Porto

When planning our trip to Portugal, I was undecided about whether to visit Porto.  You don't see much about it on social media, and most people talk about the Algarve Coast or Lisbon.  Another thing to consider is that Porto is a 3-hour drive from Lisbon, north, and from where we were driving, it was a 5-hour drive. After talking to various friends who had visited Portugal, they convinced me that Porto was worth the visit.  I am so happy we decided to visit Porto as it is such a lovely city.  While the city can certainly be seen in a day, I recommend giving yourself two days to truly enjoy all that the city has to offer.  Our one day there was really not enough and did not give us time to meander in and out of stores, or in and out of churches, or museums.  We began our day by visiting the Livraria Lello Bookstore, which is one of the oldest and most beautiful bookstores in the world.  This bookstore inspired J.K. Rowling when she lived in Portugal as a teacher, and many believe it played a role in her writing the Harry Potter series.  One thing I didn't know is that you can purchase tickets online, which allows you to save a significant amount of time standing in line. It's crazy, but the store sees up to 4,000 visitors a day.  Another thing to note is that if you purchase a book, then they will credit your entrance fee toward the book price.  The bookstore is stunning.  I followed my visit to the bookstore with delicious ice cream.