When in Porto you are on cloud nine, according to El País

Porto is the highlight of the Travel Guide section of the renowned Spanish newspaper "El País".
Martín Casariego, reputed Spanish writer, explains why Porto is a must-go destination and a city of "smiles and sighs". 

When visiting the city of Porto, one should not miss the famous "bacalhau" [codfish], the blue tiles at Capela das Almas, the panoramic views of Torre dos Clérigos, the worldly famous Lello Bookshop and a tour by the river Douro, in Ribeira's shores.

Porto is described as a city where new and old are merged. The first is represented by the Serralves Foundation and the casa da Música; the latter is all over town.

Another highlight is the fabulous touring on the streets of Porto, admiring the colourful palette of tiles in the façades, and the historic and pastoral scenes depicted at the century old train station of São Bento.

One can get lost in the infinity of "beautiful" stores to visit, from porcelain items, to powder soap or even tinned food. And also find the traditional gastronomy - tripe and francesinha - and the different genres of coffeehouses, from the Brasileira to the Majestic.

Also noteworthy is a visit to the Military Museum (a fairly unknown tourist site) where one can admire the sword of the first King of Portugal, for example, and visit the nearby cemetery "O Prado do Repouso", famous for its tombstones and cypresses.

Martín Casariego concludes by saying that "I bought flowers at the cemetery, but for the living not for the dead and the old woman selling them made me a discount and smile at me, making me smile as well".

"This is Porto, a wonderful city, where one can exit a cemetery with a bouquet of flowers and a smile", enthuses the Spanish writer.

See the full article here.