27.12.206 min read

Porto, or how I learned to drink lunch

They fortify the wine here so you don't have to fortify yourself. Respect the tradition.

A civilised arrangement

Somewhere along the river they decided wine should be stronger and lunch should be longer, and I have never disagreed with a city so little. You come for the bridges and you stay for the cellars.

"Any meal worth having is worth having slowly, and slightly drunk."

The tradition

You do not fight the port. You do not schedule around the port. You accept the port, and the afternoon takes care of itself.

Barcelona: in a nutshell

So here I am, out of the cabin after a wonderful weekend, and I'm back to this shithole — or paradise, depending on who you ask. While I will certainly be crucified for this, let me tell you a little-known (or widely known, by people with taste) secret.

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