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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.
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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.
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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