Porto is a magical city and this cliché is true, according to BBC
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Eric Weiner, author of The Geography of Bliss, writes a regular column for BBC Travel and believes that being happy in a place is crucial to feeling happy and content.
So, if one does not know where to live or dwell on life, Weiner suggests thinking of the question "Where would you like to die?"
The author of Geography of Bliss believes that being happy in a place is crucial to feeling happy and content.
Weiner writes about the "world's happiest places" and, guess what, Porto is one of those places.
Porto is second to First Class category only in the number of inhabitants. Weiner goes on saying that "technically a Second City is simply a nation's second most populous city", yet, that notion implies being less, a kind of "second-class status".
To coin a phrase, let us name names. Porto is everything but less. "There's nothing ordinary about the city", according to BBC's reporter, Eric Weiner.
From world renowned Porto Wine to splendorous bookstore Lello, where JK Rowling found inspiration for Harry Potter, or arched, double-decked Dom Luis bridge over river Douro to Casa da Música concert hall that looks like a giant metronome.
Porto was acknowledged World heritage UNESCO site in 1996 and indeed it is an original and magical place. "It's a cliché, I realize, to speak of a city being "magical", but in the case of Porto the cliché is true", says Weiner.
The author compares Porto to other second cities like Krakow, Poland, Montreal, Canada, Cordoba or even Chicago. Second cities beguile you. There is less hassle and less congestion, the cities are more open and more authentic.
One can build on expectations without any pre-requisites and discover unexpected splendour when visiting the so-called second cities.
According to BBC's reporter, "Porto arguably possesses a more vibrant arts scene than Lisbon. (...) from the colourful and elaborate street art to the Fundação Serralves' contemporary art museum."
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