gourmet, third place is, tripas!
That's right, tripe stew!
Tripas uses mainly beef stomach, as well as pork ears and chicken.
In the Age of Navigation, meat was provided to the sailors leaving Porto,
so townspeople ate the leftover tripe, and this dish was born.
Mmm, that hits the spot!
The profound flavor of tripe runs through my body!
It's simply delicious!
Suave gourmet, second place is, this!
The pork sandwich, Bifana!
Packed with thin slices of meat with lots of sauce.
The sauce is a little spicy, so be careful!
I'm always eating a bifana like this in the corner of town.
Mmm!
Our time together is almost up.
So, I'm going to wrap things up with this special dish.
First place is Francesinha!
Apparently this was named so because the man who created it had just returned from France.
This popular dish was born in Porto.
It's a sandwich of ham, sausage, and thin slices of steak, topped with cheese and baked.
Mmm, that looks delicious!
Each restaurant has its own special sauce.
Here I go.
Mmm, that's amazing!
Perfect!
I am so cool, I can't stand it.
I can't go home yet.
- Think I'll check out the scene.
- Hey there, wait a minute!
What are you doing?
- Home, boy.
- Oh, sorry.
See you. Bye!
It's five in the evening.
I think I'd like to explore more of the alleyways in Porto.
Hmm, that building up there...
It is amazing!
Decorated so fantastically.
I bet these ladies are locals.
Oh, you want to see a pretty view?
A pretty view?!
- What is it, honey?
- Huh?
Aren't my eyes pretty?
Look.
Oh, um, they're pretty.
From where can I see a pretty view?
That way?
That would be this way.
This way?
Come on.
Come, junior.
It's a nice place, don't worry.
Okay.
What, wow!
Wow! This is fabulous.
That is the public laundry
for this district.
Oh, really? A public laundry.
Hmm, so there's another one in this area.
Come this way.
Oh!
Wow! It's stunning.
Isn't it?
It would be terrible to miss.
I agree.
You see this view every day, huh?
I'm envious!
Isn't it stunning?
I was born here.
May I ask, you've lived here all your life?
Yes. I was born here,
in the cathedral district.
I've lived here for nearly 70 years.
My entire life.
Oh, 70 years here in Porto...
I love it here.
And who is this young man?
My grandson.
I have great-grandkids too.
This is my youngest grandchild,
followed by great-grandchildren.
Yes, my baby.
Oh, he's standing on the ball!?
Oh, you like soccer, huh?
What do you say
when Ronaldo scores?
Si!(Yes!)
- Who's your favorite?
- Ronaldo.
So it's definitely Ronaldo!
Hey, a future Portugal national player!
Come on! Show me some moves!
- Here?
- Show her a kick!
Sure!
- Not over the wall!
- I know!
Oh, is he imitating Ronaldo?
Yeah, you can do it! Go for it!
Grandma! Catch this!
What? Grandma? Are you sure?!
Wow! That was a super shot!
It's so nice and relaxed here!
I'm very blessed.
Money isn't everything.
All I need is enough food and
my grandkids to be free.
Hey, you come over here too.
- Who's that?
- Auntie is hiding by the window.
He's adorable.
Oh, showing some more moves?
- Are you hungry?
- No.
Let's go home.
Thank you for sharing your time and your amazing view with me.
Good-bye.
I'll leave you here.
Yes, good-bye.
Bye-bye, little Ronaldo!
Bye-bye.
Yes, bye-bye!
Friend.
What? We're friends?!
You think of me as your friend, I'm so flattered.
7 p.m.
The sun is probably setting now.
Oh, there's the bridge I crossed this afternoon, the Dom Luis I Bridge.
And I see lots of people gathered.
Is it a party?
It's burning! Look, everyone!
Oh, wow! Oh, hello.
Need a huge flame!
Is this some kind of party?
Yes! A birthday!
No resting! Keep fanning! Fan!
Whose birthday is it?
The boy over there.
Playing soccer. He's turning five.
We're talking about you.
Oh, him!
Happy birthday!
Would you like some?
It's the famous Porto sandwich,
the bifana.
Oh! Bifana!
In English...
Wow, thank you.
Looks delicious!
Some beer?
I'll put it in your backpack.
Drink it later.
Oh! Beer too?
Is that enough beer?
Beer.
- Arigato.
- Wow, thanks!
Arigato.
Arigato!
Umm, were you all born here in Porto?
Yes, this is our hometown.
We're celebrating a birthday
with the family.
We always get together for occasions
even if we marry and move away.
Family's getting together.
Well, have a fantastic night!
And enjoy everyone!
You too, thank you.
Thank you!
Oh, and thank you so much for the bifana and beer!
Arigato!
They kindly said "arigato" to me in Japanese, so I'll answer in Portuguese.
Obrigada! Obrigada.
I think I'll finish off my journey through Porto with a night view of the city from the top of that bridge again.
Oh, a train.
So it runs on the bridge at night, too.
Wow!
Just look at that!
Absolutely stunning!
I'm sure that each light represents something deeply meaningful and heartfelt.