Most people like me would just visit Lisbon and say they have been to Portugal! I visited Lisbon nearly 10 years ago and enjoyed my time but during my recent visit, I was planning to stay in Lisbon for a month but for some reason I felt that the city was exciting but there was something a miss. After three weeks, I decided to hop on the train and make my way to Porto and stay there for a week and See how I feel. Since it’s just 3 hours from Lisbon, I could always return back.
As the train got into Porto, I was in awe at the sight of this beautiful city and as the sun glistened the mighty bridge and city landscape. At that moment, I realized that this is definitely the city for me. It was like love at first sight. It was magical.
Will this magic fade away or lure me into staying here for longer or a lifetime? That was question back of my mind but as I wandered around and met the locals, I just felt more at ease. As someone who has always stayed in a big city, I kinda liked that Porto was a city as well as a community; may be that was something a-miss in Lisbon. For me, sense of a community and belonging is so important.
The other main reason, apart from the Porto Tawny, is the upcoming and thriving creative scene. This is my jam. I have started learning pottery and making those blue tiles, that Portugal is famous for. Also, I am getting back into the world of fashion and have already started sketching creative designs inspired by Porto’s architecture.
Fast forward six months and I have made Porto my home. I don’t believe in testing the waters anymore, I have fully dived in and bought a home in Miragaia, the historical city center.
Everyday, I learn something amazing about Porto and about it’s focus on innovation, entrepreneurship and fashion.
On the topic of fashion, I had no idea that Porto is a host to two major fashion shows every year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed if I can snag a ticket to the upcoming Portugal Fashion show and provide you first hand insights about how it compares to the shows in Paris and New York. 🤞🏾
XoXo, MMJ
